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Solar Thermal

Solar water heating technology has been in use for over a century in some parts of the United States and worldwide. The technical and economic viability of a solar water heating system depends on factors such as available sunshine, upfront costs, fuel prices, and system maintenance costs. Solar water heating is worth investigating when large amounts of hot water are needed daily, hot water is expensive to produce with electricity or gas, incentives are available, the building orientation is suitable, and space and aesthetics allow for solar panels. Common solar water heating applications include pools, ventilation, domestic hot water, commercial uses, and some industrial processes.

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91 views31 pages

Solar Thermal

Solar water heating technology has been in use for over a century in some parts of the United States and worldwide. The technical and economic viability of a solar water heating system depends on factors such as available sunshine, upfront costs, fuel prices, and system maintenance costs. Solar water heating is worth investigating when large amounts of hot water are needed daily, hot water is expensive to produce with electricity or gas, incentives are available, the building orientation is suitable, and space and aesthetics allow for solar panels. Common solar water heating applications include pools, ventilation, domestic hot water, commercial uses, and some industrial processes.

Uploaded by

atulsemilo
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Solar Water Heating Is Not New!

Before the advent of gas pipelines and electric utilities, the technology gained footholds in Florida and California before the 1920s Over 1,000,000 systems are in use in American homes and business The technology is in widespread use in:
- Caribbean basin - Israel - Japan - China - Greece - Australia

Technical And Economic Viability Of A Solar System Depends Upon:


Amount of annual sunshine Capital cost of the solar system Prices of conventional fuels Solar system annual O&M cost Annual energy requirement and energy use profile Temperature of hot water Rate at which conventional fuels are escalating in price Other (e.g. legislative mandates, tax credits)

Solar Hot Water is Worth Investigating When:


1. Hot water is used in large amounts, daily (absolutely or in terms of gallons per person per day) -- 365 days per year 2. Hot water is produced using electricity and it costs at least $0.055/kwh, or hot water is produced using gas or oil costing at least $8.00/million BTU 3. Tax credits or rebates are available 4. The building is properly oriented with respect to the sun 5. Space is available (on the roof?) for the solar panels 6. There is no need to worry about aesthetics 7. Good-to-excellent solar resource

Solar Thermal Applications


Low Temperature (> 30C)
Swimming pool heating Ventilation air preheating

Medium Temperature (30C 100C)


Domestic water and space heating Commercial cafeterias, laundries, hotels Industrial process heating

High Temperature (> 100C)


Industrial process heating Electricity generation

Solar thermal and photovoltaics working together

Technology Overview
Low-temperature collectors: Unglazed mats for water heating. Perforated plates for air preheating. Mid-temperature collectors: Glazed and insulated collectors. High-temperature collectors: Evacuated tubes. Focusing collectors.

Collector Types

Which collector is best depends on the temperature...

Typical Low Temperature Application

Low Temperture Example:


Barnes Field House, Fort Huachuca, AZ
2,000 square feet of unglazed collectors 3,500 square feet indoor pool Installed cost of $35,000 Meets 49% of pool heating load Saves 835 million Btu/ year of natural gas Annual savings of $5,400 Installed by the Army in June, 1980.

Mid-Temperature Example:
Chickasaw National Recreation Area, OK
Small Comfort Stations 195 square feet of flat plate collectors 500 gallon strorage volume Cost $7,804 Delivers 9,394 kWh/year Saves $867 / year Large Comfort Stations 484 square feet of flat plate collectors 1000 gallon strorage volume Cost $16,100 Delivers 18,194 kWh/year Saves $1,789 / year

Mid Temperature Example:


USCG Kiai Kai Hale Housing Area, Honolulu HI
62 units installed 1998 Active (pumped), Direct systems Average cost $4,000 per system 80 sf per system $800 per system HECO rebate Savings of 9,700 kWh/year and $822/year per system Simple Payback 4 years (with rebate)

High Temperture Example:


Building 209, EPA Lab, Edison NJ
Three closed loop systems with evacuated tube collectors, heat exchanger in the preheat tank. Food-grade Propylene Glycol solution for freeze protection.
Bay F 80 gallon preheat tank and 20 ft2 of collector area. Bay B 80 gallon preheat and 40 ft2 of collector area Bay D 120 gallon preheat tank and 90 ft2 of collector area , measured output averaged 50,000 Btu/day in December, 98.

