Modelling and environmental assessment of a stand-alone micro-grid system in a mountain hut using renewablesMori, Mitja (Avtor) Gutiérrez, Manuel (Avtor) Sekavčnik, Mihael (Avtor) Drobnič, Boštjan (Avtor) mountain hutsmicro-gridrenewable energy sourcescomputational modellingexperimentslifecycle assessmentinvestment costspayback timeMountain huts are stand-alone micro-grid systems that are not connected to a power grid. However, they impact the environment by generating electricity and through day-to-day operations. The installed generator needs to be flexible to cover fluctuations in the energy demand. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources presents a challenge when it comes to balancing electricity generation and consumption. This paper presents an integration-and-optimization process for renewable energy sources in a mountain hut’s electricity generation system combined with a lifecycle assessment. A custom computational model was developed, validated with experimental data and integrated into a TRNSYS model. Five different electricity generation topologies were modelled to find the best configuration that matches the dynamics and meets the cumulative electricity demand. A lifecycle assessment methodology was used to evaluate the environmental impacts of all the topologies for one typical operating year. The carbon footprint could be reduced by 34% in the case of the actually implemented system upgrade, and by up to 47% in the case of 100% renewable electricity generation. An investment cost analysis shows that improving the battery charging strategy has a minor effect on the payback time, but it can significantly reduce the environmental impacts.20222022-05-20 10:58:30Članek v reviji136776UDK: 502.174.3:728.61:620.92ISSN pri članku: 1996-1073DOI: 10.3390/en15010202COBISS_ID: 91685379sl