Planning and Installing Solar Thermal Systems: A Guide for Installers, Architects and Engineers, Second Edition

Contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 12
1.1.2 Astronomical and meteorological bases......Page 14
1.1.3 Influence of orientation and tilt angle......Page 21
1.1.4 Collection of dust, and need for cleaning......Page 23
1.2 The finiteness of energy resources......Page 24
1.3 Climate change and its consequences......Page 26
1.4 Good arguments for solar systems......Page 29
2.1 How does a solar thermal system work?......Page 30
2.2 Collectors......Page 31
2.2.2 Glazed flat-plate collectors......Page 34
2.2.3 Vacuum collectors......Page 43
2.2.4 Collector accessories......Page 47
2.2.6 Stagnation temperature......Page 48
2.3.1 Storage materials......Page 49
2.3.2 Domestic hot water stores......Page 50
2.3.4 Combination stores......Page 53
2.3.7 Legionella contamination......Page 59
2.4.1 Pipelines......Page 60
2.4.2 Solar liquid......Page 61
2.4.3 Solar pumps......Page 63
2.4.4 Solar heat exchanger (heat transfer unit)......Page 64
2.4.6 Rapid air bleeders......Page 65
2.4.8 Safety devices in the solar circuit......Page 67
2.5 Controller......Page 68
2.5.2 Function and yield control, error signals......Page 72
2.5.3 Temperature sensors......Page 75
2.5.4 Overheating protection......Page 78
3.1 Introduction......Page 80
3.2.1 Charging by means of solar energy......Page 81
3.2.2 Charging by means of auxiliary heating......Page 82
3.3.1 Standard system......Page 83
3.3.4 Water heating over external heat exchanger......Page 84
3.4 Systems for heating domestic water and space heating......Page 85
3.4.4 Twin store system......Page 86
3.5.1 Important features for preparing the quotation......Page 87
3.5.2 The dimensioning of systems for domestic water heating......Page 90
3.5.3 Dimensioning of systems for heating domestic water and heating support (central European conditions)......Page 102
3.6.1 Prices and performance......Page 103
3.6.2 Normalized solar heat costs......Page 107
4.1.2 Types of roof......Page 110
4.1.3 The components of the roof......Page 111
4.1.7 Materials......Page 116
4.2.1 UK safety regulations (see also Appendix B)......Page 120
4.2.2 UK personal access and working at heights......Page 121
4.2.3 Working equipment......Page 122
4.2.5 Installation techniques......Page 123
4.3.2 Setting up the site, preparatory work......Page 124
4.3.3 Collector installation......Page 125
4.3.4 Installation of the solar circuit......Page 139
4.3.5 Store installation......Page 141
4.3.6 Installation of fittings......Page 146
4.4.1 Flushing out the solar circuit......Page 149
4.4.3 Filling with solar liquid......Page 150
4.4.5 Maintenance......Page 151
4.4.6 Assembly errors......Page 152
4.5.2 Australia......Page 159
4.5.3 Canada......Page 160
5.1.2 Initial data required for planning the solar system......Page 162
5.1.3 System planning and design......Page 163
5.2.1 Systems with domestic water store(s)......Page 166
5.2.2 Systems with thermal buffer stores......Page 167
5.3 Control of the systems......Page 169
5.3.1 Collector circuit/storage charging circuit......Page 170
5.3.2 Buffer tank circuit discharging......Page 174
5.4.1 Design types......Page 175
5.4.2 Collector circuit heat exchangers......Page 177
5.4.3 Buffer tank discharge circuit heat exchangers......Page 178
5.5.1 Collector field......Page 181
5.5.2 Collector circuit......Page 182
5.5.3 Buffer store circuit......Page 183
5.5.5 Fittings on the domestic water line......Page 184
5.6.1 Annuity method......Page 185
5.6.2 Types of costs for solar energy systems......Page 186
5.7 Solar contracting......Page 187
5.8 Solar district heating......Page 190
5.8.2 Solar systems with long-term heat storage......Page 191
5.8.4 Components of solar district heating systems......Page 192
5.8.5 Practical experience......Page 194
6.1 Concentration of solar radiation......Page 196
6.2 Concentrating systems providing process heat......Page 197
