CO sub(2)-Emissions Reduction Potential and Costs of a Decentralized Energy System for Providing Electricity, Cooling and Heating in an Office-Building in Tokyo

Carbon dioxide emissions reduction potential and costs of a decentralized energy system for providing electricity, cooling and heating in an office-building in Tokyo were analyzed. A decentralized system combining a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with an absorption chiller-heating (ACH) was proposed. The results were compared with the carbon dioxide-emissions and costs of a conventional system that obtained the base electricity requirements as well as electricity for an electric chiller-heater system from the central power grid. The fully decentralized SOFC-based energy system could result in a potential carbon dioxide reduction of over 30% at an estimated cost increase of about 70% compared to the conventional system.