Energy and exergy analysis and optimum working conditions of a renewable energy system using a transient systems simulation program

A solar tri-generation system comprises of photovoltaic thermal collectors that are used for the production of electrical power and domestic hot water simultaneously. This study presents the performance analysis of a micro-solar tri-generation system that fulfills the requirements of an off-grid single-family lodging. The main functions of this system include domestic hot water, electrical power, and cooling power production. A set of five photovoltaic thermal panels were modeled together. The electrical power generated was stored in a battery, while the hot water generated was passed through a flow diverting valve. This valve directed some of the hot water to an absorption chiller, while the remaining portion was sent to an insulated thermal storage tank for later use. Energy and exergy analyses were performed to evaluate the extracted energy’s quality and efficiency. The overall thermal energy efficiency achieved was 50.53%. The extracted energy in the form of hot water was 3777.5 W. The electrical power generated was 2984.6 W, which was sufficient for the small single-family lodging. The coefficient of performance of the absorption chiller was found to be 0.6152. The exergy efficiency achieved was 36.88%. The exergy extracted by hot water was 234.3 W, while the electrical exergy generated was 2984.6 W. The exergy extracted during refrigeration was found to be 91.22 W. Furthermore, varying wind speeds and tilt angles affected both the energy and exergy efficiencies. The tilt angle must be kept at less than 45°, and the optimum wind speed was determined to be 35 km/h.