MICROALGAE PHOTOBIOREACTORS FOR BIOMASS PRODUCTION IN BUILDINGS: ALTERNATIVES FOR THEIR APPLICATION IN A COMMERCIAL BUILDING IN BRAZIL.
energy efficiency. biomass. algae. photobioreactors. buildings.
The National Energy Plan (PNE) 2050 of Brazil has as its main premise issues related to the energy transition. In this sense, the Brazilian energy matrix diversification is noticed through renewable energy sources and the expansion of micro and distributed mini-generation. Microalgae photobioreactors associated with buildings emerge as alternatives to meet this goal. The proposal of this integration is that photobioreactors, in addition to producing bioenergy for the building, could act as a passive air conditioning system and provide excess heat from the cultivation for the heating system of the building. The present work evaluated initial alternatives for the use of photobioreactors in a commercial building in southeastern Brazil through a thermoenergetic model. Energyplus and Engineering Equation Solver software were udes for energy and thermal analysis of photobioreactors integrated into the building. The results indicated that photobioreactors can assist the building's air conditioning system by being modeled as a glazing of the building's envelope and, when modeled on the roof, can assist the building's water heating system.