Evaluation of an integrated energy system in the Park of Madonie

This paper analyses technical and economic aspects relative to a hypothetical wind farm installed inside the park of Madonie (Sicily) that produces electric energy for the direct use and to supply an electrolytic system for the production of hydrogen. User is formed by approximately 20,000 persons who live in the mountain localities of the park. Global energy required by user was estimated carrying out hypotheses on daily power demand. Discontinuous power makes inescapable to connect wind farm to grid, so that energy demand of user is partially satisfied by means of energy wind, while the remaining part becomes from grid. Surplus of power that turbines make available when wind speed is particularly high is used to supply electrolytic system. Technical and economic analyses were developed by using the results of simulations carried out by software “HOMER” realized by National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Midwest Research Institute of United States. Simulations allowed determining approximately the size of devices and to estimate the cost due to construction and maintenance of this hypothetical plant. The study also investigated the opportunity to amortize part of overheads by the sale of “green certificates” emitted, for the production of renewable energy, by GRTN, the Italian company for electric energy distribution, and to use hydrogen from electrolytic system to supply a hypothetical fleet of vehicles equipped by a hydrogen internal combustion engine.