Comparison of the simulated performance of solar water heaters by using TMY and mean monthly data

摘要

The objective of this work is to compare the simulated performance of a solar water heater when modeled using TMY data and mean monthly values of solar radiation and air temperature. A simple system consisting of a single flat plate collector is modeled. The analysis is done with respect to the total energy falling on the collector surface area and on the useful energy collected by the system. The percentate difference between the simulation with the TMY and mean monthly values of solar radiation and air temperature is 2.5 percent and 4.3 percent for the two parameters respectively. Both values are considered very satisfactory for the system long-term performance evaluation. From the results obtained it is clear that unless a detailed in-depth analysis of the solar water heating system is required the simulation with the mean monthly values is very quick without sacrificing accuracy.