Wai Shin Ho

SAHPPA: a novel power pinch analysis approach for the design of off-grid hybrid energy systems

This work proposes a novel approach called stand-alone hybrid system power pinch analysis (SAHPPA), which is particularly applicable for the design of off-grid distributed energy generation systems. The enhanced graphical tool employs new ways of utilising the recently introduced demand composite curve and supply composite curve while honouring and adapting fundamental energy systems engineering concepts. The SAHPPA method is capable of optimising the capacity of both the power generators and energy storage for biomass (i.e. non-intermittent) and solar photovoltaic (i.e. intermittent) energy technologies, which is a contribution to the emerging area of power pinch analysis. In addition, the procedure considers all possible efficiency losses in the overall system encompassing the charging–discharging and current inversion processes.

Optimal operation of a distributed energy generation system for a sustainable palm oil-based eco-community.

Abstract The palm oil industry potentially can be environmentally sustainable through utilizing the vast availability of biomass residues from palm oil mills as renewable energy sources. This work addresses the optimal operation of a combined bioenergy and solar PV distributed energy generation system to meet the electricity and heat demands of an eco-community comprising a palm oil mill and its surrounding residential community. A multiperiod mixed-integer linear programming planning and scheduling model is formulated on an hourly basis that optimally selects the power generation mix from among available biomass, biogas, and solar energy resources with consideration for energy storage and load shifting. A multiscenario approach is employed that considers scenarios in the form of many possible weather conditions and various energy profiles under varying mill operation modes and residential electricity consumption. The proposed approach is demonstrated on a realistic case study for a palm oil mill in the Iskandar Malaysia economic development region. The computational results indicate that biomass-based resource is the preferred renewable energy to be implemented due to the high cost associated with solar PV. As well, load shifting and energy storage can be feasibly deployed for demand peak shaving particularly for solar PV systems.

Review of microalgae growth in palm oil mill effluent for lipid production

Wastewater treatment using microalgae is an eco-friendly process without secondary pollution. During the process, the wastewater produced is reused, which allows efficient nutrient recycling. This review provides constructive information to enable progress of competent technology for microalgae based productions in palm oil mill effluent (POME). The characteristics of POME that will be described in this paper would be a source of pollution in water if discharged directly. Since microalgae have great potential to be isolated and cultivated in POME, previous studies to improve POME based culture media are still limited. Microalgae are highly competent in diminishing CO2 emissions and reducing the organic components in POME. In conclusion, biological treatments by using microalgae discussed in this paper and the lipid production from microalgae biomass can be used as an alternative for energy production. The POME treatment with microalgae may meet the standards or limits before being discharged into the water body.

Integrated biomass and solar town concept for smart eco-village

Integrated Biomass and Solar Town Concept for Smart Eco-Village Haslenda Hashim*, Wai Shin Ho, Jeng Shiun Lim, Sandro Macchietto Process System Engineering Center (PROSPECT), Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Centre for Process Systems Engineering , Imperial College London, Roderic Hill Building, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ haslenda@cheme.utm.my

Towards low carbon society in Iskandar Malaysia: Implementation and feasibility of community organic waste composting

Rapid population growth and urbanisation have generated large amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) in many cities. Up to 40-60% of Malaysias MSW is reported to be food waste where such waste is highly putrescible and can cause bad odour and public health issue if its disposal is delayed. In this study, the implementation of community composting in a village within Iskandar Malaysia is presented as a case study to showcase effective MSW management and mitigation of GHG emission. The selected village, Felda Taib Andak (FTA), is located within a palm oil plantation and a crude palm oil processing mill. This project showcases a community-composting prototype to compost food and oil palm wastes into high quality compost. The objective of this article is to highlight the economic and environment impacts of a community-based composting project to the key stakeholders in the community, including residents, oil palm plantation owners and palm oil mill operators by comparing three different scenarios, through a life cycle approach, in terms of the greenhouse gas emission and cost benefit analysis. First scenario is the baseline case, where all the domestic waste is sent to landfill site. In the second scenario, a small-scale centralised composting project was implemented. In the third scenario, the data obtained from Scenario 2 was used to do a projection on the GHG emission and costing analysis for a pilot-scale centralised composting plant. The study showed a reduction potential of 71.64% on GHG emission through the diversion of food waste from landfill, compost utilisation and significant revenue from the compost sale in Scenario 3. This thus provided better insight into the feasibility and desirability in implementing a pilot-scale centralised composting plant for a sub-urban community in Malaysia to achieve a low carbon and self-sustainable society, in terms of environment and economic aspects.

