Investigation and Sensitivity Analysis of Economic Parameters on the Operation of Cogeneration Systems to Supply Required Energies for Residential Buildings

The Combined Cooling, Heat, and Power (CCHP) System is an efficient technology that reduces primary energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by generating heat, cold, and electricity simultaneously from the same fuel source. This study developed an economic optimization model using linear mathematical program theory to determine the optimal sizes of different components in a CCHP system. The study found that CCHP systems with internal combustion engines have the largest optimal size due to lower capital expenditure and improved hourly changes in combined energy production by considering electrical and absorption chillers simultaneously. The analysis compared the size determination of CCHP systems with internal combustion engine (ICE), sterling engine (SE), and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technologies. PEMFC had the highest annual overall cost among the technologies studied. The results of determining the size of the CCHP system are compared with ICE, SE, and PEMFC technologies. It has been noted that PEMFC has the highest annual overall cost among the studied technologies. The usefulness index of the CCHP system increased from 23% to almost 40% when electricity was sold to the grid using internal combustion engine technology.