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Trade-off analysis for optimal design of trigeneration energy systems integrated with solar and hydrogen subsystems: A novel optimization strategy

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  • Salahinezhad, Mohammad
  • Tahami, Hamed
  • Kamali, Seyedeh Elham
  • Saedpanah, Ehsan

Abstract

This study presents a novel optimization strategy, called the transient simulation-response surface method-life cycle assessment (TRS-RSM-LCA), for the optimal design of a trigeneration or combined cooling, heat, and power (CCHP) system incorporating solar collectors and hydrogen generation subsystems. The TRS-RSM-LCA aims to achieve the optimal energy, economic, and environmental (3E) design of the proposed hybrid energy system throughout its lifespan. The optimization study considers the solar collector area and fuel cell capacity as numeric factors, and the solar collector type and cooling system type as categoric factors. The study investigates the interactions among these design parameters and their impact on the 3E indicators. Results demonstrate that the optimized CCHP system significantly outperforms the base system. The optimized system achieves a 58 % reduction in net electricity consumption (7581.6 kWh) compared to the base system (18,051.6 kWh). Moreover, it exhibits a 38.2 % decrease in net natural gas consumption, a 39.5 % reduction in life cycle cost, and a 46.3 % reduction in 100-year global warming potential. The comparative analysis findings provide valuable insights for decision-makers, enabling them to evaluate the overall system performance and understand the trade-offs involved in optimizing multiple factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Salahinezhad, Mohammad & Tahami, Hamed & Kamali, Seyedeh Elham & Saedpanah, Ehsan, 2025. "Trade-off analysis for optimal design of trigeneration energy systems integrated with solar and hydrogen subsystems: A novel optimization strategy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:240:y:2025:i:c:s0960148124022791
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.122211
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