SOLAR2014: ANALYSIS OF SOLAR AIR COLLECTORS DRIVING A SMALL ABSORPTION CHILLER

摘要

Multiple solar thermal systems at The Renewable Energy Deployment and Display Facility (REDD) at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) are used to drive the HVAC system of the facility. The data collected from these systems is used as inputs to run energy simulations in TRNSYS for a better understand of how to optimize solar thermal systems. During the summer months, the air collectors have demonstrated air temperatures in excess of the requirements to operate an absorption chiller and provide solar cooling. Results from the simulations allow the comparison of particular solar air collector systems, and their effectiveness in driving a single-effect absorption chiller for space conditioning of a small residence in Reno, Nevada. In this study, a site-built solar air collector is compared to a commercially available solar air collector system. An analysis is implemented to compare the technical performance, economics, and environmental impacts of the two systems based on empirical data and energy simulations.