Modelling and environmental assessment of a stand-alone micro-grid system in a mountain hut using renewables

Mori, Mitja (author), Gutiérrez, Manuel (author), Sekavčnik, Mihael (author), Drobnič, Boštjan (author)

Mountain 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.

• Language: English
• Keywords: mountain huts, micro-grid, renewable energy sources, computational modelling, experiments, lifecycle assessment, investment costs, payback time
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 21 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss. 1, art. 202
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-136776
• UDC: 502.174.3:728.61:620.92
• ISSN on article: 1996-1073
• DOI: 10.3390/en15010202
• COBISS.SI-ID: 91685379
• Publication date in RUL: 20.05.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Energies
• Shortened title: Energies
• Publisher: Molecular Diversity Preservation International
• ISSN: 1996-1073
• COBISS.SI-ID: 518046745

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.01.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: planinske koče, mikro omrežje, obnovljivi viri energije, numerično modeliranje, eksperimenti, študija življenjskih ciklov, investicijski stroški, doba vračanja

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: LIFE
• Project number: LIFE15 CCA/ES/000058
• Acronym: Sustainhuts

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0401
• Name: Energetsko strojništvo