Economic Analysis of the Optimal Configuration of Thermal and Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermal Panels for a District Heating System

The implementation of renewable energy sources in the district heating systems is essential for reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This paper carries out an economic analysis for integrating solar energy sources into the centralized district heating system of Bucharest. The study is done for the thermal station Aviatiei 5, which is positioned at the end of a primary district heating branch, with deficiencies regarding the flow rate and inappropriate thermal agent parameters, insufficient and time-delayed loading at the start of the heating period. Three solar energy solutions are proposed, based on combinations of solar thermal and photovoltaic thermal collectors. These solutions are analyzed in terms of economic performance over the lifetime of the project at the current energy price. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is carried out for various electricity prices to observe the economic performance of the three solutions.