Transient simulation modelling and energy performance of a standalone solar-hydrogen combined heat and power system integrated with solar-thermal collectors

A computer simulation model of an integrated solar-hydrogen combined heat and power system with solar-thermal collectors (SH CHP-ST) is developed in TRNSYS to supply both power and heat (i.e. hot water demand) for a standalone application. The model is applied to a case study of a remote household in southeast Australia with conservative loads. Two possible configurations of the integrated system are studied and the optimal one is selected. The simulation results show that the system (i.e. designed to meet the full power demand) with the adopted configuration can supply 95% of the annual hot water demand, with more than 90% of this demand met in winter compared to 54% met from the collectors of the solar-thermal (ST) only. The fuel cell heat that is transferred for utilisation is evaluated in this integration along with that of the solar collectors. An important aspect about the heat matching capability of the fuel cell with the un-supplied demand from the ST throughout the year is concluded. This presents an advantageous characteristic of this integration and permits the system to be effectively used to supply full power and almost the entire hot water demand in the standalone remote domestic case (i.e. in southeast Australia) studied in this paper. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.