Total Cost=$26,000, 15 yr payback

High Temperature Example:


Phoenix Federal Correctional Institution
17,040 square feet of parabolic trough collectors 23,000 gallon storage tank Installed cost of $650,000 Delivered 87.1% of the water heating load in 1999. Saved $77,805 in 1999 Utility Costs. Financed, Installed (1998) and Operated under Energy Savings Performance Contract with Industrial Solar Technology, Inc. The prison pays IST for energy delivered by the solar system at a rate equal to 90% of the utility rate (10% guaranteed savings), over 20 years.

High Temperature Example:


State Prison in Tehachapi, California
This system heats water for the kitchen, bathing, and laundry facilities, supplying 7.2 billion BTUs of thermal energy annually to the 5100-inmate prison.

Industrial Process Heating

Gould Electronics of Chandler, Arizona, has had its parabolic-trough collector system since 1982. The system uses oil for heat transfer for higher-temperature uses. The system provides process water for copper foil production.

System Types Passive Systems (no pumps)


Integral Collector Storage Thermosyphon

Active Systems (pumps & controls)


Open Loop:
Direct Drain Down

Closed Loop:
Drain Back Antifreeze

Passive, Integral Collector Storage (ICS) Direct System

Moderate freeze protection (pipes at risk) Minimal hard water tolerance Very low maintenance requirements

Passive, Thermosyphon, Direct System

Auxiliary element can also be in tank above collector, eliminating the auxiliary tank altogether. No freeze protection Minimal hard water tolerance Low maintenance requirements

Active, Open-loop, Pumped Direct System

No freeze protection Minimal hard water tolerance High maintenance requirements

Active, Closed-loop (antifreeze), Indirect System

Excellent freeze protection Good hard water tolerance High maintenance requirements

Mazatlan, Mexico; El Cid Mega Resort

Active, Closed-loop, Drainback, Indirect System

Good freeze protection Good hard water tolerance High maintenance requirements

Tempering Valve to Prevent Scalding: Extremely Important for Safety!

Promising Potential Candidates For Solar Water Heating Systems


1. Residential Single family homes Low-income or subsidized homes and housing developments Apartment buildings with central boilers 2. Commercial Hotels and motels Health care facilities Restaurants Spas, pools and health clubs 3. Government Single family housing units Food service facilities Correctional facilities Hospitals and clinics Dormitories Recreational facilities/swimming pools

Tribal Opportunities in the Solar Water Heating Business


A Tribal energy service organization could bring the following to the table: Credibility in the eyes of homeowners and building owners Sense that we will be here 13 years from now if you need service Aggregated lower-cost financing Steady employment

O&M Survey of 185 Systems


Problems
Temp. Sensor Mount

Expansion Tank

Pump Winding

Pump Capacitor

Leaks

Valves

Collector

PC Board

Relay

DC power supply

Temp. Sensor Open

Working Fine

Procuring Solar Water Heating Systems


Look for the best opportunities within your Tribe:
Large water heating loads. High cost of backup energy. Constant loads throughout week and year. Area for collectors. Facility champions.

Requirements for Success


Appropriate Application (Provide a Reasonable Payback) Proven Design Redundant Freeze Protection Properly Sized (undersized, not oversized) Require No Manual Intervention Operational Indicators or Monitoring Conservation First Verify Load Performance Guarantee Require Operations and Maintenance Manual and Training Acceptance Test

Help in implementing your solar water heating project:


Solar Energy Industries Association and local chapters. Federal agency personnel that have experience operating solar projects. FEMP/NREL/Sandia National Laboratories. State energy offices.

Resources and References


American Society of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineers, Inc.
ASHRAE 90003 -- Active Solar Heating Design Manual ASHRAE 90336 -- Guidance for Preparing Active Solar Heating Systems Operation and Maintenance Manuals ASHRAE 90346 -- Active Solar Heating Systems Installation Manual

Solar Rating and Certification Corporation


SRCC-OG-300-91 -- Operating Guidelines and Minimum Standards for Certifying Solar Water Heating Systems

Worksheet Solar Thermal Opportunity Assessment For your Tribal location -- Where do you see opportunities for: Low Temperature (pool heating) Solar Thermal Systems? Mid Temperature (domestic hot water or space heating) Solar Thermal Systems? Who else from the Tribe needs to be involved with identifying Solar Thermal application opportunities? For your Tribe, is this more likely a: Small Business opportunity for a Tribal member Tribal business opportunity as part of a broader energy services organization Something that would be done by non-Tribal entities

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