Issue 17, 2022

Linking heat and electricity supply for domestic users: an example of power-to-gas integration in a building

Abstract

A novel power-to-X system, coupling electricity and gas grid in a building, is presented. This system operates a retrofit of the existing photovoltaic system, consuming the electricity overproduction in the local synthesis of methane instead of injecting it into the electricity grid. Methane can be stored in the gas grid and used in winter in the existing gas burners, providing the required heat to keep the building at a comfortable temperature. Additionally, the methanation system provides waste heat that is used to warm up the sanitary water, eliminating the need for an electric boiler. The system, fed by 800 m2 of solar panels, was optimized according to the weather conditions and the dimensions of the main pieces of equipment were determined. This allows the production of ca. 17 MW h of methane for seasonal storage. By retrofitting the building with the power-to-X unit, the energetic independence of the house is maximized, thanks to the synchronous production of electricity, gas, and heat, including energy storage. Therefore, the profitability of the photovoltaic system is ensured independently from the electricity feed-in tariffs. The system performance was evaluated in a case study in the north of Switzerland. When considering the purchase of renewable natural gas (i.e., from biogas), it was calculated that the system would be profitable for an electricity price below 0.05 € per kW h.

Graphical abstract: Linking heat and electricity supply for domestic users: an example of power-to-gas integration in a building

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 fev 2022
Accepted
17 mar 2022
First published
04 apr 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2022,12, 10355-10365

Linking heat and electricity supply for domestic users: an example of power-to-gas integration in a building

E. Moioli, RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 10355 DOI: 10.1039/D2RA00951J

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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