Evaluation of the Prospects of Using Solar Thermal Air-Conditioning Systems in Saudi Arabia

2014 ◽  
Vol 554 ◽  
pp. 271-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Islam Mazharul ◽  
Ruhul Amin Muhammad ◽  
Farid Nasir Ani

Saudi Arabia is endowed with abundant solar energy which is readily available from the sun. Solar energy is one of main renewable energy sources and it can be harnessed for an array of applications including heating, cooling and generation of electricity. Due to its hot climate and relatively high purchasing power capability of the general population, Saudi Arabia has a huge demand for air-conditioning (cooling) appliances. Currently these appliances are mainly powered by electricity generated by conventional sources using fossil fuels. Solar air-conditioning system is an emerging technology which relies on the sun for meeting the energy demand. One attractive feature of this system is that the high demand for space cooling by air-conditioning equipment coincides with the abundant availability of solar irradiation during the long summer months. Currently there are several types of solar air-conditioning systems, including the absorption, adsorption and desiccant systems. Each system has its merits and demerits. In this paper, the prospects of using absorption solar thermal air-conditioning systems for space cooling in Saudi Arabia are given.

2021 ◽  
pp. 251484862110249
Author(s):  
Siddharth Sareen

Increasing recognition of the irrefutable urgency to address the global climate challenge is driving mitigation efforts to decarbonise. Countries are setting targets, technological innovation is making renewable energy sources competitive and fossil fuel actors are leveraging their incumbent privilege and political reach to modulate energy transitions. As techno-economic competitiveness is rapidly reconfigured in favour of sources such as solar energy, governance puzzles dominate the research frontier. Who makes key decisions about decarbonisation based on what metrics, and how are consequent benefits and burdens allocated? This article takes its point of departure in ambitious sustainability metrics for solar rollout that Portugal embraced in the late 2010s. This southwestern European country leads on hydro and wind power, and recently emerged from austerity politics after the 2008–2015 recession. Despite Europe’s best solar irradiation, its big solar push only kicked off in late 2018. In explaining how this arose and unfolded until mid-2020 and why, the article investigates what key issues ambitious rapid decarbonisation plans must address to enhance social equity. It combines attention to accountability and legitimacy to offer an analytical framework geared at generating actionable knowledge to advance an accountable energy transition. Drawing on empirical study of the contingencies that determine the implementation of sustainability metrics, the article traces how discrete acts legitimate specific trajectories of territorialisation by solar photovoltaics through discursive, bureaucratic, technocratic and financial practices. Combining empirics and perspectives from political ecology and energy geographies, it probes the politics of just energy transitions to more low-carbon and equitable societal futures.


Solar Energy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Domenic Calderone ◽  
Mir-Akbar Hessami ◽  
Stefan Brey

Desiccant air conditioning systems provide an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional methods of conditioning a building’s internal environment. Whilst conventional air conditioning systems rely on electrical energy to drive the cooling cycle, desiccant cooling is a heat driven cycle. As such, desiccant cooling provides an opportunity to be coupled with solar thermal collectors to reduce energy demands. This paper discusses the potential for a desiccant cooling cycle utilising solar thermal energy as the sole source of heat for regeneration of the desiccant. The study demonstrates that under the assumed design conditions this system will theoretically not require a regeneration heater. Installation of such a system in a commercial building would be extremely beneficial in reducing building’s energy consumption and therefore greenhouse gas emission.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 3554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Lobaccaro ◽  
Malgorzata Maria Lisowska ◽  
Erika Saretta ◽  
Pierluigi Bonomo ◽  
Francesco Frontini

