Influence of the regulation framework on the feasibility of a Stirling engine-based residential micro-CHP installation

In this paper an economic analysis of a 1 kW(e) Stirling engine-based micro-CHP (combined heat and power) residential plant is developed, approaching the case of a Spanish detached house sited in a cold climatic zone. The work focuses on analysing how the latest modifications in the Spanish micro-CHP and renewable energies regulation affect viability of this technology, as well as predicting what results could be achieved if policy support mechanisms in Spain were like those in two other European countries, Germany and United Kingdom, where this kind of equipment has good acceptance. For that purpose, once defined the reference dwelling, with the consequent consumption patterns, an installation for covering heating and DHW (domestic hot water) demands of the building, as well as part of the electric load, is designed and simulated in TRNSYS 17, getting results of those performance parameters necessary for applying the economic analysis. A condensing boiler supported by solar thermal collectors is taken as the reference installation. Results show that pay-back conditions of this kind of installations have turned hardly achievable with new remunerative conditions, getting widely better results with economic frameworks of other European countries. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.