Sustainable Energy Based on Sunflower Seed Husk Boiler for Residential Buildings

Abstract

Buildings account for one third of the world’s energy consumption, 70% of which is devoted to heating and cooling. To increase the share of renewables in the energy consumption of buildings, it is necessary to research and promote new sources of green energy. World production of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) was 47.34 million tons in 2016, with a harvested area of 26.20 million hectares, and the main producing countries being Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and Argentina, which produce about half of world production of sunflower seed. The sunflower husk, which represents a percentage by weight of 45%–60% of the seed depending on the sunflower variety, is widely used for the production of feed; however, its energy use is very scarce. The objectives of this study were to analyse the energy properties of sunflower husk as a solid biofuel and to carry out an energy, environmental, economic and operational analysis of a thermal installation fed with this by-product of the sunflower oil industry. The results show that this agro-industrial waste has a Higher Heating Value (HHV) of 17.844 MJ/kg, similar to that of other solid biofuels currently used. In addition, replacing a 430 kW fuel oil boiler with a biomass boiler of the same capacity fed by this biofuel can avoid the emission of 254.09 tons of CO2 per year, as well as obtain an annual energy saving of 75.47%. If we consider the production of sunflower seeds in each country and the sunflower husk were used as biofuel, this would result in a CO2 saving of more than 10 per thousand of the total emissions emitted. The results of this work contribute to the standardization of this by-product as a solid biofuel for thermal energy generation due to its potential to reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency.

Date Seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Valorization for Boilers in the Mediterranean Climate

“…The ash content in the range 1.32-1.48% may appear to be high compared to the other fossil fuels. However, in comparison with other biofuels used in biomass boilers, for example peanut shell, whose average ash content is 4.26% [23], it can be seen that the latter significantly exceeds the product under study in ashes. Table 2 shows the quality of date seed in comparison with other common solid combustibles such as wood pellets, almond shell and olive stone.…”

“…In recent years, however, more and more waste fruits have been emerging in the marketplace that may be extremely appropriate as biomass sources. Recent studies show the high suitability of other fruit stones such as avocado or mango as biofuel in both domestic or industrial heating facilities [21][22][23]. This work focuses its attention on the use of biomass as a renewable energy fuel and studies the suitability of date seeds as a solid biofuel to produce heating energy.…”

A Microeconomic Methodology to Evaluate Energy Efficiency by Consumption Behaviors and Strategies to Improve Energy Efficiency

“…Buildings, as physical objects, have received a lot of attention from researchers interested in improving energy efficiency. [11][12][13]. According to the lifecycle of a building, researchers analyzed building energy efficiency from the aspects of material, architectural design, construction and operational systems.…”

Sustainable Solar Energy in Mexican Universities. Case Study: The National School of Higher Studies Juriquilla (UNAM)

“…All countries must agree on mitigation measures against climate change that involve ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gases. To reach the Paris agreement and limit the temperature increase to 2 • C by the end of the century, or to 1.5 • C if possible, a major shift is needed in current energy policy towards a low-carbon economy, where on the one hand the share of renewables in the current energy mix is enhanced and on the other hand the energy efficiency of energy systems is increased [1][2][3]. Universities, within the framework of their social and environmental responsibility, cannot stay away from these objectives [4,5].…”