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Solar energy & energy conservation In buildings

Conference Paper · December 2002

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Yasser Nassar Abubaker Awidat Salem

Wadi Alshatti University Sebha University
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 1st International Congress of Mechanics-Constantine Faculty of Engineering Department
of Mechanical Egineering, University of Constantine, Algeria 14-16 December 2002

‫اﻟﺠﺰاﺋﺮ‬، ‫ ﺟﺎﻡﻌﺔ_ﻗﺴﻨﻄﻴﻨﺔ‬،2002 ‫ دﺳﻤﺒﺮ‬16‫ و‬15 ، 14‫اﻟﻤﺆﺗﻤﺮاﻟﺪوﻟﻲ اﻷول ﻟﻠﻤﻴﻜﺎﻧﻴﻚ‬

Solar energy & energy conservation

In buildings

Yasser Fathi Nassar and Abubaker Awidat Salem

Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering & Technology
Sebha University, P.O.Box 53808, Brack Ashati, Libya.
abubakerawidat@hotmail.com

Abstract
Conservation and energy efficiency make the solar energy system’s job easier; likewise,
(passive or/and active) solar system reduces the need for auxiliary heat well below levels
attainably by conservation alone. Good thermal design consists of achieving a proper balance
of these two strategies.
This paper presents a quantitative but simple methods for energy conservation, that takes
proper account of the solar and weather characteristics of each location. The systems are
applicable to residential and small commercial buildings. The passive and active (thermal and
electrical) systems will be presented, followed by examples of their use; and the energetic,
environmental and economic effects are given.

1. Introduction
The expression “Energy Conservation” means the reduction in energy losses. Considering any
power system, it consists power generation station, transmission lines and customers. The
losses occur in these three parts with different ratios.
In most of developing countries, the largest energy consumption category is residential
customers. So the reduction in energy consumption in this category will save the largest part
in the national gridline load. For a typical house the main loads are lighting, hot water supply,
space heating and cooling and other electrical appliances.
This paper offered the solar energy utilization as a solution to over come the above
maintained problems related to the energy losses and environmental damages via the
realization of the solar buildings.
Solar building, means one that obtains much of its required heating, cooling, lighting and
electricity from its local natural environmental.
This paper reflects the relationship between the solar energy (both passive and active) and
energy conservation in buildings, by recounting the progression in solar passive and active
design systems and their application in domestic space heating, hot water supply and
electrical power supply, and showing the energetic, economic and environmental effects of
utilize such systems in residential buildings.

2. State of the problem

A sufficient part of the energy used in all the world is used to generate electricity. Roughly
70% of that energy is lost in the process of converting into electricity and distributing the
electricity to customers. Any reduction in the losses in this process could result in energy
savings for the country.
A question presents itself, for which no simple or definite answer that is Why energy
conservation in buildings ?!

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3. A veiw in energy consumption in Libya
Electrical power generated in Libya almost 100% by thermal power generation (steam and
gas turbine generators) and in some areas diesel generators. It well known that the overall-
efficiencies of these systems are quite low (approximately 40%), furthermore, the problem
relates to the environment.
According to the annual report (1999) of Electrical Ministry of Libya, analysis shows that,
the total power consumed was 9,188,934 MWh/year. For buildings the electrical consumption
was found as: Residential buildings 2,896,723 MWh/year
Commercials buildings 1,054,122 MWh/year
State offices 2,179,640 MWh/year
The total power consumption in buildings presented 66.7% of the total national power
consumption. So the reduction in energy consumption in this category will save the largest
part in the national gridline load and decrease the air pollution [7].

4. Energy requirements in buildings

Due to variations in outdoor temperature and sunlight the determination of the space heating
and cooling and lighting energy loads is necessary for engineering design and human comfort.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
has conducted intensive works in the field of energy requirements in buildings and has
recommended standards in her handbooks around the year in terms of acceptable range of
operative data.

Fig.1. Total monthly energy consumption distribution MJ/month for space heating, hot water
supply and electrical supply for a typical house in Tripoli-Libya.

