Dynamic performance assessment of a building-integrated cogeneration system for an Italian residential application

• The feasibility of a building-integrated cogeneration system has been evaluated.
• A detailed dynamic model has been used to simulate the cogeneration unit.
• A thermoeconomic analysis has been carried out based on the simulation results.

This paper investigates the energetic, economic and environmental feasibility of a building-integrated micro-cogeneration system for an Italian residential application by means of transient simulations. The system under investigation was based on a natural gas-fuelled internal combustion engine cogeneration unit with 6.0 kW as rated nominal electric output. The plant was coupled with a multi-family house composed of three floors located in Naples (south of Italy), compliant with the transmittance values suggested by the Italian Law.The analysis was carried out by means of a dynamic whole building simulation software; a detailed dynamic model was used to simulate the cogeneration device operation under both electric and heat load-following control strategies.The simulation results were considered in order to compare the performance of the proposed system with a conventional system based on separate energy production. The simulations results showed that the proposed system makes it possible to reduce the primary energy consumption, the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions as well as the operating costs with respect the reference system. In comparison to the electric load-following operation, the heat load-following control logic was more convenient from both energy and environmental point of views, but less advantageous from the point of view of operating costs.