Simulation and Optimization of Renewable Energy Cogeneration System for Low-carbon Villages

Promoting of renewable energy and low-carbon approaches in rural China has become essential to achieving the goals of low-carbon villages. Therefore, considering the Xinxing Village, Hubei Province as a case study. Based on the analysis of rural energy demand and renewable energy resources, a renewable energy cogeneration system integrated with wind, solar, and biomass energy was proposed. A rural renewable energy cogeneration model was established based on the HOMER Pro simulation system with the lowest cost and lowest average electricity price as the system objective functions, and the thermal power coverage and biomass utilization rate as the system evaluation indicators. The construction plan of the renewable energy cogeneration system in Xinxing Village was obtained through simulation analysis and capacity optimization, which consisted of 674 kW photovoltaic, 200 kW wind turbine, 500 kW CHP cogeneration unit and external heat source. Moreover, the lowest system cost and electricity price of renewable energy were 2.30 X 107 CNY/a and 0.986 CNY/(k W. h). Further sensitivity analysis results indicated that the increased power load could increase system costs and electricity prices. While increasing the nominal discount rate reduced costs but led to an increase in electricity prices. Daily biomass input had no impact on economic indicators. The emission reduction assessment results showed that compared with traditional energy supply methods, the annual emission reduction of the system reached 410.77 t, equivalent to 28.19% of annual emissions of traditional energy supply method in Xinxing Village. The overall economic and practical performance of this renewable energy supply system was excellent. The research result can provide a scientific reference for the energy revolution and the construction of low-carbon villages and towns in rural areas. © 2023 Chinese Society of Agricultural Machinery. All rights reserved.