LAUSR

Abstract The main goal of this investigation is the detailed analysis of a solar-driven trigeneration system under dynamic operation. Parabolic trough solar collectors are coupled with a sensible storage tank and feed a trigeneration unit which includes an organic Rankine cycle for electricity production and an absorption heat pump for heating and cooling production. The absorption heat pump is driven by the waste heat from the organic Rankine cycle condenser which operates at 120°C. The total configuration is investigated on a dynamic basis by using the TRNSYS software. The analysis is conducted for locations in Greece and in Cyprus, while the majority of the results are presented for Athens. Firstly, the unit is optimized and it is found that for a solar field area of 100 m2, the optimum tank energetically has 1 m3 storage volume and the optimum heat source mass flow rate is 0.125 kg s-1. The results show that the system is able to operate efficiently for 8 months, from March up to October with a mean yearly energy efficiency of 36.43%. The results indicate that Athens is the best location for a solar-driven system in Greece, while Larnaca in Cyprus is the overall best location due to its higher solar potential. More specifically, the simple payback period in Athens is found at 12 years while in Larnaca at 7.8 years.