Solar-Powered Biomass Revalorization for Pet Food and Compost: A Campus-Scale Eco-Circular System Based on Energy Performance Contracting
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Tarih
2025
Dergi Başlığı
Dergi ISSN
Cilt Başlığı
Yayıncı
Mdpi
Erişim Hakkı
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Özet
Integrating renewable energy with biomass valorization offers a scalable pathway toward circular and climate-resilient campus operations. This study presents a replicable model implemented at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKU, Turkiye), where post-consumer food waste from 30 cafeteria menus is converted into pet food and compost using a 150 L ECOAIR-150 thermal drying and grinding unit powered entirely by a 1.7 MW rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system. The PV infrastructure, established under Turkiye's first public-sector Energy Performance Contract (EPC), ensures zero-electricity-cost operation. On average, 260 kg of organic waste are processed monthly, yielding 180 kg of pet food and 50 kg of compost, with an energy demand of 1.6 kWh h(-1) and a conversion efficiency of 68.4%, resulting in approximately 17.5 t CO2 emissions avoided annually. Economic analysis indicates a monthly revenue of USD 55-65 and a payback period of similar to 36 months. Sensitivity analysis highlights the influence of input quality, seasonal waste composition, PV output variability, and operational continuity during academic breaks. Compared with similar initiatives in the literature, this model uniquely integrates EPC financing, renewable energy generation, and waste-to-product transformation within an academic setting, contributing directly to SDGs 7, 12, and 13.
Açıklama
Anahtar Kelimeler
biomass valorization, solar energy integration, energy performance contract, waste recycling, circular economy, pet food production, composting systems, sustainable campus, renewable energy systems
Kaynak
Processes
WoS Q Değeri
Q3
Scopus Q Değeri
Q2
Cilt
13
Sayı
9
