An economic assessment of four different boilers for residential heating in Lebanon

• Published in: Energy and buildings Vol. 50; pp. 282 - 289
• Main Authors: Kattan, Patrick, Ruble, Isabella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01-07-2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biomass; Building technical equipments; Buildings; Buildings. Public works; Energy efficiency; Environmental engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Life cycle cost; Olive husks; Renewable energies; Residential building; Sensitivity analysis; Space heating; Types of buildings; Lebanon; Asia; Energy efficiency; Sensitivity analysis; Renewable energies; Biomass; Olive husks; Life cycle cost; Performance evaluation; Economic analysis; Energy analysis; Boiler; Residential building; Renewable energy; Heating; Energetic efficiency; Fuel; Olive husk
• ISSN: 0378-7788
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2012.02.057

► We compare four different boilers for a residential heating system. ► We find that the lifetime energy cost of olive husk boilers is cost competitive. ► We find that olive husk boilers cause zero net CO2 emissions. ► We suggest incentives to increase the deployment of olive husk boilers.
An economic analysis comparing four different boiler systems running on olive husks, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), diesel and electricity used to provide both space and water heating in a standard size apartment located in Lebanon's high mountain area is presented in this study. The results show that the electric boiler system is the most polluting and cost ineffective system with an average energy price of 0.31 $/kWh over its life time, compared to only 0.13 $/kWh for the olive husk or LPG powered boiler systems, and to 0.14 $/kWh for the diesel powered system. Moreover, the current subsidy on diesel oil constitutes a substantial barrier against the deployment of renewable energy as well as other systems running on much cleaner fuels. This paper further presents a financial analysis ranking the different systems in terms of their net present values and suggests measures such as an import tax break and the redirection of the currently existing diesel subsidy towards the olive husk powered system in order to increase the attractiveness of the latter.