Concept and cost-effectiveness analysis of a trigeneration system in a large healthcare facility

Abstract

This paper presents the possibility of using a high-efficiency trigeneration system  to generate electricity, heat and cold for the needs of a large health care facility. The hospital building is an average of several buildings of the same class. It is a typical Polish object built in the second half of the twentieth century and subjected to thermal modernization consisting in insulation of external walls and roof and replacement of windows and external doors. Thermal modernization led the building to a condition that meets the technical requirements for year 2017. Therefore, the conclusions resulting from the work can be applied to the entire group of health care institutions. The demand for electricity was obtained as fifteen-minute periods, while the demand for heat and cold was calculated using the hourly method. The calculations were made on the basis of meteorological data for the Warszawa-Okęcie station. The choice of the most cost-effective option was determined by economic analysis. The considered variants were compared to the basic variant, which is the most typical solution, i.e. a compressor chiller. For the analyzed options, benefits compared to the baseline option were estimated. NPV indicators were calculated, which clearly stated the best scenario, for which electricity and gas prices was then performed.