skip to main content

Thermo-economic Optimization of Solar Assisted Heating and Cooling (SAHC) System

Department of Farm Machinery and Power, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, Pakistan

Published: 15 Oct 2014.
Editor(s):

Citation Format:
Abstract
The energy demand for cooling is continuously increasing due to growing thermal loads, changing architectural modes of building, and especially due to occupants indoor comfort requirements resulting higher electricity demand notably during peak load hours. This increasing electricity demand is resulting higher primary energy consumption and emission of green house gases (GHG) due to electricity generation from fossil fuels. An exciting alternative to reduce the peak electricity consumption is the possible utilization of solar heat to run thermally driven cooling machines instead of vapor compression machines utilizing high amount of electricity. In order to widen the use of solar collectors, they should also be used to contribute for sanitary hot water production and space heating. Pakistan lying on solar belt has a huge potential to utilize solar thermal heat for heating and cooling requirement because cooling is dominant throughout the year and the enormous amount of radiation availability provides an opportunity to use it for solar thermal driven cooling systems. The sensitivity analysis of solar assisted heating and cooling system has been carried out under climatic conditions of Faisalabad (Pakistan) and its economic feasibility has been calculated using maximization of NPV. Both storage size and collector area has been optimized using different economic boundary conditions. Results show that optimum area of collector lies between 0.26m2 to 0.36m2 of collector area per m2 of conditioned area for ieff values of 4.5% to 0.5%. The optimum area of collector increases by decreasing effective interest rate resulting higher solar fraction. The NPV was found to be negative for all ieff values which shows that some incentives/subsidies are needed to be provided to make the system cost beneficial. Results also show that solar fraction space heating varies between 87 and 100% during heating season and solar fraction cooling between 55 and 100% during cooling season which indicates a huge amount of conventional energy saving potential.
Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Solar cooling and heating, solar collector, absorption chiller, NPV, PBT

Article Metrics:

  1. Aguilar, F.X. & Cai, Z. (2010) Exploratory analysis of prospects for renewable energy private investment in the U.S. Energy Economics, 32(6), 1245-1252
  2. Arboit, M., Toniolo, J., Ghafoor, A., Fracastoro, G. V. (2012) Experimental and theoretical analysis of thermal solar collector systems for DHW in Northern Italy. Renewable Energy & Power Quality Journal (RE&PQJ), 10
  3. Arent, D.J., Wise, A., & Gelman, R. (2011) The status and prospectus of renewable energy for combating global warming. Energy Economics, 33(4), 584-593
  4. Assilzadeh, F., Kaligirou, S.A., Ali, Y., & Sopian, K. (2005) Simulation and optimization of a LiBr solar absorption cooling system with evacuated tube collectors. Renewable Energy, 30, 1143–59
  5. Duffie, J. A. & Beckman, W. A. (2006) Solar engineering of thermal processes. 3rd ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc.USA
  6. Eicker, U. & Pietruschka, D. (2008) Design and performance of solar powered absorption cooling systems in office buildings. Energy and Buildings, 41(1), 81–91
  7. Folrides, G.A., Kalogirou, S.A., Tassou, S.A., & Wrobel, L.C. (2001) Modelling and simulation of an absorption solar cooling system for Cyprus. Solar Energy, 72(1), 43–51
  8. Folrides, G.A., Kalogirou, S.A., Tassou, S.A., & Wrobel, L.C. (2002) Modelling, simulation and warming impact assessment of a domestic-size absorption solar cooling system. Applied Thermal Engineering, 22, 1313–1325
  9. Ghaddar, N.K., Shihab, M., Bdeir, F. (1996) Modeling and simulation of solar absorption system performance in Beirut. Renewable Energy, 10(4), 539–558
  10. Guo, J. & Shen, H. G. (2009) Modeling solar-driven ejector refrigeration system offering air conditioning for office buildings. Energy and Buildings, 41(2), 175-181
  11. Jaunzems, D. & Veidenbergs, I. (2010) Small scale solar cooling unit in climate conditions of Latvia: Environmental and economical aspects. Environmental and Climate Technologies, 4, 47-52
  12. Mateus, T. & Oliveira, A.C. (2009) Energy and economic analysis of an integrated solar absorption cooling and heating system in different building types and climates. Applied Energy, 86, 949–957
  13. Popp, D., Hascic, I., & Medhi, N. (2011) Technology and the diffusion of renewable energy. Energy Economics, 33(4), 648-662
  14. Syed, A., Maidment, G.G., Tozer, R.M., & Missendent, J.F. (2002) A study of the economic perspectives of solar cooling schemes. Proceedings of the CIBSE National Technical Conference, Charted Institution of Building Services Engineers, London
  15. Thomas, S. & André, P. (2009) Dynamic simulation of a complete solar assisted conditioning system in an office building using TRNSYS. Proceedings of 11th International IBPSA Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, July 27-30, 2009
  16. www.velasolaris.com

Last update:

  1. Design, optimization and economic viability of an industrial low temperature hot water production system in Algeria: A case study

    Karim Kaci, Mustapha Merzouk, Nachida Kasbadji Merzouk, Mohammed Missoum, Mohammed El Ganaoui, Omar Behar, Rabah Djedjig. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 12 (3), 2023. doi: 10.14710/ijred.2023.49759
  2. Performance Simulation of a Solar Powered Vapor Absorption Cooling System

    Syed A. M. Said, Hamza K. Mukhtar, M. El Shaarawi, Umro M. Qutub. International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration, 28 (03), 2020. doi: 10.1142/S2010132520500261
  3. Techno-economic optimization of solar thermal integrated membrane distillation for cogeneration of heat and pure water

    Nutakki Tirumala Uday Kumar, Andrew Martin. Desalination and Water Treatment, 98 , 2017. doi: 10.5004/dwt.2017.21615
  4. CFD analysis of the earth air pipe heat exchanger with helical geometry for optimum space utilisation

    Mahendra Kumar Verma, Vikas Bansal. International Journal of Ambient Energy, 44 (1), 2023. doi: 10.1080/01430750.2022.2120907
  5. Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Absorption Cooling for Commercial Buildings in India

    Muthalagappan Narayanan. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 6 (3), 2017. doi: 10.14710/ijred.2017.12834
  6. Dynamic performance of solar powered vapor absorption cooling system in dhahran — Saudi Arabia

    Hamza K. Mukhtar, Syed A. Said, Maged I. El-Sharaawi. 2018 5th International Conference on Renewable Energy: Generation and Applications (ICREGA), 2018. doi: 10.1109/ICREGA.2018.8337622

Last update: 2024-12-13 01:08:30

  1. Performance Simulation of a Solar Powered Vapor Absorption Cooling System

    Syed A. M. Said, Hamza K. Mukhtar, M. El Shaarawi, Umro M. Qutub. International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration, 28 (03), 2020. doi: 10.1142/S2010132520500261
  2. Techno-economic optimization of solar thermal integrated membrane distillation for cogeneration of heat and pure water

    Nutakki Tirumala Uday Kumar, Andrew Martin. Desalination and Water Treatment, 98 , 2017. doi: 10.5004/dwt.2017.21615
  3. Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Absorption Cooling for Commercial Buildings in India

    Muthalagappan Narayanan. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 6 (3), 2017. doi: 10.14710/ijred.2017.12834
  4. Dynamic performance of solar powered vapor absorption cooling system in dhahran - Saudi Arabia

    Mukhtar H.. 5th International Conference on Renewable Energy: Generation and Application, ICREGA 2018, 127 , 2018. doi: 10.1109/ICREGA.2018.8337622