An experimental investigation into the performance of a domestic forced circulation solar water heater under varying operating conditions

Building America (BA) partner McStain Neighborhoods built the Discovery House in Loveland, CO, with an extensive package of energy-efficient features, including a high-performance envelope, efficient mechanical systems, a solar water heater integrated with the space-heating system, a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV), and ENERGY STAR appliances. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Building Science Consortium conducted short-term field-testing and building energy simulations to evaluate the performance of the house. These evaluations are utilized by BA to improve future prototype designs and to identify critical research needs. The Discovery House building envelope and ducts were very tight under normal operating conditions. The HRV provided fresh air at a rate of about 35L∕s(75cfm), consistent with the recommendations of ASHRAE Standard 62.2. The solar hot water system is expected to meet the bulk of the domestic hot water (DHW) load (>83%), but only about 12% of the space-heating load. DOE-2.2 simulations predict whole-house source energy savings of 54% compared to the BA Benchmark (Hendron, R., 2005 NREL Report No. 37529, NREL, Golden, CO). The largest contributors to energy savings beyond McStain’s standard practice are the solar water heater, HRV, improved air distribution, high-efficiency boiler, and compact fluorescent lighting package.

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Thermal solar water heater with H2O-Al2O3 nano-fluid in forced convection: experimental investigation

International Journal of Ambient Energy ◽

10.1080/01430750.2015.1041653 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 85-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

A.E. Kabeel ◽

Emad M.S. El-Said ◽

Mohamed Abdulaziz

Keyword(s):

Experimental Investigation ◽

Forced Convection ◽

Solar Water Heater ◽

Water Heater ◽

Solar Water ◽

Nano Fluid

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Evaluation of a High-Performance Solar Home in Loveland, Colorado

Solar Energy ◽

10.1115/isec2005-76231 ◽

2005 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Robert Hendron ◽

Mark Eastment ◽

Ed Hancock ◽

Greg Barker ◽

Paul Reeves

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Energy Savings ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Building Envelope ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Hot Water ◽

Space Heating ◽

Solar Water Heater ◽

Water Heater ◽

Solar Water

Building America (BA) partner McStain Neighborhoods built the Discovery House in Loveland, Colorado, with an extensive package of energy-efficient features, including a high-performance envelope, efficient mechanical systems, a solar water heater integrated with the space-heating system, a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV), and ENERGY STAR™ appliances. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Building Science Consortium (BSC) conducted short-term field-testing and building energy simulations to evaluate the performance of the house. These evaluations are utilized by BA to improve future prototype designs and to identify critical research needs. The Discovery House building envelope and ducts were very tight under normal operating conditions. The HRV provided fresh air at a rate of about 75 cfm (35 l/s), consistent with the recommendations of ASHRAE Standard 62.2. The solar hot water system is expected to meet the bulk of the domestic hot water (DHW) load (>83%), but only about 12% of the space-heating load. DOE-2.2 simulations predict whole-house source energy savings of 54% compared to the BA Benchmark [1]. The largest contributors to energy savings beyond McStain’s standard practice are the solar water heater, HRV, improved air distribution, high-efficiency boiler, and compact fluorescent lighting package.

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