SOLAR COMBINED SYSTEMS.

IF SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS HAVE TO COVER LARGER PORTIONS OF

THE ENTIRE HEAT DEMAND, ALSO SPACE HEATING HAS TO BE PARTIALLY

SUPPLIED BY SOLAR ENERGY. THESE PLANTS ARE CALLED SOLAR

COMBINED SYSTEMS.

IMPROVING THE HEAT INSULATION OF THE BUILDING IS MORE EFFICIENT

THAN INTEGRATING A SOLAR SYSTEM INTO THE HEATING SYSTEM – AND

LESS COST-INTENSIVE.
SOLAR–GAS COMBINATION BOILERS
THE PRINCIPLE HERE IS THAT A 240-LITRE TANK IS HEATED BY FLAT
PLATE SOLAR COLLECTORS SUPPLEMENTED BY A GAS BURNER WITHIN
THE BODY OF THE CYLINDER.
A HEAT EXCHANGER COIL IN THE UPPER HALF OF THE TANK HEATS THE
CENTRAL HEATING CIRCUIT.
 SPACE HEATING SYSTEM
THE HEATED WATER IN THE STORAGE TANK IS PUMPED INTO A COIL
LOCATED IN THE RETURN AIR DUCT .
THE CONTROLLER FOR THE SOLAR SYSTEM WILL ALLOW THE PUMPING
TO OCCUR IF THE TEMPERATURE IN THE SOLAR HEATED WATER IS
ABOVE A MINIMUM AMOUNT NEEDED TO MAKE A POSITIVE
CONTRIBUTION TO HEATING THE HOME
 SOLAR HEATING OF OPEN-AIR SWIMMING POOLS.

ONE OF THE BEST WAYS OF USING SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY IS HEATING

OPEN-AIR SWIMMING POOLS.
IF THE POOL IS COVERED OVER NIGHT, THE CONVECTION, RADIATION
AND EVAPORATION LOSSES CAN BE REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY.
SOLAR FURNACE
A STRUCTURE WITH A CURVED MIRROR (OR AN ARRAY OF MIRRORS) THAT ACTS AS A
PARABOLIC REFLECTOR, CONCENTRATING LIGHT (INSOLATION) ONTO A FOCAL POINT.
THE LARGEST SOLAR FURNACE IN THE WORLD IS AT ODEILLO ,FRANCE.
IT EMPLOYS AN ARRAY OF PLANE MIRRORS REFLECTING LIGHT RAYS ON TO A LARGER
CURVED MIRROR AND THEN FOCUSED ONTO AN AREA THE SIZE OF A COOKING POT AND
CAN REACH 3,000 DEGREES CELSIUS.
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONING
•ANY AIR CONDITIONING (COOLING) SYSTEM THAT USES SOLAR
POWER.
•THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH PASSIVE SOLAR, PHOTOVOLTAIC
CONVERSION (SUN TO ELECTRICITY), OR SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY
CONVERSION.
SOLAR THERMAL COOLING
•SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS PROVIDE THERMAL ENERGY TO DRIVE
THERMALLY-DRIVEN CHILLERS
•SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY CAN BE USED TO EFFICIENTLY COOL IN THE
SUMMER, AND ALSO HEAT DOMESTIC HOT WATER, AND THE BUILDING
IN THE WINTER.
DESICCANT COOLING SYSTEMS

A MOISTURE ABSORBING MATERIAL (DESICCANT) SUCH AS SILICA GEL

OR LITHIUM CHLORIDE is LOCATED IN THE AIR STREAM GOING INTO THE

LIVING SPACE.

AS THE AIR PASSES THROUGH THE DESICCANT, WHICH IS USUALLY

LOCATED ON A WHEEL THAT SLOWLY ROTATES INTO THE AIR STREAM,

MOISTURE IS REMOVED FROM THE AIR, DROPPING THE HUMIDITY LEVEL

IN THE AIR STREAM TO THE POINT THAT AN EVAPORATIVE COOLER CAN

THEN COOL THE AIR TO 16 –18°C.

THE DESICCANT IS DRIED BY THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE SOLAR

COLLECTORS AS IT ROTATES OUT OF THE AIR STREAM.

PHASE CHANGE COOLING

PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL (PCM) IS A SUBSTANCE WITH A HIGH HEAT

OF FUSION WHICH, MELTING AND SOLIDIFYING AT A CERTAIN

TEMPERATURE, IS CAPABLE OF STORING AND RELEASING LARGE

AMOUNTS OF ENERGY.

HEAT IS ABSORBED OR RELEASED WHEN THE MATERIAL CHANGES

FROM SOLID TO LIQUID AND VICE VERSA; THUS, PCMS ARE CLASSIFIED

AS LATENT HEAT STORAGE (LHS) UNITS.

 Materials Melting point (oC)

Water 0

Lauric acid 41 - 43

Trimethyloethane 29.8

Mn(NO3)2 6H2O+ MnCl2 4H2O (4 wt

15 - 25
%)
PCM
Na2SiO3 5H2O 48

• THE SYSTEM DRAWS DAYTIME WARM EXTERNAL AIR BY FAN OVER

AN ARRAY OF FLUID - FILLED HEAT PIPES.
• THE PIPES CONDUCT HEAT TO STORAGE MODULES CONTAINING A
SOLID PCM. THE PCMS LOCATED IN THE CEILING VOID ABSORB THE
HEAT AS THEY SLOWLY MELT DURING THE DAY, PROVIDING COOL
VENTILATION AIR.
• DURING THE NIGHT SHUTTERS TO THE OUTSIDE AIR ARE OPENED
AND THE FAN REVERSES DIRECTION TO DRAW THE COOL AIR OVER
THE PCMS CAUSING THE MATERIAL TO SOLIDIFY.
PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR COOLING
PHOTOVOLTAICS CAN PROVIDE THE POWER FOR ANY TYPE OF
ELECTRICAL AIR CONDITIONER OR CHILLER. AT THE CURRENT TIME, THIS
IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE FOR USE ON A BUILDING WITH A
CONVENTIONAL COMPRESSOR-BASED COOLING LOAD
EVAPORATIVE COOLING