Assessing the feasibility of cogeneration retrofit and district heating/cooling networks in small Italian islands

Abstract

Sustainability of energy supply strategies in small islands has been emerging as a severe issue, due to the large margins for improvement and rationalization of the most frequently adopted solutions. In most of the European islands, large amounts of heat are wasted by the operation of engine-based power plants; conversely, heat is produced by boilers (supplied by liquid fuels) or by electric equipment for a number of different uses, like domestic hot water production or space heating in winter. In this paper a techno-economic analysis is proposed to assess the feasibility of CHP-retrofit of the existing power plants and the possible utilization of the recovered heat to supply, via a district heating and/or cooling network, the energy requests of civil energy users (both in the tertiary and in the residential sector). The analysis is accurately performed for six islands located in Italy and characterised by different context conditions from a demographic, geographic and climatic viewpoint, so as to get a comprehensive understanding of the factors that favour/obstruct the economic feasibility of the examined technical solution. As expected, due to the low "linear heat density" usually observed in small islands and to the complex orographic profiles, the investment usually resulted "far from being attractive"; only in the case where public incentive or support mechanism is adopted, the possible integration of the existing power plants with heat recovery devices and a district heating network resulted in moderately attractive, especially in the largest examined islands due to their highest heat loads.

Toward an Efficient and Sustainable Use of Energy in Industries and Cities

“…Arce et al [26] developed district heating and cooling networks component models (hot water storage, distribution pipe and network) aiming at representing the real dynamic operation of these components for control purposes. Beccali et al [27] proposed an analysis aiming at assessing the techno-economic feasibility of the retrofit of existing power plants when the heat recovery is used for district heating and cooling purposes for tertiary and residential buildings. Six different Italian small islands, featured by different weather and demographic conditions, are investigated.…”

Possibilities of Using Solar Energy in District Cooling Systems in the Mediterranean Region

“…Finland could use their existing infrastructure for cooling their buildings. Beccali et al [5] have investigated the feasibility of using the heat from the co-generation of heat and power (CHP) plants in DHC systems in small Italian islands. The authors have examined the retrofitting of existing power plants to CHP plants and the utilization of the co-produced heat in DHC networks.…”

Recent Advances in the Analysis of Sustainable Energy Systems

“…A similar analysis was also presented by Tamburini et al [65], focusing on retrofitting existing CHP systems using multiple effect distillation (MED) along with thermal vapour compression (TVC) technology. Polygeneration was also investigated by Beccali et al [66] investigating the feasibility of the installation of trigeneration systems for a number of Italian islands. In particular, they focused on retrofitting existing power plants, evaluating the feasibility of heat recovery from the existing diesel engines and the related installation of a suitable district heating network.…”