Techno-economic analysis of an optimized renewable energy integrated combined heat and power system for a primary healthcare facility

Abstract Healthcare facilities depend heavily on regular and sustainable energy for unwavering operation and satisfactory service delivery. However, a significant challenge for healthcare center is the low financial allocation, which affects the provision of sustainable and cost-effective energy systems. To address this issue, this paper establishes the technical viability and economic benefits of combined heat and power (CHP) systems for healthcare facilities. Hybrid renewable resources combined with natural gas are used as energy sources for the proposed system. Several heat recovery ratios (HRR) of 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% were analyzed using the HOMER Pro simulation software to determine the optimal HRR for economical energy production with minimal climatic impact. The result generated from the simulation identifies the first two optimization cases as having the best net present cost (NPC) and cost of energy (CoE). At 20% HRR, Case 1 (Photovoltaic/Wind Turbine/Natural Gas Generator/Battery) shows an NPC of $233,986 with a CoE of $0.0762, while Case 2 (PV/WT/Batt) has an NPC of $287,799 with a CoE of $0.107. In comparison, the base case system, which is a natural gas plant, shows an NPC of $1,390,000 and a CoE of $0.741. The sensitivity analysis highlights important considerations for designing CHP systems for industrial or domestic use. A low HRR provides the lowest NPC due to reduced generator running costs and less excess energy. This research demonstrates the potential value of hybrid renewable energy resources, combined with a low-carbon generator (natural gas plant), in meeting the electrical and thermal energy demands necessary for the smooth operation of primary healthcare facilities.