Scholarly record

URBAN SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH POLYGENERATION OF ENERGY

D. TUTICA, V. CENUSA, P. TUDOR, R. PATRASCU, E. MINCIUC

Abstract

Compared to the separate production of electric and thermal energy from conventional sources of fuels, their combined generation in a Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP), produces a primary energy saving of at least 10%. This savings can also be translated by a proper reduction of pollution caused by combustion of fuels and thus by contributing to maintaining sustainable development. However, there are also situations where cogeneration can be extended to produce many more forms of useful energy, using the same main facilities and the same amount of primary energy, generating an even greater fuel economy. In this paper, the authors propose to present a state of art of the presently used polygeneration technologies and to propose solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of the cogeneration plant that supplies the campus of a university by reducing its heat losses and by applying different methods for flattening the thermal and electric consumption curve loads of the supplied customers. The study also analyzes the impact of the reduction of eco-taxes on the energy bill of producers/consumers as well as the impact of legislation in force on stimulating energy producers to take effective but expensive measures to optimize their operation. As a first conclusion of the study we can mention that the combined production of electric and thermal energy in a decentralized manner is economically justified as long as there are financial support schemes. Otherwise, polygeneration solutions such as electricity, heat, cold, mechanical work production and CO2 capture and its use in technological processes, have to be found and applied.

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