Thermodynamic simulation of a micro advanced adiabatic compressed air energy storage for building application

Abstract In the context of developing renewable energies, storing energy improves energy efficiency and promotes the insertion of intermittent renewable energies. It consists of accumulating energy for later use in a place that may be the same or different from the place of production. Converting electrical energy to high-pressure air seems a promising solution in the energy storage field: it is characterized by a high reliability, low environmental impact and a remarkable energy density. This article carries out a novel numerical global model of micro advanced adiabatic compressed air energy storage based on thermodynamic and energy analysis of components available commercially in the market: photovoltaic panels coupled to building model and storage system. This model allows to study multiple sizing parameters (solar surface, storage volume, geographical locations, compression/expansion ratio) based on energy production (renewable energy, grid) and energy storage technology. The results show an interesting energy part of 64% that answered the total building electric energy consumption based on solar production and energy resulted from storage. Levelized cost of energy analysis is also provided to highlight the influence of the critical parameter in the context of developing a micro compressed air energy storage system based on commercial units available in the market.