Thermoeconomic Analysis Under Dynamic Operating Conditions for Space Heating and Cooling Systems in Small Residential Buildings

Due to the social concern for energy savings and ecological improvement necessity in the performance of buildings, new analysis tools emerged. Thermoeconomics connects the physics and economics of energy conversion processes through the second law of thermodynamics. A limited number of thermoeconomic applications in buildings have been proposed, due to the difficulties in dealing with very irregular energy load profiles and unsteady plant operating conditions, which require the use of dynamic approaches that increase the complexity of the method. The present study highlights the potential of thermoeconomics as a support for decision making, due to the capability to identify trade-offs between cost and efficiency. Dynamic thermoeconomic analysis is performed for a school dwelling, supplied with space heating and cooling integrated with a mechanical ventilation Air Handling Unit. The different sources of irreversibility are evaluated and the main targets for system improvement are identified, calculating exergetic, exergoeconomic and exergoenvironmental costs.