6.3.1 Parabolic trough plants......Page 202
6.3.2 Solar tower plants......Page 206
6.3.3 Dish/Stirling systems......Page 208
6.3.4 Economics and outlook......Page 209
7.2.1 Absorbers......Page 210
7.2.2 Piping and header pipes......Page 214
7.2.4 Pumps, heat exchangers and other components......Page 215
7.2.5 Controllers......Page 217
7.3.1 Solar private open-air pool heating......Page 219
7.3.2 Solar heating of public open-air swimming pools......Page 221
7.3.3 Combined solar domestic water heating, open-air pool heating and room heating support......Page 223
7.4.2 Approximation formulae for establishing absorber surface area, volumetric flow and pressure loss......Page 224
7.5.1 Absorbers......Page 227
7.5.2 Pipeline installation......Page 230
7.7 Costs and yields......Page 232
7.8.2 Solar heating of a municipal open-air pool complex......Page 233
8.1 Introduction......Page 236
8.2.1 Collector types......Page 237
8.2.2 Fans, blowers......Page 242
8.2.4 Heat exchanger and heat recovery units (air/water), recovery solar-box......Page 243
8.2.5 Control......Page 245
8.3.2 Further terms of ventilation technology......Page 247
8.3.3 Air collector systems in housing construction......Page 248
8.3.4 Solar drying......Page 252
8.3.5 Factories, halls and office buildings......Page 253
8.4.1 Fundamental considerations......Page 255
8.4.2 Calculation of the outside airflow rate, necessary collector surface and interconnecton of the collectors......Page 256
8.4.4 Dimensioning of an air-to-water heat exchanger......Page 257
8.4.5 Computer-assisted system sizing......Page 258
8.5.1 Collector installation......Page 259
8.6 Costs and yields......Page 261
8.7.1 Domestic building, Potsdam, Germany......Page 262
8.7.2 Solarwall on General Motors building in Ontario......Page 263
9.1 Introduction......Page 266
9.2.2 Absorption cooling......Page 268
9.2.3 Adsorption cooling......Page 269
9.2.4 Desiccant cooling system......Page 270
9.3 Integrated planning of solar cooling/air-conditioning systems......Page 272
9.4.1 Autonomous solar-powered systems versus solar-assisted systems......Page 275
9.4.2 Which collector technology for which cooling technology?......Page 276
9.4.3 Circuit variants......Page 277
9.5 System design......Page 281
9.5.1 General procedure when designing systems......Page 282
9.5.3 System design according to the peak load......Page 283
9.5.5 System design according to primary energy saving......Page 284
9.6 More information......Page 286
10.1.1 Utilization and possibilities of simulation programs......Page 288
10.1.2 Market overview, organization and selection of simulation programs......Page 289
10.1.3 Brief description of simulation programs......Page 290
10.1.5 Supplementary programs and data sources......Page 302
10.1.6 Tools and utility programs......Page 305
10.3.3 Internet-based simulation......Page 307
11.1.2 The iceberg principle......Page 308
11.2.1 In the beginning is the benefit......Page 309
11.2.2 The four pillars of the marketing concept......Page 310
11.2.3 The range of marketing options......Page 314
11.2.4 To the goal in six steps......Page 324
11.3.1 Publications......Page 328
11.3.3 Campaigns and market activities......Page 329
11.4.1 What does ‘successful selling’ mean?......Page 330
11.4.2 Build a bridge......Page 331
11.4.3 Establish need......Page 333
11.4.4 Offer a solution......Page 334
11.4.5 Achieve a result......Page 335
11.5.1 General information on financial support......Page 337
11.5.2 Sources of information in the UK......Page 338
11.5.3 Sources of information in the USA......Page 339
11.5.4 Sources of information in Canada......Page 340
11.5.5 EU sources......Page 341
Appendix A: Glossary......Page 342
B.4 Roof standards......Page 348
B.5 Working on site, height and lifting regulations......Page 349
C.5 Efficiency......Page 350
C.10 Surfaces and lengths......Page 351
C.13 Constants......Page 352
References and further information......Page 354
Index......Page 356