scholarly journals A Novel Dynamic Approach to Cost-Optimal Energy Performance Calculations of a Solar Hot Water System in an nZEB Multi-Apartment Building

Energies ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 509
Author(s):  
Filip Patrčević ◽  
Damir Dović ◽  
Ivan Horvat ◽  
Petar Filipović

This paper presents the methodology for conducting a cost-optimal energy performance calculation of a solar hot water system, used for space heating and domestic hot water needs. The calculation is based on dynamic hourly methods, according to the new Energy Performance of Buildings’ (EPB) set of standards EN 15316:2017, and a revision of the standard EN 15316-5:2017 from the year 2021, dealing with storage-tank water temperature calculations. The paper provides proposals for modifications to these newly introduced standards, in order to overcome the observed ambiguities and shortcomings. The calculation of annual energy performance of a building was performed on an hourly basis over a year for the reference of an nZEB multi-apartment building, for a climate area of the city of Zagreb, taking into account water temperature change in the layers of the storage tank connected to solar collectors and hot water boilers. The cost-optimal solution was then determined by varying individual parameters of the building technical system. The influence of these parameters on the energy efficiency of the building was analyzed in detail. Furthermore, the results were compared against those obtained by the Croatian calculation algorithm based on the previous set of EPB standards, EN 15316:2008, currently used EU-wide for the energy performance certification of buildings. The results indicated that the calculation methods of the present algorithm underestimated the consumption of building primary energy by 12%. The energy delivered by solar collectors was underestimated by 18%.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 4741
Author(s):  
María Gasque ◽  
Federico Ibáñez ◽  
Pablo González-Altozano

This paper demonstrates that it is possible to characterize the water temperature profile and its temporal trend in a hot water storage tank during the thermal charge process, using a minimum number of thermocouples (TC), with minor differences compared to experimental data. Four experimental tests (two types of inlet and two water flow rates) were conducted in a 950 L capacity tank. For each experimental test (with 12 TC), four models were developed using a decreasing number of TC (7, 4, 3 and 2, respectively). The results of the estimation of water temperature obtained with each of the four models were compared with those of a fifth model performed with 12 TC. All models were tested for constant inlet temperature. Very acceptable results were achieved (RMSE between 0.2065 °C and 0.8706 °C in models with 3 TC). The models were also useful to estimate the water temperature profile and the evolution of thermocline thickness even with only 3 TC (RMSE between 0.00247 °C and 0.00292 °C). A comparison with a CFD model was carried out to complete the study with very small differences between both approaches when applied to the estimation of the instantaneous temperature profile. The proposed methodology has proven to be very effective in estimating several of the temperature-based indices commonly employed to evaluate thermal stratification in water storage tanks, with only two or three experimental temperature data measurements. It can also be used as a complementary tool to other techniques such as the validation of numerical simulations or in cases where only a few experimental temperature values are available.


A completed study of a solar hot water heating system installed in a school showed an annual average efficiency of 15%, the low efficiency largely caused by the unfavourable pattern of use in schools. Field studies, in 80 existing and 12 new houses, of a simple domestic hot water system have been initiated to ascertain the influence of the occupants on the actual performance of solar collector systems. The development of testing methods of solar collectors and solar water heating systems is being undertaken in close collaboration with the B.S.I. and the E.E.C. Solar space heating is being investigated in two experimental low energy house laboratories, one using conventional solar collectors with interseasonal heat storage and the other a heat pump with an air solar collector. Studies of the cost-effectiveness of solar collector applications to buildings in the U.K. show that they are far less cost-effective than other means of conserving energy in buildings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 12005
Author(s):  
Anti Hamburg ◽  
Targo Kalamees

The majority of old apartment buildings were designed with an unheated basement. Building service systems such as district heating heat exchangers and pipes for domestic hot water and for space heating are usually located in this unheated basement. In addition, these locations are connected with shafts. All these pipe’s heat losses increase air temperature in the basement. If these losses are included into the building energy balance, then they decrease heat loss through the basement ceiling. The basement’s heat balance is also dependent on heat loss from the basement envelope and outdoor air exchange in the basement. In early stages of design, designers and energy auditors need rough models to make decisions in limited information conditions. Once the effects of heat losses from pipes become apparent, they need to be factored into the buildings energy balance, and their effects on heat loss through the basement ceiling needs to be calculated. In this paper we analyse the effect these heat losses have on the service system’s heat gains and heat loss through an uninsulated basement ceiling at different basement insulation levels and with different thicknesses of pipe insulation. From our study we found that pipe losses in the basement increase the building energy performance value by at least 4 kWh/(m²∙a) and their impact on a renovated apartment building is very important.


1996 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 811-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Outi M. Zacheus ◽  
Pertti J. Martikainen

The decontamination of Legionella pneumophila and other heterotrophic microbes by heat flushing in four legionellae-positive hot water systems was studied. Before the decontamination procedure, the concentration of legionellae varied from 3.0 × 10−3 to 3.5 × 10−5 cfu/L and the hot water temperature from 43.6 to 51.5 °C. During the contamination the temperature was raised to 60–70 °C. All taps and showers were cleaned from sediments and flushed with hot water twice a day for several minutes. The decontamination lasted for 2–4 weeks. In a few weeks the heat-flushing method reduced the concentration of legionellae below the detection limit (50 cfu/L) in the hot circulating water system just before and after the heat exchanger. The high hot water temperature also decreased the viable counts of heterotrophic bacteria, fungi, and total microbial cells determined by the epifluorescent microscopy. However, the eradication of legionellae failed in a water system where the water temperature remained below 60 °C in some parts of the system. After the decontamination, the temperature of hot water was lowered to 55 °C. Thereafter, all the studied hot water systems were recolonized by legionellae within a few months, showing that the decontamination by heat flushing was temporary. Also, the contamination of other bacteria increased in a few months to the level before decontamination.Key words: legionellae, hot water system, decontamination, water temperature, heterotrophic bacteria.


Author(s):  
Ru Yang ◽  
Geng-Yi Lin

A large solar hot water system can be utilized to provide driving energy for heating system, heat-driven cooling system, as well as to provide hot water. This research addresses the effects of the storage tank design parameters on the performance of a large-scale solar hot water system with a horizontal storage tank. Most literatures only considered the stratification performance of the thermal storage tank itself instead of considering the overall system performance. Also, there is lack of experimental research data available for the design purpose. Therefore, this study employs a numerical simulation technique to study the design parameters effect of a horizontal thermal storage tank on the performance of a large-scale solar hot water system. In this study, the ANSYS-CFX program is employed to calculate the flow and temperature distributions inside horizontal thermal storage tank. Then the inlets and outlets of the tank are combined with the TRNSYS program to simulate the entire system performance under the weather of three representative cities of Taiwan, (Taipei, Taichung and, Kaohsiung). The results of the present study indicate that the vertical stratification baffles in the tank have important effects on system performance improvement. Quantitative increase of solar fraction of the total load is obtained. The comparison with the system with vertical storage tank is provided. The results of the present study can provide important reference for the large solar hot water system design in improving system efficiency.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1020 ◽  
pp. 518-523
Author(s):  
Martin Kovac ◽  
Katarina Knizova

The subject of the paper is to calculate the energy performance of building in proposed variants. The differences in the variants are in the using of conventional and renewable sources for heating and domestic hot water system. Target of the second part of paper is to know, how much money we need to invest into the proposed variants for heating and domestic hot water systems and how much money will by the user paying for operating costs. The conclusion of the paper describes the payback periods of proposed variants.


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