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Fuel cells as combined heat and power systems in commercial buildings: A case study in the food-retail sector

Author

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  • Acha, Salvador
  • Le Brun, Niccolo
  • Damaskou, Maria
  • Fubara, Tekena Craig
  • Mulgundmath, Vinay
  • Markides, Christos N.
  • Shah, Nilay

Abstract

This work investigates the viability of fuel cells (FC) as combined heat and power (CHP) prime movers in commercial buildings with a specific focus on supermarkets. Up-to-date technical data from a FC manufacturing company was obtained and applied to evaluate their viability in an existing food-retail building. A detailed optimisation model for enhancing distributed energy system management described in previous work is expanded upon to optimise the techno-economic performance of FC-CHP systems. The optimisations employ comprehensive techno-economic datasets that reflect current market trends. Outputs highlight the key factors influencing the economics of FC-CHP projects. Furthermore, a comparative analysis against a competing internal combustion engine (ICE) CHP system is performed to understand the relative techno-economic characterisitcs of each system. Results indicate that FCs are becoming financially competitive although ICEs are still a more attractive option. For supermarkets, the payback period for installing a FC system is 4.7–5.9 years vs. 4.0–5.6 years for ICEs when policies are considered. If incentives are removed, FC-CHP systems have paybacks in the range 6–10 years vs. 5–8.5 years for ICE-based systems. A sensitivity analysis under different market and policy scenarios is performed, offering insights into the performance gap fuel cells face before becoming more competitive.

Suggested Citation

  • Acha, Salvador & Le Brun, Niccolo & Damaskou, Maria & Fubara, Tekena Craig & Mulgundmath, Vinay & Markides, Christos N. & Shah, Nilay, 2020. "Fuel cells as combined heat and power systems in commercial buildings: A case study in the food-retail sector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:206:y:2020:i:c:s0360544220311531
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.118046
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Le Brun, Niccolo & Simpson, Michael & Acha, Salvador & Shah, Nilay & Markides, Christos N., 2020. "Techno-economic potential of low-temperature, jacket-water heat recovery from stationary internal combustion engines with organic Rankine cycles: A cross-sector food-retail study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    6. Eardley, Scott & Choi, Jun-Ki & Hong, Taehoon & An, Jongbaek, 2024. "Decarbonization potential of regional combined heat and power development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    7. Jie Liu & Sung-Chul Kim & Ki-Yeol Shin, 2021. "Feasibility Study and Economic Analysis of a Fuel-Cell-Based CHP System for a Comprehensive Sports Center with an Indoor Swimming Pool," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-21, October.
    8. Wang, Chenfang & Li, Qingshan & Wang, Chunmei & Zhang, Yangjun & Zhuge, Weilin, 2021. "Thermodynamic analysis of a hydrogen fuel cell waste heat recovery system based on a zeotropic organic Rankine cycle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).

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