Rapid and uncontrolled urbanization is continuously increasing buildings’ energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. In this scenario, solar energy integrated into the built environment can play an important role in optimizing the use of renewable energy sources on urban surfaces. Preliminary solar analyses to map the solar accessibility and solar potential of building surfaces (roofs and façades) should become a common practice among urban planners, architects, and public authorities. This paper presents an approach to support urban actors to assess solar energy potential at the neighborhood scale and to address the use of solar energy by considering overshadowing effects and solar inter-building reflections in accordance with urban morphology and building characteristics. The approach starts with urban analysis and solar irradiation analysis to elaborate solar mapping of façades and roofs. Data processing allows assessment of the solar potential of the whole case study neighborhood of Sluppen in Trondheim (Norway) by localizing the most radiated parts of buildings’ surfaces. Reduction factors defined by a new method are used to estimate the final solar potential considering shadowing caused by the presence of buildings’ architectural elements (e.g., glazed surfaces, balconies, external staircases, projections) and self-shading. Finally, rough estimation of solar energy generation is assessed by providing preliminary recommendations for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems suited to local conditions. Results show that depending on urban morphology and buildings’ shapes, PV systems can cover more than 40% of the total buildings’ energy needs in Trondheim.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Irvan ◽  
Dewi Sri Jayanti ◽  
Raida Agustina

Abstrak.  Pengering hybrid merupakan pengering yang menggunakan dua atau lebih sumber energi untuk proses penguapan air. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah memodifikasi alat pengering surya sederhana menjadi alat pengering hybrid dengan tambahan energi panas dari pembakaran tempurung kelapa untuk melakukan uji pengeringan pada kacang hijau. Distribusi suhu rata-rata pada alat pengering hybrid pengeringan kacang hijau menggunakan energi panas matahari, kombinasi dan biomassa masing-masing adalah 49oC,50oC dan 35oC dengan iradiasi matahari masing-masing menggunakan energi panas matahari dan kombinasi adalah 360,47W/m2 dan 362,79W/m2. Kelembaban relatif pada alat pengering hybrid saat pengeringan kacang hijau menggunakan energi panas matahari, kombinasi dan biomassa masing-masing adalah 44,69%, 45,69% dan 57,75%. Kecepatan udara pada alat pengering hybrid saat pengeringan kacang hijau menggunakan energi panas matahari, kombinasi dan biomassa masing-masing adalah 0,11 m/s , 0,1 m/s dan 0,08 m/s. Pengeringan kacang hijau menggunakan sumber panas dari energi matahari, sumber panas kombinasi energi matahari dengan pembakaran biomassa dan menggunakan energi pembakaran biomassa menghasilkan kadar air akhir biji kacang hijau masing-masing sebesar 8,42%, 8,27% dan 10,75%. Besarnya energi biomassa yang dihasilkan saat pengering selama 10 jam adalah 272,142 MJ. Besarnya energi matahari saat pengeringan kacang hijau menggunakan sumber energi matahari dan sumber panas kombinasi energi matahari dengan pembakaran biomassa adalah 3,22 MJ dan 3,14 MJ.Testing of Simple and Modified Solar Dryers Become a Hybrid Dryer ToolAbstract. A hybrid dryer is a dryer that uses two or more sources of energy for the evaporation process of water. The purpose of this study is to modify the simple solar drying tool into a hybrid drying tool with additional heat energy from coconut shell combustion to test drying on green beans. The average temperature distribution of green peanut drying dryers using solar thermal energy, combination and biomass are respectively 49oC, 50oC and 35oC with solar irradiation each using solar thermal energy and the combination is 360,47W/m2 and                362, 79   W/m2. The relative humidity in the hybrid drier when drying green beans using solar thermal energy, combination and biomass are 44.69%, 45.69% and 57.75%, respectively. The air velocity in the hybrid drier when drying green beans using solar thermal energy, combination and biomass are 0.11 m/s, 0.1 m/s and       0.08 m/s respectively. Drying of green beans using a source of heat from solar energy, a combination of solar energy sources with biomass combustion and using biomass combustion energy to produce the final content of green beans seeds by 8.42%, 8.27% and 10.75% respectively. The amount of biomass energy produced during drying for 10 hours is 272,142 MJ. The amount of solar energy during drying of green beans using solar energy sources and the combined heat source of solar energy with biomass burning is 3.22 MJ and 3.14 MJ.


