3E analysis of a combined photovoltaic plant and biomass-fueled trigeneration system for an apartment building operating under the Collective Self-Consumption scheme

Renewable Energy Communities represent a promising solution for addressing the energy demands of buildings, fostering local renewable generation and enabling the transition to sustainable urban systems. In this context, photovoltaic systems are generally considered the reference technology, with incentive mechanisms predominantly tailored to their deployment. However, the integration of multiple renewable energy sources could mitigate the inherent variability of solar energy, which is conventionally managed through large electrical storage. In this regard, this study proposes a 3E (energy, economic, and environmental) analysis for an apartment building served by a photovoltaic plant and a biomass-fueled trigeneration system operating under Collective Self-Consumption scheme. The proposed configuration includes an internal combustion engine fueled by woodchips (20 kWe/40 kWth), an absorption chiller (17.6 kWc), a photovoltaic plant (20 kWe) and an electrical storage (45 kWhe). The performance of this system is investigated through Transient System Simulation software. A comparative analysis with a reference scenario made of a gas-fired boiler and air-to-air heat pump is carried out first, followed by a photovoltaic only system. The results show that an energy self-sufficiency index and a thermal self-sufficiency index equal to 89.1 % and 86.0 %, respectively, could be achieved. A −90.5 % reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is also found. A comparison with a photovoltaic-only system underlines that the joint use could lead to higher economic revenues (about 4 %) and lower payback time. The present work underlines the opportunities arising by the integration of multiple renewable energy sources in the framework of Renewable Energy Communities applications offering insights into the limits of current legislative framework.