Technical and economic analysis of the application of an energy complex as a heat supply unit and its comparison with the main competitors

This article provides a technical and economic analysis of the use of an energy complex based on a new heat transformer for heat supply needs and compares the main indicators with competing technologies - absorption heat pumps (AHP), vapor compression heat pumps (VCHP) and gas boilers (GB). The energy complex is considered as a heat supply installation operating using renewable energy sources. It consists of a new transformer, which in one operating circuit has a system of heat concentrators, including a mechanical and thermal compressor which, unlike existing heat transformers, makes it possible to more fully use different types of energy for their work, individually and in combination. It also allows the parameters of heat transformation to be adjusted for specific conditions. Combining different technologies makes it possible to increase the efficiency of primary energy use. The energy efficiency assessment was carried out for a thermal power of 30 kW. A technical and economic analysis showed that the use of an energy complex can significantly reduce the consumption of natural gas and reduce the payback period of the energy complex compared to competing technologies. In particular, the results show that the fuel consumption of the energy complex (natural gas) is 1.5 times lower than that of AHP, 2.5 times lower than that of GB and 3.3 times lower than that of VCHP. Reducing operating costs makes it possible to reduce the payback period of the proposed solution compared to VCHP by 1.2 years, AHP by 5.2 years, and GB by 9.6 years. The results indicate the suitability of developing the energy complex as a heat-generating device and its competitiveness.