The fuel (electricity, natural gas or any other type of fuels) is necessary for operating thermal
or mechanical devices in residential and commercial buildings. The main devices in a typical
residential building are required for the following functions: lighting (lamps), hot water
supply (boiler), space heating and cooling (heater, air conditioning, refrigerator, freezer),
cooking (cooker) and other appliances (washing machine, TV, Radio, etc…).
Libya uses daily 65.7 thousands barrels of oil equivalent of energy for space heating and hot
water supply using fuel natural gas (2%) and about (98%) using electricity as the main fuel

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for operating the electrical heaters and boilers, and about 18.3 thousands barrels of oil
equivalent for space cooling / air conditioning using (100%) electricity [2].
An appropriate design of buildings, solar passive and active or hybrid (integration between
more than one source of energy) systems can reduce this energy drastically. Bio-climatically
designed can eliminate the need for heating / cooling entirely at many places in the world [8].
The work on bio-climatic design, passive heating / cooling is being followed at Libya in
universities and research for solar studies centers, as example the solar house in Sebha,
designed and constructed by Sebha University with cooperation of Bavaria company
(Germany) in 1993, which get his power 100% from the solar energy.

5. Active solar systems

5.1. Thermal active solar systems

The device whose converts the sun rays into thermal power is solar collector. By far most of
the stationary solar collectors are flat-plate types. Simple flat-plate collectors have been able
to achieve temperatures of 40-80ºC with conversion efficiencies of between 40-80%. To
achieve higher temperatures. Advantages of the flat-plate collector are its simplicity and the
absorption of beam, as well as, diffuse radiation [9].
Constructed in a modular from (units 1-4m2), the flat-plate collectors can be coupled to
make collector arrays of various sizes, depending on the application. It is therefore
possible to design a heating facility for a block of houses. The collectors mounted on
the roof of building are often designed to look like skylights, making them more pleasing in
appearance to homeowners and their neighbors [9].
Solar collectors use in many thermal applications such as:
1. space heating
2. hot water supply, figure 2
3. Air-conditioning
4. refrigeration
5. solar dryers
6. solar cookers (parabolic disk-type reflectors)

Fig.2 A schematic draw of a solar system for hot water supply

5.2. Photovoltaic generators (solar cells)

Solar cells, usually in the form of thin films or wafers, are semiconductor devices that convert
5-13% of the incident solar energy in to DC electricity, with efficiencies depending on
illumination-spectrum intensity [4].

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Connection of solar cells in to series-parallel configurations allow the design of solar panels
with high currents and voltages, as high as several kilovolts. The extraordinary simplicity of a
solar-voltaic system would make it a highly desirable energy system, both in developing areas
and in industrialized nations. The attractions of photovoltaic arrays include the absence of
moving parts, make no noise and cause no pollution while generating electricity [4].
A typical independent power system for the home today includes the following equipment:
1. Batteries to store power
2. Inverter to make 220VAC power
3. Backup gasoline or propane generator
4. Solar PV panels
5. Switches to interconnect cables
More than 200,000 homes world wide depend on PV to supply all of their electricity, most of
these systems are rated 1 kW and often supply alternating current (AC) power [4].

5.3. Hybrid systems (Photovoltaic/Thermal)

Many hybrid systems have designed up to the present time in different countries. Many of
them are very useful. Solar hybrid systems can be based on one principle: integration of
different converters in one design for convenience of users. Good examples of such hybrid
systems are solar houses with combined solar photovoltaic and thermal solar collector on their
roofs, as it indicated in figure 3; solar power plants with not only solar converters, but with
gas or electric supply for the dark time of the day.
The variety of solar hybrid systems is very large, as we can see from the scientific
publications. The scientists from the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia, Algeria, Germany and Russia
investigated and designed such systems.
A very practical design investegated by the authors [1] a combination of solar photovoltaic
and thermal flat-plate solar collector.

Fig.3 A photo of solar photovoltaic and thermal solar collector on the roof of a house,
(adopted by the authors).

