Possibility of Using Solar Energy for the Creation of Carbon Neutral Hotels in Mediterranean Countries

Abstract

Mitigation of climate change requires the increased use of renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels in all sectors. Hotel buildings utilize large amounts of energy consuming mainly electricity while the use of renewable energy sources is rather limited. Solar energy is abundant in the Mediterranean basin and it is currently used for heat and electricity generation in many applications. Various solar energy technologies are mature, reliable and cost-effective. Use of solar thermal energy, and solar photovoltaic energy combined with the use of high efficiency heat pumps, can cover all the energy needs for domestic hot water, space cooling and electricity in summer-operating hotels in the Mediterranean region. A summer-operating hotel located in Crete, Greece with a covered surface of 3000 m2 has a specific annual energy consumption of 150 KWh/m2. The capital cost of the required sustainable energy systems for covering all the annual energy requirements in the hotel including a solar thermal system with flat plate collectors, a solar photovoltaic system with crystalline-Si modulus and high efficiency heat pumps has been estimated at 95.7 €/m2 while the annual CO2 savings due to the use of benign energy systems in the hotel have been calculated at 68 kgCO2/m2. It is concluded that the use of solar energy technologies in summer-operating hotels in the Mediterranean region could cover all their energy requirements, while it is technically feasible, economically profitable and environmentally desirable.

Net-zero Carbon Emission Hotels: Are they Technically and Economically Feasible?

“…He mentioned that the use of solar thermal energy, solar photovoltaic energy and geothermal heat pumps can cover all their energy demand in heat, cooling and electricity. Vourdoubas, 2019 [18] has investigated the possibility of using solar energy for the creation of carbon neutral hotels in Mediterranean countries. The author stated that solar thermal energy and solar photovoltaic energy combined with heat pumps could cover all the energy demand in heat, cooling and electricity in summer operating hotels in Mediterranean region.…”

Use of Distributed Electricity Generation Technologies in Hotels

“…The electric power of the CHP plant is 500 KWel and its heat power at 2 320 KWth while the annual electricity generation is 4.3 GWhel and the annual heat generation at 16 GWhth. Vourdoubas (2019) has investigated the possibility of using solar thermal and solar-PV energy for creating carbon neutral hotels due to energy use in Mediterranean region zeroing their carbon footprint due to energy use. The author stated that solar thermal energy combined with high efficiency heat pumps can cover all energy requirements in summer operating hotels located in Mediterranean region.…”