Environmental Aspects of the Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power (CCHP) Systems: A Review

Abstract

Expanding cities means increasing the need for energy in the residential sector. The supply of this energy must be in environmentally friendly ways; one method of meeting demand in the residential sector is the use of combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems. The current review paper shows that due to the high cost of gas and electricity, CCHP can be used in various sectors, such as hospitals and airports, to reduce energy consumption with lower environmental impacts by using renewable energy systems as the main driver. While CCHP systems are not feasible in tropical regions with high cooling demand, a solar hybrid system is a superior candidate for regions with sufficient radiation. CCHP can also be used in sectors such as wastewater treatment units, desalination systems, and hydrogen production units to improve performance and increase productivity. The carbon and water footprints of CCHP systems are discussed in detail. The main drivers for reducing carbon and water footprints are improving system components such as the combustion engine and increasing productivity by expanding the system to multi-generation systems. Finally, the carbon tax index can help reduce carbon emissions if properly used in the right context. Based on our best knowledge, there is no extensive review of the environmental aspects of CCHP systems in the literature.