6. Passive solar systems

The simplest method for the collection of solar energy is to design windows of buildings for
systematic collection of available solar energy in the cold season. Solar collectors that make

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no use of ancillary equipment like fans or pumps are known as passive systems. Passive
collection is the most cost-effective way of gathering solar energy (beam and diffuse), and
many of these techniques have been used for centuries. They be neglected by architects,
builders and householders during the period of low-energy costs. Technically speaking,
passive heating techniques are well understood. They have the advantage of using traditional
materials and building techniques, and can be used in a wide range of climates.
Conservatory or sunspace is a greenhouse which, is integrated into the building structure
(figure 4), like a glass enclosed room. This room, a habitable solar collector, is common in
cooler temperature climates as found in southern and eastern Australia and New Zealand [5].
Heat is generated in the conservatory, using in coming solar radiation, which preheats the air
before it circulates into the main building. Heat energy is stored within the thermal mass of
the building, especially the wall between the conservatory and the remainder of the
house.Figure 3 Ilustrates a schematic diagram of a conservatory.

Fig.4 Schematic of a conservatory

Passive solar buildings are being built today that have save as much as 50% on heating bills
for only 1% more in construction costs.

7. Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is very important in an renewable systems as significant cost and energy
savings can be realized by reducing the number of PV’s required to supply energy home
needs. The most significant electrical energy can be found by using:
Energy efficient refrigerator
Energy efficient freezer
High efficiency flluorescent lights
High efficiency washing machine
Non electrical hot water boiler or heater (gas hot water heater or solar hot water system)
Non electrical heating systems (solar passive or active thermal heating systems)

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8. Energetic, environmental and economic aspects of solar energy systems
Often, a solar energy system considered an investment that produces revenue in the form of
fuel savings. The purpose of the economic analysis is to evaluate the profitability of solar
energy project and to compare it with other alternative investments (the alternatives might
include an oil or electrical cite).
There is a growing demand in electricity in most of these regions whose generation mix is
often small. The demand follows the increase in population and economic development,
especially for the Middle East countries; for example, the growth rate of the electricity
consumption for ME is around 10.8%. In developing countries, about 35-40% of thermal and
electrical power consuming by population for own domestic applications (figure 5). So by
using such systems we can save an equivalent to 20-30% of total power consumption in these
regions.
From our point view, the analysis must be based not only on strictly financial considerations,
but also it must be attempt to include other considerations such as reduced pollution, reduced
dependence on fossil fuel supplies, or, for the nation as a whole, reduced risks associated with
oil imports or with CO2 buildup in the atmosphere. Update, there are no common correlations,
which integrating all the above-maintained considerations (Economic, Environment and
Socially) effects of utilizes Renewable Energy Sources [1].
Typically in USA, a homeowner relying on electricity to hot water could save up to 500$ in
the first year of operation by installing a solar water heating system. The savings over time
increases due to increasing electricity rates. The average solar heating system pays for itself in
4 to 7 years [6].

Fig.5 Annual load fraction supplied by solar energy versus the hybrid collector area [1].

9. Conclusion
Many other researches efforts might enable isolated improvements in the performance of solar
buildings. However, a designer can incorporate natural lighting, heating, and cooling in
almost any building retrofit or new construction by using the following either separately on in
combination: design rules for hybrid systems, cooling load avoidance, and daylighting,
materials for dimmable and thermal glazings. Researches on these topics can yield systems
and products that meet the criteria for energy conservation. The concept of the technical of
active, passive or hybrid solar systems for buildings should be applicable.

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 The technology can also be used to destroy environmental contaminants in air, water and soil.

References
1. Nassar Y.F., Salem A.A., and Sergievsky E.D., A Creation of Mathematical
Module for Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) Solar Flat-Plate Collector, International
conference on Renewable Energy for Regional Development, hold on 28-31
August 2001in Bali-Indonesia.
2. AbuGraes S.M., The contribution of solar energy in domestic sector, The Libyan
Journal of Energy, Vol № 2, Tripoli-Libya,1985, pp1-13
3. Duffie, J.A., and Beckman, W.A., Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, New
York, New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1980.
4. Kreith, F., and Kreider, J.F., Principles Conservation and renewable energy
technologies for industry, National renewable energy laboratory, October 1991.
5. Eber, Kevin, Renewable energy: A guid to a new world of energy choices, National
renewable energy laboratory, 1994.
6. Economic of solar energy technologyies, Amirican solar energy society, 1992.
7. Study on photovoltaic power generation project in Libya, research group, 2000.
8. Passive solar journal, Vol 3, № 3, 1986.
9. Nassar Y.F., A design procedure of a solar heating system for domestic application
on the base of flat-plate solar air-heating collector, Ph.D. thesis,
Moscow,Russia,1999

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