Energy analysis of trigeneration based on scarce data

The aim of the paper was to investigate the energy saved in the shift from separate generation of thermal and electrical energy to trigeneration at the energy facility in Offenburg University of Applied Sciences (HS OG). The energy facility at HS OG used a traditional heating system and electricity from grid until 2007 afterwhich they installed a trigeneration system to meet its continuously changing dynamic thermal and electrical demands. This paper highlights the methodology that had been derived to analyze and study the effect of this shift based on the energy consumption data available from 2004 to 2011, which were scarce due to the limited monitoring. From the energy analysis, we concluded that 8 % primary energy was saved in this shift at the energy facility of HS OG. And from economical perspective 5 % useful thermal energy and 39 % useful electrical energy was saved in this shift at the energy facility of HS OG. Nevertheless, the term energy saving, in general, is very relative and complex to define in such a changeover.