PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A SOLAR SYSTEM CONSISTING OF A BUILDING INTEGRATED SOLAR THERMAL ROOF COLLECTOR AND A PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL THERMAL STORAGE

摘要

This study investigates the feasibility of using low-cost solar collection and storage technology to provide the needed heating and hot water requirements for multi-family housing units. Different construction strategies were compared including traditional housing practice against newly innovative ideas such as the use of low radiant heating system, desiccant dehumidification, integrated low-cost solar collection, and phase-change material storage. The selected building integrated solar thermal (BIST) roof collection system consists of a low temperature flat plate collector integrated within a concrete building envelope linked to a phase change material (PCM) storage tank. This paper first describes the process of material and equipment selections. Then, it describes the performance evaluation techniques that were used to determine the benefits of the new collection system. In general, the proposed collection and storage solar system can supply a minimum of 88% of the building's space heating and hot water needs throughout the year, reducing the need for non-renewable energy.