X to Y Technologies: A Multi-objective Eco-environmental Assessment and Optimization of Multi-energy Carrier Systems

Abstract

Environmental challenges, notably the emission of greenhouse gases as a consequence of global warming, pose significant concerns within the realm of energy production. This research investigates the integration of energy conversion technologies, specifically X2Y processes, into multi-energy systems. This study explores the economic and environmental advantages of employing X2Y technologies, which involve transforming one energy form into another. These technologies are incorporated into an energy hub (EH) responsible for interconverting diverse energy sources. To balance economic and environmental considerations, the research maximizes two distinct objective functions in a collaborative manner. The economic objective function aims to maximize social welfare, while the environmental objective function focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By integrating X2Y technologies into the EH's operation, a 33.7% increase in social welfare (SW) and a 32.4% decrease in emissions have been achieved. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in mitigating both economic and environmental concerns.