INTEGRATED EXERGOECONOMIC AND LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF A PV/T-RO SYSTEM FOR SUSTAINABLE COGENERATION IN ARID REGIONS ENGINEERING

Abstract

This paper examines a hybrid system of photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) system that is integrated with reverse osmosis (RO) as an approach to sustainable cogeneration. One of the main weaknesses of earlier research is found in the fact that there has been no comprehensive appraisal of certain areas incorporating the thermodynamic, economic and environmental paradigms. The study will also be beneficial as it offers a complete sustainability analysis of PV/T-RO system. A combined approach of exergy analysis, exergoeconomic analysis and environmental life cycle analysis (LCA) is applied to a case study in Basra, Iraq. The performance of the system is compared with the conventional PV-RO and grid-powered RO. The findings reveal that the proposed PV/T-RO system has a higher overall exergy efficiency of (18.5) % that is (52) % more as compared to PV-RO alternative. The levelized cost of water (LCOW) has been estimated at (1.850) m³ whereas the global warming potential (GWP) is estimated at (1.8) kg CO₂-eq/m³, and an (86) % decrease over the grid-RO system. The PV/T collector has been found to be the greatest contributor to irreversibility, with (35) % of the total exergy destruction.