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Evaluating the Performance and Economics of Transpired Solar Collectors for Commercial Applications. Preprint.

DE2008935586

Publication Date	2008
Personal Author	Kozubal, E.; Deru, M.; Slayzak, S.; Norton, P.; Barker, G.; McClendon, J.
Page Count	17
Abstract	Using transpired solar collectors to preheat ventilation air has recently become recognized as an economic alternative for integrating renewable energy into commercial buildings in heating climates. The collectors have relatively low installed costs and operate on simple principles. Theory and performance testing have shown that solar collection efficiency can exceed 70% of incident solar. However, implementation and current absorber designs have adversely affected the efficiency and associated economics from this initial analysis. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has actively studied this technology and monitored performance at several installations. A calibrated model that uses typical meteorological weather data to determine absorber plate efficiency resulted from this work. With this model, an economic analysis across heating climates was done to show the effects of collector size, tilt, azimuth, and absorptivity. The analysis relates the internal rate of return of a system based on the cost of the installed absorber area. In general, colder and higher latitude climates return a higher rate of return because the heating season extends into months with good solar resource.
Keywords	Economic analysis Climates Commercial buildings Energy efficiency Heating Performance testing Ventilation Renewable energy Solar collectors
Source Agency	Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee
Corporate Authors	National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO.; Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Supplemental Notes	Presented at the 2008 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficency in Buildings, Pacific Grove, CA, August 17-22, 2008. Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	200906
Contract Number	DE-AC36-99-GO10337

Evaluating the Performance and Economics of Transpired Solar Collectors for Commercial Applications. Preprint.

Evaluating the Performance and Economics of Transpired Solar Collectors for Commercial Applications. Preprint.
DE2008935586

Publication Date	2008
Personal Author	Kozubal, E.; Deru, M.; Slayzak, S.; Norton, P.; Barker, G.; McClendon, J.
Page Count	17
Abstract	Using transpired solar collectors to preheat ventilation air has recently become recognized as an economic alternative for integrating renewable energy into commercial buildings in heating climates. The collectors have relatively low installed costs and operate on simple principles. Theory and performance testing have shown that solar collection efficiency can exceed 70% of incident solar. However, implementation and current absorber designs have adversely affected the efficiency and associated economics from this initial analysis. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has actively studied this technology and monitored performance at several installations. A calibrated model that uses typical meteorological weather data to determine absorber plate efficiency resulted from this work. With this model, an economic analysis across heating climates was done to show the effects of collector size, tilt, azimuth, and absorptivity. The analysis relates the internal rate of return of a system based on the cost of the installed absorber area. In general, colder and higher latitude climates return a higher rate of return because the heating season extends into months with good solar resource.
Keywords	Economic analysis Climates Commercial buildings Energy efficiency Heating Performance testing Ventilation Renewable energy Solar collectors
Source Agency	Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee
Corporate Authors	National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO.; Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Supplemental Notes	Presented at the 2008 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficency in Buildings, Pacific Grove, CA, August 17-22, 2008. Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	200906
Contract Number	DE-AC36-99-GO10337