Solar Thermal Energy Systems

 How to use solar thermal energy

 Types of solar collectors
 Solar water heater
 Solar thermal power
How to Use Solar Thermal Energy
Solar Thermal Energy

Working fluid
Solar Radiation Solar Thermal Energy
Solar collector

thermal energy

working fluid
Types of Solar Collectors
Solar Thermal Energy

 
Collectors and working temperature

Low temperature

Medium
temperature

High temperature
Flat-plate collector
Solar Thermal Energy

 Use both beam and diffuse solar radiation, do not

require tracking of the sun, and are low-maintenance,
inexpensive and mechanically simple.
Flat-plate collector
Solar Thermal Energy

 Glazed collector  Unglazed collector

Flat-plate collector
Solar Thermal Energy
Flat-plate collector
Solar Thermal Energy

 Main losses of a basic flat-plate collector during

angular operation

Weiss, Werner, and Matthias Rommel. Process Heat Collectors. Vol. 33, 2008.
Evacuated tube collector
Solar Thermal Energy

 A collector consists of a row of parallel glass tubes.

 A vacuum inside every single tube extremely reduces
conduction losses and eliminates convection losses.
Evacuated tube collector
Solar Thermal Energy

 Heat pipe  Sydney tube

Collector efficiency
Solar Thermal Energy

http://polarsolar.com/blog/?p=171
Parabolic trough collector
Solar Thermal Energy

 Consist of parallel rows of

mirrors (reflectors) curved in
one dimension to focus the
sun’s rays.

 All parabolic trough plants

currently in commercial
operation rely on synthetic oil
as the fluid that transfers heat
from collector pipes to heat
exchangers.
Linear Fresnel reflector
Solar Thermal Energy

 Approximate the parabolic

trough systems but by using
long rows of flat or slightly
curved mirrors to reflect the
sun’s rays onto a downward-
facing linear, fixed receiver.
 Simple design of flexibly bent
mirrors and fixed receivers
requires lower investment costs
and facilitates direct steam
generation.
Parabolic dish reflector
Solar Thermal Energy

 Concentrate the sun’s rays at a

focal point propped above the
centre of the dish. The entire
apparatus tracks the sun, with
the dish and receiver moving
in tandem.
 Most dishes have an
independent engine/generator
(such as a Stirling machine or
a micro-turbine) at the focal
point.
Heliostat field collector
Solar Thermal Energy

 A heliostat is a device that

includes a plane mirror
which turns so as to keep
reflecting sunlight toward a
predetermined target.

 Heliostat field use hundreds

or thousands of small
reflectors to concentrate the
sun’s rays on a central
receiver placed atop a fixed
tower.
Solar Water Heater
Solar Thermal Energy

 Most popular and well developed application of solar

thermal energy so far
 Low temperature applications
(Mainly using flat plate collector or evacuate tube collector)
Solar Water Heater
Solar Thermal Energy

Direct (open loop) Indirect (close loop)

User
User

Passive

(Thermosyphon)

User User

Active

Heat
exchanger
Solar Water Heater
Solar Thermal Energy

 Installation direction
 For northern hemisphere → Facing south
 For southern hemisphere → Facing north

 Installation tilt angle

 The angle of the collector
is roughly equal to the
local latitude
 Solar Water Heater
Solar Thermal Energy

 Annual heat collection vs. direction/tilt angle (in

north hemisphere)

Annual heat collection(%)

Annual heat collection(%)

Increasing collection area

Increasing collection area

L=local latitude

Direction shifted from south (angle)

Tilt angle of the collector

Solar Water Heater
Solar Thermal Energy

 Residential hot water system

 Hot water production
 House warming

“Solar Thermal Action Plan for Europe”, ESTIF, 2007

 Large-scale system
 Dormitory hot water
 Swimming pool

 Industrial process heating

Solar Water Heater
Solar Thermal Energy

 Industrial process heating

 In EU, 2/3 of the industrial energy demand consists of heat
rather than electrical energy.
 About 50% of the industrial heat demand is located at
temperatures up to 250°C.
Solar Water Heater
Solar Thermal Energy

 Market potential of industrial process heating

Solar Thermal Power
Solar Thermal Energy

 Conversion of sunlight into electricity

 Direct means : photovoltaics (PV),
 Indirect means : concentrated solar power (CSP).

Solar thermal power

 High temperature applications

(by means of sun-tracking, concentrated solar collectors)
Solar Thermal Power
Solar Thermal Energy

 Electrical power is generated when the concentrated

light is converted to heat and, then, drives a heat
engine (usually a steam turbine) which is connected
to an electrical power generator.
Solar Thermal Power
Solar Thermal Energy

 Types of solar thermal power plant

Technology roadmap concentrating solar power, IEA, 2010.

