Energy and Environmental Performance Analysis of Biomass-fuelled Combined Cooling and Heating System for Commercial Building Retrofit: An Italian Case Study

Abstract This study focuses on the operating performance of a biomass boiler (100 kW) coupled with an absorption chiller machine at the service of a commercial building in central Italy. A detailed life cycle environmental assessment (LCA) was performed by comparing the biomass-fuelled system to conventional system, using the SimaPro software. To assess the environmental impact, experimental data, such as energy consumptions and emission factors of the biomass boiler, were used as input data. Biomass-fuelled system was found to have the lowest impact in cumulative energy demand (CED), global warming potential (GWP), and ReCiPe single score method.

[1]  Maurizio Carlini,et al.  Italian Residential Buildings: Economic Assessments for Biomass Boilers Plants , 2013 .

[2]  Cinzia Buratti,et al.  Development of Innovative Heating and Cooling Systems Using Renewable Energy Sources for Non-Residential Buildings , 2013 .

[3]  F. Fantozzi,et al.  Life Cycle Assessment of organic waste management strategies: an Italian case study , 2015 .

[4]  Cinzia Buratti,et al.  Design and monitoring of an innovative geothermal system including an underground heat-storage tank , 2016 .

[5]  Elena Collina,et al.  Heating systems LCA: comparison of biomass-based appliances , 2013, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

[6]  M. Huijbregts,et al.  Is cumulative fossil energy demand a useful indicator for the environmental performance of products? , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[7]  Hans-Jürgen Dr. Klüppel,et al.  The Revision of ISO Standards 14040-3 - ISO 14040: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework - ISO 14044: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines , 2005 .

[8]  Maurizio Cellura,et al.  Embodied energy and environmental impacts of a biomass boiler: a life cycle approach , 2015 .

[9]  G. M. Joselin Herbert,et al.  Quantifying environmental performance of biomass energy , 2016 .

[10]  S Rinaldi,et al.  Assessment of carbon footprint and energy performance of the extra virgin olive oil chain in Umbria, Italy. , 2014, The Science of the total environment.