Power Pinch Analysis supply side management: strategy on purchasing and selling of electricity

Pinch analysis concept has been recently stepped into the realm of design and optimisation of power systems. One well-established pinch analysis that has been used in power systems design and optimisation is called Power Pinch Analysis (PoPA). In PoPA, both graphical and numerical approaches have provided an insight on the systematic approach to target and design various power systems. By only visualising the minimum amount of outsource energy required by the power system, the graphical PoPA method as a whole does not show the purchasing of outsource energy based on the exact time intervals. Using graphical PoPA, the objective of this study is to determine a proper strategy to buy and sell outsource electricity to improve the overall performance of a hybrid power system comprising renewable power generators and energy storage system. The strategies are made based on three design parameters: energy-related capacity, power-related capacity of energy storage and maximum grid power rating between centralised grid and hybrid power system. While deciding on the best strategy and heuristics to be implemented, the effects on system operation and economy are indirectly analysed. It is experimented that the output can benefit electricity consumers or producers.

Grid-connected distributed energy generation system planning and scheduling

ABSTRACTConservation of fossil fuel energy, energy management (peak shaving), energy economic and pollution of energy sector has been among the recent topics of discussion. This paper examines possibilities of achieving the said topics through an integrated energy system also known as distributed energy system (DES) consisting of renewable energy and energy storage devices. With aim to minimise system cost while abiding to carbon footprint reduction target and pollutant emissions limit, a mixed integer linear programming model is developed for optimisation and planning of a DES. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, in planning to become an eco-campus, is taken as a case study for this research work. The model reveals that with a target of 40% carbon footprint reduction and 30 tonne of total nitrogen oxides emissions (in a year), an annual cost of 5,687,000

Potential Biogas Generation from Food Waste Through Anaerobic Digestion in Peninsular Malaysia

/y is required, achieving a reduction of 17.3%.

Cost-Benefit and Greenhouse-Gases Mitigation of Food Waste Composting: A Case Study in Malaysia

Malaysia’s rising energy demand and increasing generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) has made a linkage to the implementation of Waste to Energy (WtE) strategy. On the supply side, waste segregation at source was first implemented in Malaysia during September 2015, where the organic food waste is separated from other waste. Food waste is a potential feedstock for biogas generation. However, there is lacks of study to identify its potential. Even on the demand side, where biogas is utilized as one of the renewable energy sources, the palm oil mill effluent (POME) is given more attention as feedstock when compared to the other organic waste, for instance, food waste. This is obvious when biogas facilities are constructed in palm oil mills to utilize biogas generated instead of other places like landfill sites. This paper aims to identify the potential ofbiogas generation from food. It is concluded that approximately 60 Mm3 of CH4, which is equivalent to 16.3MW electricity can be produced yearly based on food waste generated on year 2010. The amount is calculated based on Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Cange (IPCC) methane gas emission from biological treatment equation. A revenue of approximately 42 M MYR is estimated by selling the electricity through Feed- in-Tariff (FiT) scheme. The opportunities and challenges of such implementation is discussed following the finding.

Development of waste-To-energy plant in Kuala Lumpur

Waste generation nowadays is rising in the world and it seems hard to prevent it. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has been a major problem worldwide, especially in the fast growing cities and towns in the developing countries. This study aims to estimate the cost benefit and mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by converting the on-campus food and green waste generated in Universiti Teknologi of Malaysia (UTM) campus to compost. This study calculated the costing which includes the transportation, operating and equipment costs if green and food waste were converted into compost. The analyses were made with the basis of the pilot scale operation in Phase I operation. Extrapolation was made to project the further four phases of composting with higher amount of waste to estimate the potential profit. The results obtained from this study indicated that composting has the potential to generate a significant profit of Malaysia Ringgit (MYR)1.6 M/y based on 2,700 t/y of food and green waste composted. At the same time, the total solid waste supposedly to be sent to the landfill can be reduced by at least 47 %. Moreover, this study revealed that the composting process is able to reduce the GHGs emission rate by 90 %, i.e. the GHGs produced by the composting process is shown to be only 10 % of the total GHGs produced by landfill dumping given the same amount of solid waste to be disposed at the landfill site.