The Exhaust Heat Use Plan When Connecting Solar Modules to a Fuel Cell Energy Network

Abstract

The energy supply method by distributed power supply is expected from the transportation loss of the power and a decrease in heat. The system using especially renewable energy and a fuel cell is excellent from the viewpoint of the environment. However, the efficiency of the whole system depends on the amount of utilization of exhaust heat. The system assumed in this paper installs a small fuel cell and a solar module in 12 buildings, connects each building with hot-water piping, and supplies fuel cell exhaust heat. The hot-water piping path that results in minimum heat release loss was investigated in the optimization analysis using a genetic algorithm. As a result, the optimal path of the hot-water piping considering the production of electricity of a solar module and ambient temperature was clarified.