ECO-TECHNO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF DECENTRALIZED NATURAL GAS-BASED COGENERATION ENERGY MANAGEMENT CENTER

Abstract

Decentralized cogeneration systems offer a promising solution for meeting high demand for heat and electricity in urban environments, especially with the inclusion of technologies like seasonal thermal storage. In Canada, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring reliable energy supply is a top priority. Energy management centers (EMCs) present a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to addressing this challenge. This thesis aims to bridge the gap in Canadian literature by designing and optimizing EMC systems with and without seasonal thermal storage. Economic and environmental analyses are conducted to compare the proposed systems with business-as-usual scenarios in Ontario and Alberta. A superstructure framework is employed to design the EMCs, which are then optimized using a multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm. Detailed life cycle analyses and dynamic LCA methods (ReCiPe 2016 and TRACI 2.1 US-Canada 2008) are used to investigate the environmental impact of the designs. An economic analysis considering a 20-year lifetime is conducted to estimate the levelized cost of the proposed EMCs. The results of the study are compared with business-as-usual scenarios in Ontario and Alberta, and the cost of carbon avoided (CCA) is calculated to evaluate the economic viability of each proposed EMC design. Further, we include a scenario in which all coal-based electricity generation sources are replaced by natural gas. If the CCA of a given design is below the carbon tax, then it is both environmentally and economically advantageous to implement that design. Overall, this thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of the cradle-to-gate impact of decentralized cogeneration systems in the Canadian context and demonstrates the economic feasibility of incorporating EMCs into energy management strategies.