Economic and Environmental Effects of Installing Distributed Energy Resources into a Household ()
ABSTRACT
Improving energy
efficiency in the residential sector is a pressing issue in Japan. This study
examines the economic and environmental impacts of introducing the following
distributed energy resources: photovoltaics (PV), a fuel cell, and a battery.
We estimate electricity and hot water demand profiles of a household by using
simulated living activities. Electric power from a residential PV system is
also calculated from the observed solar radiation. By using mixed integer
programming, we perform a cost minimization operating simulation of a
residential PV, fuel cell, and battery. The result suggests that we can create
a net-zero energy house by installing both a PV system and a fuel cell into one house. On the other hand, using a battery with a
fuel cell increases the household energy cost, and has few effects on CO2 emission reduction.
Share and Cite:
Ozawa, A. and Yoshida, Y. (2015) Economic and Environmental Effects of Installing Distributed Energy Resources into a Household.
Low Carbon Economy,
6, 41-50. doi:
10.4236/lce.2015.62006.