PVT system sizing and simulation for a livestock farm

Abstract: The work elaborated in this thesis is developed for fulfilling the needs of the degreeproject for a Master of Science with major in Energy Systems, organized at the Facultyof Engineering and Sustainable Development at the University of Gävle, Sweden. Theaim of the work is to perform the sizing and simulation of a photovoltaic thermal(PVT) system a livestock farm. This work has been developed within the frameworkof the RES4Live H2020 project. In the introductory section, a background studyregarding energy use in the agricultural sector of the European Union (EU), focusingon livestock farms at the pilot site countries, and its breakdown to the energy vectorscontributing to the energy use is presented. Additionally, a literature review with amarket assessment of global PVT and concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT)deployment along with a market assessment of renewable energy technologiesdeployed in farms, are both performed. The aim of the work performed is clarifiedthrough the presentation of the theoretical principles, the considered practicallimitations and the simulated results. In the theoretical part all the relevant aspects ofthe PVT technology as well as its suitability for electricity and heat generation andutilization in EU livestock farms are elaborated and discussed. Relevant technical andeconomic indicators against which different technologies can be compared areintroduced in this section. Next, the methodological approach followed in this thesisis presented. Several scenarios for the PVT system sizing are simulated in the dedicatedsoftware environment of Winsun. The obtained results are discussed. Conclusionsregarding the potential contribution of the elaborated approach towards thestandardization of the process of PVT systems’ deployment for meeting the needs ofEU livestock farms, are. The operating temperature and the collector area significantlyaffect the renewable share in covering the thermal energy needs of the farm. The useof a heat pump for covering the residual thermal demand within a net-meteringframework for the electricity produced by the PVT system was proved to very highdegrees of thermal self-sufficiency. Finally, the thesis discusses the environmentalimpact and sustainability of the approach for alignment with the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) #7 on “Affordable and Clean Energy” & #11 on“Sustainable Cities and Communities” of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda forSustainable Development. The thesis results suggest that the incorporation of PVTsystems in the context of livestock farms can significantly reduce fossil fuel demandfor meeting the thermal needs of the farm. PVT technologies and systems can bringaffordable and clean thermal and electrical energy to end-users in developed andemerging cities and communities around the globe and thus support the global energytransition and assist climate change mitigation actions.