Solar Thermal Power
Solar Thermal Energy

 Combination of storage and hybridisation in a solar

thermal plant
Solar Thermal Power
Solar Thermal Energy

PS10 and PS20 solar power tower (HFC)

(Seville, Spain). 2007 and 2009
Solar Thermal Power
Solar Thermal Energy

Kimberlina solar thermal energy plant (LFR)

(Bakersfield, CA), 2008.
Solar Thermal Power
Solar Thermal Energy

Calasparra solar power plant (LFR)

(Murcia, Spain) 2009.
Solar Thermal Power
Solar Thermal Energy

Puertollano solar power station (PTC)

(Ciudad real, Spain), 2009

Andasol solar power station (PTC)

(Granada, Spain), 2009
Solar Thermal Applications
Solar Thermal Energy
Facade integration (roof)
Conventional installation way in Taiwan
Conventional installation way in Taiwan
Roof integrated flat-plate collectors on
house in Denmark (Source: VELUX)
Facade integration (balcony)
 Contribution of solar thermal to EU heat
demand by sector
Solar Thermal Energy

Reduction of -40%

Summary, Executive, Werner Weiss, and Peter Biermayr. Potential of Solar Thermal in Europe - Executive Summary, 2009.
Restrictions in Using Solar Energy
 Geographical aspects
 Financial aspects
Geographical Aspects
Restrictions in Using Solar Energy

 Low energy density

 Solar radiation has a low energy density relative to other
common energy sources

 Unstable energy supply

 Solar Energy supply is restricted by time and
geographical location
 Easily influenced by weather condition
Financial Aspects
Restrictions in Using Solar Energy

 Higher cost compared with traditional energy

 The capital cost in utilization of solar energy is generally
higher than that of traditional ones, especially for PV.

 Solar water heater

 Most economically competitive technology by now
 The need of SWH is inversely proportional to local
insolation
Examples
Example 1
 A family with 5 members plans to install a solar water heater
which is mainly used for bath. The hot-water temperature
required for bath is 50 ℃, while the annual average
temperature of cold water is 23 ℃. Assuming that each person
needs 60 liters of hot water for taking bath a day. How much
heat should be provided by the solar water heater to satisfy the
family’s demand for bath?

(Note: water specific heat Cp is assumed to be 1 kcal/kg-℃, water density is 1 kg / l. )

Answer 1
Q  M  C p  T
Q  Heat Demand
M  Hot Water Quantity
C p  specific heat capacity of water
ΔT  temperature difference between hot and cold water

 
 50C  23C 
l kcal
Q   60  5 person  1
 person  day  kg  C
 
 50C  23C 
kg kcal
  60  5 person  1
 person  day  kg  C
kcal
 8100
day
Example 2
 A solar water heater is equipped with an ​effective collect area
of 1m2, and the daily cumulative insolation onto the collector
is 4 kWh/m2-day in February.
If the average efficiency of the solar water heater is 0.5, how
many kilo-calories (kcal) of heat can be collected by this solar
water heater during a day?

(Note: 1cal = 4.186J = 4.186 W × s).

Answer 2
Qc  H  A 
Qc  Heat provided from collector
H  Daily accu mulative insolation
A  Effective collector area
η  Efficiency of solar water heater

kWh
Qc  4  1 m 2
 0.5
m  day
2

kJ 1
 3600 s kcal
kWh kJ
2 2 s  7200  7200 4.186
day day day day
kcal
 1720
day
Example 3
 The minimum heat demand is 8100 kcal/day, and there is a
certain solar panel which can offer a heat supply of 1720
kcal/m2 in a day. With the absence of auxiliary heating device,
calculate the required installation area of the solar panel.
 If the effective arer of this solar panel is 0.8 m2 /piece, how
many pieces of solar panel should be installed to collect this
heat demand?
Answer 3
Q  Demand Heat
Q
A Qc  Heat provided from collector per m 2
Qc A  Effective collector area

8100 kcal
day
A  4.764m 2
1720 kcal
m 2  day

4.764m 2
2
 5.955  6 pieces
0.8m
Example 4
 From meteorological data, the average daily accumulative
insolation in Tainan is 420 ly/day (i.e., langley / day).
For a solar collector that faces south with a area of 2 m2 and
tilt angle of 0 degree, what is the daily accumulative insolation
onto the collector surface? (in kWh and kcal, respectively)
(Note: ly = Langley = cal/cm2).
 Answer 4

ly cal
420  2 m2  420 2  2 m2
day cm  day

1
kcal kcal
(1)  420 1000
 2 m2  4200
1
10000m  day
2
day

4.186W  s 1000 kW  3600 hr

4.186 1
kWh
(2)  420 1 2  2 m  420 1 2
2
 2 m2  9.767
10000 m  day 10000 m  day day