sustained building
The project aims to develop an intelligent, self-sustained and zero- carbon emission hybrid energy system to cover electric, heating and cooling loads in buildings. Primary energy is harvested using renewable energy sources (RES) and directly used to cover contin- gent loads, while excess energy is converted into hydrogen to be used as energy storage medium. Hydrogen is reconverted into electricity upon demand.
Overview
More than 40% of the energy con- sumed in the EU is used to cover the needs for heating, cooling and electricity in buildings and the major part of this energy is produced from imported fossil fuels. Moreover, the building sector is a major contributor to Green House Gas emissions. To address these issues, the EC has set the targets of 20% cut in emissions, 20% improvement in energy efficiency and 20% increase in renewables by 2020. Accordingly, the trend in the buildings sector is to move towards increasing the use of RES to cover buildings’ energy needs. There is a need to identify the However, in order to ensure the continuous operation of energy systems based on RES a way to compensate their intermittent nature needs to be identified.
Objectives
The H2SusBuild project aims at developing a self-sustainable and zero- carbon emission hybrid energy system, in which the storage of hydrogen provides for the energy supply in case of energy shortage from RES. With this respect, RES such as photovoltaic solar panels and wind power generators are coupled with water electrolysis for the production of hydrogen. The produced hydrogen is stored in form of pres- surised gas and consumed on-demand in order to produce combined heat and electricity in case of shortage of renewable energy.
Accordingly, RES technologies are used to harvest primary energy to be directly applied to cover the building’s contingent loads. In case of excess renewable energy availability, the excess energy is converted to hydrogen to be used as energy storage medium. In case of renewable energy shortage, the stored hydrogen is applied as green fuel in order to cover the building’s electric power and heat demand. This is done through combined heat and power generation by means of fuel cells and by direct combustion for additional heat production when needed.
H2SusBuild
Achievements to date
This hybrid energy system has been installed in a real building environment in order to demonstrate technical feasibility and safety. The concept had been initially demonstrated through a reduced-scale prototype installation focusing on satisfying the electrical energy demand of a target indicative 150m2 surface area dedicated to office use. More recently, the reduced-scale prototype installation has been scaled up to a full-scale hybrid energy system demonstrator to satisfy the electrical and thermal energy demand of a building of circa 600 m2 surface area, which is located in Lavrion, Greece. Part of the work has been dedicated to achieving the safe design of the overall hybrid energy system. This included upgrading the demonstra- tion building’s facilities to host the full-scale installation, which includes, the hydrogen generation, storage and consumption technologies, as well as the hydrogen distribution grid. A Safety and Protection System, integrating flame detectors, heat detectors, smoke detectors, and hydrogen gas detec- tors, has been installed. Last but not
least, the coordination is enabled by an Energy Management and Control System that enables synergistic operation of the various hybrid energy system components with the RES. This optimised system manages collabora- tion of the RES with the public electrical supply grid, minimising the use of the grid.
Impact
The development of the H2SusBuild hybrid energy system will allow demonstrating to what extent hydrogen storage can be applied to balance the intermittent nature of RES tech- nologies. The project aims, first of all to demonstrate the technical feasibility of achieving installation and coordinated/ synergistic operation of such a system within a real building environment. The project will also assess the appropriate- ness of safety measures contributing to develop guidelines for the use of hydrogen technologies in buildings.
PARTNERS
Coordinator: D’Appolonia S.p.A., Italy Germany: CirComp GmbH, Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH
Greece: Centre for Renewable Energy Sources, National Technical University of Athens ,Schneider Electric SA
Italy: CAVE S.r.l., ICI Caldaie S.p.A., Idrogen2 S.r.l., S.C.A.M.E. Sistemi S.r.l. Netherlands: Van Berkel & Bos U.N. Studio BV
Norway: Det Norske Veritas AS Poland: Decsoft Spólka Akcyjna Spain: Acciona Infraestructuras SA, Ikerlan Sociedad Cooperativa
Sweden: Catator AB, Skanska Nya Hem Ab
UK: The University Court of the University of St Andrews
KEYFACTS
Start date: October 2008 Duration: 48 months Total budget: €9.9m
∙ In September 2011, a full-scale demonstrator of the H2SusBuild hybrid energy system was installed in a real building environment
∙ The H2SusBuild hybrid energy system will allow demonstrating to what extent hydrogen storage can be applied to balance the intermittent nature of RES technologies ∙ H2SusBuild will allow assessing
appropriateness of safety measures put in place in order to ensure a safe environment despite the use of hydrogen
http://www.h2susbuild.ntua.gr/
Fuel cells based 20kW micro-cogneration system