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Solar Integrated Anaerobic Digester: Energy Savings and Economics

Author

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  • Lidia Lombardi

    (Department of Engineering, Niccolò Cusano University, 00166 Rome, Italy)

  • Barbara Mendecka

    (Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business Organization, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Simone Fabrizi

    (Department of Engineering, Niccolò Cusano University, 00166 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Industrial anaerobic digestion requires low temperature thermal energy to heat the feedstock and maintain temperature conditions inside the reactor. In some cases, the thermal requirements are satisfied by burning part of the produced biogas in devoted boilers. However, part of the biogas can be saved by integrating thermal solar energy into the anaerobic digestion plant. We study the possibility of integrating solar thermal energy in biowaste mesophilic/thermophilic anaerobic digestion, with the aim of reducing the amount of biogas burnt for internal heating and increasing the amount of biogas, further upgraded to biomethane and injected into the natural gas grid. With respect to previously available studies that evaluated the possibility of integrating solar thermal energy in anaerobic digestion, we introduce the topic of economic sustainability by performing a preliminary and simplified economic analysis of the solar system, based only on the additional costs/revenues. The case of Italian economic incentives for biomethane injection into the natural gas grid—that are particularly favourable—is considered as reference case. The amount of saved biogas/biomethane, on an annual basis, is about 4–55% of the heat required by the gas boiler in the base case, without solar integration, depending on the different considered variables (mesophilic/thermophilic, solar field area, storage time, latitude, type of collector). Results of the economic analysis show that the economic sustainability can be reached only for some of the analysed conditions, using the less expensive collector, even if its efficiency allows lower biomethane savings. Future reduction of solar collector costs might improve the economic feasibility. However, when the payback time is calculated, excluding the Italian incentives and considering selling the biomethane at the natural gas price, its value is always higher than 10 years. Therefore, incentives mechanism is of great importance to support the economic sustainability of solar integration in biowaste anaerobic digestion producing biomethane.

Suggested Citation

  • Lidia Lombardi & Barbara Mendecka & Simone Fabrizi, 2020. "Solar Integrated Anaerobic Digester: Energy Savings and Economics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:17:p:4292-:d:401141
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Taramasso, Maria Adele & Motaghi, Milad & Casasso, Alessandro, 2024. "A techno-economic feasibility analysis of solutions to cover the thermal and electrical demands of anaerobic digesters," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    4. Francesco Calise & Francesco Liberato Cappiello & Luca Cimmino & Marialuisa Napolitano & Maria Vicidomini, 2023. "Dynamic Simulation and Thermoeconomic Analysis of a Novel Hybrid Solar System for Biomethane Production by the Organic Fraction of Municipal Wastes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-23, March.
    5. Rocio Camarena-Martinez & Rocio A. Lizarraga-Morales & Roberto Baeza-Serrato, 2021. "Classification of Geomembranes as Raw Material for Defects Reduction in the Manufacture of Biodigesters Using an Artificial Neuronal Network," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-13, November.
    6. Aridi, R. & Yehya, A., 2024. "Anaerobic biodigesters heating sources: Analysis and recommendations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).

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