A carregar...
Publicação
Sustainable energy management in the cheese industry: a simulation model integrated with renewable energy sources
| Nome: | Descrição: | Tamanho: | Formato: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.83 MB | Adobe PDF |
Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
Cheesemaking is an energy-intensive process that relies heavily on heating and cooling operations traditionally powered by fossil fuels and electricity from the national grid. Reducing this dependence and integrating renewable energy sources are essential to align the sector with European decarbonization targets. This study presents the development of a simulation tool for optimizing the energy management of a cheese production facility by integrating solar, wind, and biomass systems. The model evaluates techno-economic and environmental performance under different climatic conditions and operational scenarios. Experimental validation was carried out using a prototype installed at the Polytechnic Institute of Beja (Portugal), achieving a deviation of only 2.3% in renewable energy contribution between simulated and measured data. Results demonstrate that renewable integration can reduce non-renewable energy consumption, achieving weekly profits up to 0.019 €/kg of cheese and carbon emissions as low as 0.0109 kg CO2e/kg. The proposed approach provides a reliable decision-support tool for small- and medium-scale cheese producers, promoting both environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness in rural regions.
Descrição
The present work was co-financed by the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), under the project “CASEUS: Combined use of renewAble energy sources to improve energy efficiency in cheeSE indUStry” (RRP-C05-i03-I-000249).
Palavras-chave
Cheese production Energy management Renewable energy integration Simulation tool Sustainability Techno-economic assessment
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Teixeira, T., Monteiro, J., Garcia, J., & Dias, J. M. (2026). Sustainable energy management in the cheese industry: a simulation model integrated with renewable energy sources. Energies, 19(1), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19010123
Editora
MDPI AG