Energy Communities: The Concept of Waste to Energy-CHP Based District Heating System for an Italian Residential District

Carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, comes primarily from fossil fuel-based energy production, which is still prevalent today. Therefore, European countries are adopting several directives and guidelines, as well as promoting many pilot projects. In this context, the district heating powered by renewable sources is still considered a sustainable future energy infrastructure for cities to face environmental changes and pollution. A suitable energy generator for district heating systems is still combined heat and power plants, wherein the use of the waste as an energy source is still a promise. Several works in literature investigated the advantages of Waste-to-Energy to supply the energy demands of a city, underlining their impact on energy savings and environmental sustainability. However, districts and cities still require many efforts to shift from fuel-based energy systems to renewable source ones. In this framework, this study aims to develop a renewable and efficient energy system applied to an Italian neighbourhood. A Waste-to-Energy-Combined heat and power-based district heating is analyzed coupled with photovoltaic systems installation. Furthermore, hydrogen production and storage are also involved, to maximize the super-plus of energy obtained by the cogenerator plant. Results underline the positive impact of these strategies, in terms of energy savings and independence from fuel sources.