An energy optimization model for a combined heat and power production energy supply system with a heat pump

This article deals with the problem of optimal system energy management for combined heat and power production (CHP) with a heat pump. To generate steam and electric power by applying internal sources, an analysed energy system inside its power plant uses a steam boiler, an extraction steam turbine, and a heat pump. Electric power is also purchased from external sources, such as a grid. This leads to the decision problem of determining the economically optimum energy-mix for a given set of conditions. In this article, to select the energy inputs, an optimization method of mixed-integer linear programming is used. Depending on the unit cost of different types of energy the optimal cost-region diagram for the system can be found. This diagram presents a recommendation for the use of an optimum energy consumption of particular composition yielding the minimum energy-operating costs for a CHP system with a heat pump.