Volume 2: Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions: Part I

Life Cycle Cost Analysis of a Renewable Cooling and Heating System With Thermal Energy Storage Haoshan Ren* , Zhenjun Ma

Abstract

This paper presents a life cycle analysis of a renewable cooling and heating system with thermal energy storage. The system mainly consists of a desiccant wheel cooling system, a photovoltaic/thermal-solar air collector (PV/T-SAC) and a thermal energy storage (TES) unit using phase change material (PCM). The life cycle cost (LCC) of the system was evaluated based on annual simulations by employing this system to provide cooling and heating for a case-study house. The influence of the electricity purchase price and sell price on the sizing of the PV/T-SAC, PCM TES unit, and desiccant wheel was investigated. The results showed that the optimal values of the PV/T-SAC length and the amount of PCM used which can minimize the LCC of the system, increased with the increase of the electricity sell and purchase prices. It was also found the LCC was more influenced by the electricity sell price than the purchase price.

Keywords renewable cooling and heating, desiccant cooling, thermal energy storage, life cycle analysis, performance simulation