2014 ◽  
Vol 672-674 ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Xiang Jin ◽  
Xiao Feng Xu

As coal, oil, natural gas and other non-renewable energy consumption and increasing energy demand, the utilization of solar energy as a new energy is greatly enhanced. In this work, a grid connected photovoltaic solar air conditioning system is designed, mainly comprised of solar panel, controller, inverter, room air conditioner and other parts. Air conditioning systems rely mainly on solar photovoltaic power; achieve the effect of energy conservation and environmental protection. The experimental result indicates that the system can achieve stable operation and the utilization of solar energy driving air conditioning system to save electricity. This air conditioning system is compared with the ordinary air conditioning system, SEER can increase 10.6 ~ 29.4%, HSPF can increase 6.25 ~ 18.5%.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1785
Author(s):  
Ranjan Pratap Singh ◽  
Ranadip K. Das

A rotary desiccant-based air-conditioning system is a heat-driven hybrid system which combines different technologies such as desiccant dehumidification, evaporative cooling, refrigeration, and regeneration. This system has an opportunity to utilize low-grade thermal energy obtained from the sun or other sources. In this paper, the basic principles and recent research developments related to rotary desiccant-based cooling systems are recalled and their applications and importance are summarized. It is shown that with novel system configurations and new desiccant materials, there is great potential for improving the performance and consistency of rotary desiccant systems; at the same time, the use of solar energy for regeneration purposes can minimize the operating cost to a great extent. Some examples are presented to demonstrate how rotary desiccant air conditioning can be a promising solution for replacing traditional vapor-compression air-conditioning systems. Recent advances and ongoing research related to solar-powered hybrid rotary desiccant cooling systems are also summarized. The hybrid systems make use of a vapor-compression system in order to have better operational flexibility. These systems, although they consume electrical energy, use solar energy as the principal source of energy, and hence, significant savings of premium energy can be obtained compared to conventional vapor-compression systems. However, further research and development are required in order to realize the sustainable operation of solar rotary desiccant air-conditioning systems, as solar energy is not steady. Reductions in capital cost and size, along with improvements in efficiency and reliability of the system is still needed for it to become a player in the market of air conditioning.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-48
Author(s):  
Ye-Obong Udoakah ◽  
Egwuchukwu Chukwu

Energy is pivotal to the human and capital development of any nation; hence, the ever growing quest to discover reliable and sustainable energy sources. Researches on renewable energy sources ranging from wind, tidal, hydro power and solar energy is on-going; all geared towards providing better electrical energy source. Solar energy, however, holds a very promising future as far as sustainable energy solution is concerned. It is silent, green, with zero negative impact to the globe and no pollution. Unlike the conventional energy sources from fossil fuel, it reduces greatly the impact of global warming and remains endless. The developed solar tracker has two automatic tracking axis for both the zenith daily and the azimuth annually as well as displaying in real-time solar irradiation and tilt angles on the mounted LCD. The self-controlled tracking is achieved by using a MEGA2560 microcontroller board, programmed to read analog values from an array of LDRs, convert them to digital values, compare them and drive the stepper motors in the desired direction until equal light is sensed by alternate LDRs. At this point, the panel is aligned perpendicular to the sun rays to capture the maximum possible energy. A working prototype is successfully designed and constructed. The testing revealed very precise tracking made possible by using micro-stepping modes of the stepper motors. This also gave a very high tracking accuracy of about ±0.0560.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 398-411
Author(s):  
Dicky Andrea Sembiring ◽  
Ahmad Mansuri ◽  
Ferry Rahmat Astianta Bukit ◽  
Malinda Sari Sembiring

The need for energy use, especially electrical energy continues to increase from year to year. One of the sectors that consume the largest electrical energy is the household sector which consumes about 27% of the total energy consumption of all sectors. The main energy source in Indonesia at this time still comes from fossil energy, although the government has tried to develop various renewable energy sources for the future. Solar energy is one of the renewable energies that is quite potential for Indonesia considering the level of solar radiation in Indonesia is quite high throughout the year. The selection of subsidized housing as the object of research is due to the existence of clear regulations and the number which also continues to increase every year. Through the collection of physical data on the research location, such as analysis of shadows, roof structure, solar irradiation data, average electric power usage, the average solar energy requirement of the subsidized housing will be obtained. Furthermore, by calculating the economic value, it will be obtained how the description of the possibility of applying solar energy to subsidized housing will be obtained. If possible, the application of solar energy in subsidized housing can help government programs to use renewable energy and reduce the use of fossil energy


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