Dynamic performance assessment of a micro-trigeneration system with a desiccant-based air handling unit in Southern Italy climatic conditions

A sensitivity analysis has been performed, to analyse the effect of the share of cogenerated electricity consumed on-site. The analysis shows encouraging results, given the Italian energy context for the small scale trigeneration system, in terms of primary energy consumption and equivalent carbon dioxide emissions reductions, with maximum values of 7.70% and 15.3%, respectively; on the other hand, it is difficult to achieve a reasonably short pay-back period for the system, even if it accesses all the support mechanisms introduced by Italian legislation for small scale gas fuelled trigeneration systems and a very high amount of cogenerated electricity is used on-site.