Environmental loads associated with a polygeneration superstructure for a tertiary sector building

Danielle Bandeira de Mello Delgado¹; Cíntia Maria de Medeiros¹; Monica Carvalho¹

¹ UFPB

doi:10.20906/CPS/COB-2015-2507

Resumo

The objective of this manuscript is to apply the Life Cycle Analysis methodology to the calculation of environmental loads associated with a polygeneration superstructure for a tertiary sector building. The creation of a superstructure representing all options of equipment and energy resources is the first major step for solving an optimization problem through Mixed Integer Programming. The environmental information generated herein will be applied a posteriori to a mathematical model that will optimize not only the configuration of the energy supply system (equipment to be installed) but also the operational strategy (how each equipment will operate in different days and seasons), satisfying the energy demands of the building (electricity, hot water, steam and cooling). The objective function to be minimized is the total annual environmental load, which includes the environmental loads associated with each equipment (and amortized throughout the lifetime of the system) and the environmental loads associated with the energy resources necessary for the operation of the system. The information presented herein includes detailed information on the quantification of environmental loads, which utilized the SimaPro software, for each piece of equipment included in the superstructure, as well as for each energy utility considered: natural gas, electricity from the grid, diesel, and biomass. Photovoltaic panels for the production of electricity were also considered. Gas and diesel engines were considered in the superstructure, along with several types of boilers (producing hot water and steam), heat exchangers, cooling tower, and mechanical and absorption chillers.

Palavras-chave: life cycle analysis; polygeneration; superstructure