The final colloquium presentation of my graduation. The graduation theme is “Electrical and thermal energy balance analysis for an off-grid campground site”. The graduation research is performed at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the research group of prof.dr.ir Jan Hensen.

1. Electrical and thermal energy
balance analysis for an off-grid
campground site
December 20th, 2011
ing. Jeroen van Hellenberg Hubar
Graduation supervisors
prof.dr.ir. J.L.M. Hensen
dr.dipl.-ing M. Trcka
B. Lee MSc
External member graduation committee
dr.ing. A.J.M. Pemen

2. Outline
• Introduction
• Research Question
• Methodology
• Case study
• Results from case study
• Conclusion
• Future work
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3. Introduction
Energy
“Amount of work that can be performed by a force”
Source: www.tue.nl
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4. Introduction
One of the most important physical quantities
Photosynthesis Evolution
Source: www.sience.howstuffworks.com Source: www.viewshound.com
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5. Introduction
Used in abundance and misguided
Horse manure crisis Automobile
• 19th century dependent on horses
• Horse power resulted in negative
side effects:
• Manure (health)
• Noise pollution
• Accidents
• 1898 first international urban-
planning conference in New York
was abandoned after 3 days.
Source: www.melbourneubanist.wordpress.com Source: www.wikipedia.com
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6. Introduction
Still creating new problems
Energy generation Green house gas emissions
Source: www.tue.nl Source: www.pearls-necklaces.com
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7. Introduction
IPCC climate change report 2007
• CO2 emission is the main cause of temperature rise
• 86% of CO2 emission is addressed to energy
Building sector
• Accounts for 30% of the global CO2 emission.
IEA ETP 2010 report
• Baseline scenario assume energy use in 2050
is roughly doubled compared to 2007. Source: www.biomonicfuel.com
www.corporatienl.nl
Emissions in the building sector nearly double.
IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IEA ETP: International Energy Agency, Energy Technology Perspective
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8. Introduction
Current energy situation
Buildings are mainly connected to the grid
• Electricity
• Gas
Source of energy neither a choice nor concern
• Limited possibility to reduce the carbon
dioxide emission produced by energy
generation
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9. Introduction
Remote area
• Buildings could be completely off-grid
• Energy could be provided with an off-
grid energy source.
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8

10. Introduction
IEA ETP 2010 report
BLUE maps scenario
• 50% reduction of CO2 emission in 2050
• 2/3 reduction of CO2 emission in the building sector
Introducing:
• Energy efficient technologies
• Low carbon technologies
Source: www.corporatienl.nl
Solar cells / panels, heat pumps, Combined heat and Power (CHP)
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11. Introduction
Research Question
“How to develop a design concept which ensures the comfort of the
occupants, and has an optimized energy system with 100% renewable
micro-generation technologies which has to satisfy the electrical and
thermal energy demand, for an off-grid community?”
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12. Methodology
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13. Case study
Off-grid community
• Island of Texel in the Netherlands
• Off-grid community  Off-grid campground
• Lot of campgrounds located on the island of Texel
• Weather station Den Helder airport
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14. Case study
Source: Auto Camper Service International (ASCI) guide
Central Bureau of Statistics of the Netherlands (CBS)
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15. Case study
Local comfort norms
Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Space heating
• Only water of 60oC is considered • Space cooling is left out of the research.
• An unlimited supply of cold water
(10oC) is assumed
Sources:
Knowledge Institute for the installation technology sector (ISSO)
Association of water companies in the Netherlands (VEWIN)
IEA Solar Heating & Cooling program (IEA-SHC Task 26)
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16. Case study
Local comfort norms
Electricity
Source: Agentschap NL, Numbers & figures, 2007
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17. Case study
Energy demand
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18. Case study
Community buildings
• Buildings’ geometry is designed in Google SketchUp
• Buildings’ specifications are defined in TRNSYS
• According to the numbers of the reference buildings of AgentschapNL
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19. Case study
Energy Technology
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20. Case study
Balance energy deficit and/or surplus
Generate energy at each opportunity
on demand
Energy Technology
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21. Case study
Simulation
Simulation model in TRNSYS
• Flexibility and capability of modeling energy technologies
• Entire energy system can be broken down into individual components
• Flow of information from one component to the other
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22. Case study
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23. Case study
Optimization
Optimization model in modeFRONTIER
• The aim of optimization is to solve problems in a systematic way by producing a set of
solutions based on pre defined objectives that are functions of design variables
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24. Case study
Optimization
Objective functions
• The main issue of energy is, the way the energy is
• Energy generated. The community is allowed to use energy,
• CO2 but with low CO2 emissions.
• Research focus is not on reducing the energy demand
• Investment cost but on balancing the energy demand and generation.
• Minimize the life time carbon dioxide emissions
• Reason: IPCC 2007 report states GHG, in specific CO2, are main causes of the temperature change on earth
• Minimize the investment cost of the energy technologies
• Reason: Real life decisions are made upon investment costs
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25. Case study
Optimization
Objective function: Life cycle carbon dioxide emission
Source: IEA / OECD, Benign energy? The environmental implications of renewables. 1998
IEA, full cycle atmospheric emission and global warming impact from UK electricity generation, 1995
D. Lopez, MOO minimizing cost and life cycle emissions of pv-wind-diesel systems with battery storage, Applied energy, 2011
/ Building Physics &Saner et. al, Is it only CO2 that matters? A life cycle perspective on shallow geothermal systems, ren. and sust. 22-12-2011
D. Systems PAGE 24/31
Energy, 2010

