Methodology for Optimally Sizing a Green Electric and Thermal Eco-Village

This paper presents an energy system for a future eco-village, situated in
Luxembourg’s city center, whose thermal and electrical energy needs are covered
by renewable resources. Specifically, electrical energy is provided by a biogas
driven combined heat and power plant, and photovoltaic panels. Lithium-ion
accumulators are used for storing the surplus of electrical energy production.
Thermal energy needs are mainly covered by a dual source heat pump which draws
environmental energy from an ice tank or solar air absorbers. A heat buffer stores
heat produced by the combined heat and power plant, a power to heat module and
the heat pump. This work focuses on optimally sizing, in terms of power rating,
capacity or volume, the energy system components. To this end, a combinatorial
simulation-based optimization approach has been developed using MATLAB. The
optimal set-up is determined by minimizing the overall cost of the energy system
with additional constraints to be respected. Annual needs in thermal and electrical
energy, photovoltaic electricity production and the corresponding weather data are
based on real data.