Small-Scale Hybrid Photovoltaic-Biomass Systems Feasibility Analysis for Higher Education Buildings

Abstract

Applications of renewable electricity in cities are mostly limited to photovoltaics, and they need other renewable sources, batteries, and the grid to guarantee reliability. This paper proposes a hybrid system, combining biomass and photovoltaics, to supply electricity to educational buildings. This system is reliable and provides at least 50% of electricity based on renewable sources. Buildings with small (<500 kW) installed power based on renewables, mainly biomass, are usually expensive. Besides, in urban areas, photovoltaic capacity is limited due to roof availability. This paper analyzes different configurations, meeting these constraints to obtain an economically feasible solution based on photovoltaic-biomass modelling of small size hybrid systems. The technology used for biomass energy valorization is a fluidized bed gasification power plant, which has been modelled with real data obtained from experimental tests and previous research projects. Thereby, real costs and electric efficiency are included in the model. The techno-economic feasibility analysis using HOMER software with metered real load curves from an educational building has been modelled. The results of the model show that hybrid renewable systems are very feasible in the scenario of 50% of electricity contribution, however, higher contribution (>70%) implies high electricity costs.

Empirical Design, Construction, and Experimental Test of a Small-Scale Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor

“…The LHV of the syngas was obtained from the tests carried out in a fluidized bed biomass gasification (BFB) pilot plant. The results obtained correspond to those values shown in the literature [3,[48][49][50][51][52][53]. According to the test, the syngas LHV ranges from 5000 to 6000 kJ/Nm 3 .…”

Optimization of All-Renewable Generation Mix According to Different Demand Response Scenarios to Cover All the Electricity Demand Forecast by 2040: The Case of the Grand Canary Island

“…Then, it is determined if the configuration is feasible regarding the energy flow and calculates the installation and operation cost of the system over the lifetime of the project. According to [30], HOMER uses a novel algorithm without derivatives to search for the cheapest system, showing a list of feasible configurations sorted by net present cost. Thus, the global optimum is chosen as the best solution in this study.…”

“…Consequently, it becomes essential to explore the existing possibilities to cover the electricity needs only with totally renewable generation sources and with the assistance of the mentioned storage technologies. Different models are currently used to simulate microgrid and energy demand responses [30][31][32]. The Hybrid Optimization Model for Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) has been used to carry out this comparative analysis of the different systems.…”

Optimising a Biogas and Photovoltaic Hybrid System for Sustainable Power Supply in Rural Areas

“…However, in urban environments, the implementation of BM is not easy or economically attractive. In [60], the combination of BM and PVs is proposed to supply electricity to educational buildings. Although the results show that for these urban buildings PVs are more convenient, the limitation of the available surfaces makes it necessary to use other renewable resources to increase the percentage of renewable energy used.…”