26. Case study
Optimization
Objective functions: Investment cost
Source: Agentschap NL, Numbers & figures, 2007
A. Akhil et al, Cost analysis of energy storage systems for electric utility applications, 1997
C. Parker, Lead-acid battery energy storage systems for electricity supply network, journal of power sources, 2001
www.aosmithinternational.com, 2011
www.krcon.nl/kostencentrum/diensten, 2011
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27. Case study
Design Constraints
Optimization Algorithm
Decision Variables
Optimization
• To approach a real situation
Multi Objective
Variable input in model
• Defined capacity of the
DoE; provide the and the
Installedby normsalgorithm
simulation software
with an initial population of
energy technologies
designs
• DoE: ULH, Uniform
distribution of installed
capacity with same
Objective functions probability.
• GA: successfully used in
building performance
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28. Case study
Post processing
Post processing provides a way to process the obtained dataset
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29. Results derived from case study
Post processing
Design constraints; 2000 generations  1345 feasible configurations
32% 70% 30%
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30. Results derived from case study
Configuration
• Energy system configuration
Topmost 50%
10%
25%
Both cost
Min. CO2
objectives!
70% 30%
Energy system
shows a trend!
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31. Results derived from case study
Carbon dioxide emission Investment cost
• CO2 emission battery • Investment cost CHP (electrical)
• Lead acid battery
• Life cycle emission • Cost per installed capacity
• Collecting
• Producing • CHP generated electrical & thermal energy
• Decommissioning • High amount of annual production hours
• CO2 emission CHP
CHP important technology
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32. Results derived from case study
Pareto Front
• Optimization Space
• Trade-off between
objectives
• 5 best possible solutions
32% 70% 30%
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33. Results derived from case study
Decision making
Stakeholder perspective
• International Energy Agency (IEA)
• Goal: Performance based solutions for energy efficient
and environment friendly buildings & communities, that
support sustainability and produce carbon-free energy
according demand
32% 70% 30% 51
Investment cost
• Both configurations in the same order of magnitude
Stakeholders strategic plan
• Highest share and visibility of sustainable energy generation
technologies is more favorable
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34. Conclusion
• Methodology 32% 70% 30%
successfully applied on the campground.
• A distinct trend was spotted in the energy system configurations
• CHP is an important technology
• Low installed capacity cost
• Low life cycle carbon dioxide emission
• Simultaneous energy production
• High annual production hours
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35. Conclusion
In ideal decision making between technologies, one technology is independently
evaluated to others.
In the case study, energy technologies became
interconnected, controlled and dependent on the
specifications from each other.
For example: The control strategies for energy technologies
The control of the water buffer temperature
The in/out flow and temperature of thermal circuit.
Not a full energy system spectrum
optimization with independent energy
technologies could be performed.
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36. Conclusion
64 possibilities!
4
Therefore the results are only valid for this case study
• For the chosen energy technologies
• In this specific configuration
• With the specific control strategies
Nevertheless the design concept can be used to come to an optimized energy
system.
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37. Conclusion
32% 70% 30%
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38. Future work
1. Add the two analyses
• Both of the analyses support the decision making by providing additional
information on the parameters chosen
• Sensitivity Analysis: Identify the most influential decision variables
• Uncertainty analysis: Explore the impact on outcome due to uncertainties in
the input
2. Research on other simulation tools than TRNSYS
• Request a detailed input, use more abstract tool for energy systems
3. Perform a new case study to demonstrate the design concept
• Create a variable occupancy profile
• Include thermal & electrical losses
• Simulate the electrical energy in a load flow model
• Update the research on the prize level of sustainable energy technologies
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39. Future work
Keep all the possible (energy technology) configurations open
No choices, even unaware, are made which bound the optimization space.
64 possibilities!
4
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40. Electrical and thermal energy
balance analysis for an off-grid
campground site
December 20th, 2011
ing. Jeroen van Hellenberg Hubar
Graduation supervisors
prof.dr.ir. J.L.M. Hensen
dr.dipl.-ing M. Trcka
B. Lee MSc
External member graduation committee
dr.ing. A.J.M. Pemen