Title: Greenhouse gas emissions within the exergoenvironmental assessment of a compact combined cooling, heating and power system

Authors: Monica Carvalho; Adriano Da S. Marques; Raphael Abrahão

Addresses: Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Federal University of Paraiba, Cidade Universitaria, s/n, CEP: 58051-900, João Pessoa/PB, Brazil ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, UACSA, Rua Cento e Sessenta e Três, 300, CEP: 54518-430, Cabo de Santo Agostinho/PE, Brazil ' Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Federal University of Paraiba, Cidade Universitaria, s/n, CEP: 58051-900, João Pessoa/PB, Brazil

Abstract: Because of the significant public concern regarding climate change (and global warming), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been successfully employed to communicate environmental impacts. This study develops a life cycle assessment of the equipment and energy flows of a combined cooling, heating and power system, expressing the environmental impacts as GHG emissions. Environmental data was used as input to an exergoenvironmental assessment based on the SPECO methodology. The GHG emissions associated with the consumption of natural gas and grid electricity are 0.258 and 0.227 kg CO₂-eq/kWh, respectively. The internal combustion engine is responsible for the highest share of GHG emissions (15.95 kg CO₂-eq/h), of which 15.80 kg CO₂-eq/h is due to the formation of pollutants and the remainder refers to equipment. From the combined analysis of exergoenvironmental parameters, strategies that increase energy use and decrease irreversibilities should focus on the absorber heat exchanger, the steam generator, and heat recovery unit. Some of the recent energy policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis include the deployment of energy solutions such as combined energy systems, and exergoenvironmental assessments can promote the adoption of these more efficient systems.

Keywords: thermoeconomics; SPECO; carbon footprint; absorption refrigeration; allocation of emissions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2022.124177

International Journal of Exergy, 2022 Vol.38 No.3, pp.346 - 366

Received: 19 May 2021
Accepted: 24 Sep 2021
Published online: 15 Jul 2022 *

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