Solar Power Maximiser

Transcription

1 Solar Power Maximiser Renewable Energy Transfer and Storage Systems A 2Kw Solar PV plus Solar Heat Transfer reduces both your combined Gas and Electricity Bills by up to 67% by reducing your Home Heating and Cooling Bills by up to 86% Compare a 3Kw Solar PV Reducing your Combined Bills by only 22% Create a Warmer, Drier, Healthier Home with Solar HT Upgrade your Existing Evaporative Cooling Unit with a 2 Kw Solar PV plus Maximiser and Triple your Saving while Halving your Payback Period compared to a 3 Kw Solar PV System Upgrade your Existing Refrigerated System with a 2 Kw Solar PV plus Maximiser and Double your Saving while reducing your Payback by 1 Year compared to a 5 Kw Solar PV System Page 1

2 Murdoch University Environmental Technology Centre Performance Tes ng of a Domes c Heat Transfer Unit - January 2003 Comparative Testing of Two Homes Murdoch University ETC carried out comparative heating performance tests between two almost identical homes in Perth. One with a Solar HT heating system and the other with a Gas Space Heater. The aim of the tests were to verify the thermal performance of Solar HT system. The tests were carried out over a 8 week period from 1 st September to 26 th October Solar HT heats the Thermal Mass of the home during the day and the heat is re radiated during the night. Solar HT Maintains overnight Warmth Solar HT Test Home and Control Home (Comparative Home)Temperatures. Conducted October 2002 Temperature degrees C Solar HT House Control House 0.0 Solar HT Test Home and Control Home (Comparative Home) Temperatures. Conducted September 2002 Temperature degrees C Living room temperature Living room outlet temperature Heavy heater use in Control House Time Fig 1 Solar HT House Control House Solar HT House An interesting point shown in the graph above is that the temperature in the Control Home falls very quickly to within a degree or two of what it was before the heater was turned on. Note that on the evening of the 26 th that after the heater was turned on, the interior temperature of the room rose to24.4 deg C which compared to 21.5 deg C in the Solar HT equipped home. However, within 30 minutes of the heater being turned off, the temperature had fallen to that of the Solar HT equipped home and then within another 60 minutes had fallen about 1.5 deg C lower than the Solar HT equipped home. From this it can be inferred that the Solar HT home, having been heated for most of the day, had stored a considerable amount of heat in the Thermal Mass of the walls and floor and thus maintained a much more even and warmer temperature during the night and on into the morning." Minor heater use in Solar HT House Fig 2 The above graph demonstrates the ability of the Solar HT Home to maintain a night time temperature 3 deg C to 7 deg C above the Control Home. Note that when the Solar HT is turned off, the two temperatures take days to converge. Gas Space Heating and Humidity "On several of the site visits, the occupants of the Control Home had their Un flued Gas Heater operating and while comfortably warm inside, it was uncomfortably humid from the water vapour released by the burning of the fuel in the heater. On the other hand, the Solar HT home was both warm and not uncomfortably humid." Refer Fig 5 over. Conclusions "In places such as Perth and most parts of the South West of Western Australia and areas with similar climatic conditions such as is found in most parts of Southern and South Eastern Australia and in many parts of the world with cool (rather than very cold) winter climate conditions, the Solar HT, in combination with houses of suitable design and construction, will undoubtedly perform well. In many cases, the use of a Solar HT will almost totally alleviate the need to use conventional gas, wood and electrical heating in a house and only the infrequent and short use of these may be needed," Time Page 2

3 Improvements to the Solar HT System Murdoch University ETC Testing The two test homes in Perth were almost identical in construction and appearance. However, on close examination it was discovered that the performance of the Solar HT home was adversely affected by external factors. Heating Capacity of Test Home "The results of the analysis indicate that up to 70% of the annual heating requirements of a house located in Perth similar in design and construction to that of the Perth Test house could be provided by Solar HT". External Shading on the Roof. As with ALL Solar Heating and Solar Power appliances, external shading on the panels or, with Solar HT, the roof surface which absorbs the Solar Energy are adversely affected by shading. It was noted that the Solar HT home was shaded by a number of large trees located North and North West and close to the Solar HT home. This shading would have adversely affected the performance of the Solar HT system. Open Double Carport The Control Home had a closed in double garage while the Solar HT home has an open double carport exposing the underside of the carport and wall of the home to the cold weather. Floor Plan with Long Ridge lines, Low Pitch The test homes were designed and built in the 1990's. The L shape deign with long ridge lines and low pitch with the open carport separated from the main roof are not ideal for the capture and supply of the heat. Solar HT Installation It was noted that the anti syphoning damper device was not fitted and would have affected the performance of the system with heat escaping through the roof unit. A correctly fitted damper would eliminate the loss of available heat from inside the home. Solar HT Fan Assembly It was noted that the 4 pole single speed induction motor was of insufficient size to maximise the delivery of the available heat at all times. Ceiling Relief Grille for Return Air It was noted that the Ceiling mounted non return Relief Grille was too small to return the bulk of the air back into the roof space. Ideal Home for Solar HT The ideal home with the Multi speed Inverter Controlled Solar system including an improved Anti Syphoning Damper and Non Return Ceiling Relief Grille assembly plus: * Rectangular Floor Plan Shape * High Pitch Roof with a Single Short Ridge * Roof Surface Dark in Colour * No Shading during Autumn, Winter and Spring * Double Garage situated under the Main Roof * Alfresco Area under the Main Roof could reduce your Heating Bills by around 90%. Home Inspection Most homes that are suitable for a Solar HT installation can expect reductions in Heating Costs from 70% to 90%depending on the Shape of the home and features. A simple home inspection from an industry representative will confirm an approximate reduction. Homes built to BCA Building Code Homes built over the past 20 years have been subject to the BCA Building Code which is designed to reduce Heating and Cooling Costs of the home. Some feature include Passive Heating where the Winter sun passes through windows to produce solar heating to the immediate area. These areas face North. Unfortunately, the southern side of the home remains cold. Solar HT utilises the Total Area of the roof to produce large amounts of heat to heat the entire home. Page 3

4 How Much Solar HT Savings are Possible Our Mediterranean Climate Perth and the South West of Western Australia enjoy Mediterranean conditions of cool, rather than very cold, Winter conditions. Ambient temperatures during the day hover at around 18 deg C by day and 8 deg C overnight. The average number of sunshine hours range from 9 hours to 1.5 Hours with the average being 5 to 6.3 Hours (June to August). On around 8 days in Winter the sun shines less than 1.5 hours due to total cloud cover. However, on these days the following overnight temperature increases to 11 deg C. Solar HC still performs on overcast days with Radiant heat similar to sitting in a warm vehicle on a cold cloudy day. Your Homes Shape, Construction and Roof Colour will determine Your Solar HT Savings Refer to pages 8 and 9 over to determine the amount of anticipated Savings you can expect from your Solar HC system. Fig 3 below shows a typical Sunny Winters Day with the roof space temperature reaching around 30 deg C on days when the ambient temperature reaches around 18 deg C. Your living space temperature will reach around 19 to 22 deg C. Fig 3 Winter Weather Conditions June - July - August During Winter the number of daylight hours and the intensity of the sun reduces the effectiveness of the Solar HT system especially where the desirable design, roof colour and other surface area features are less than optimal. On most days in Winter the Solar HT system switches on and provides heat to your home. The amount of heating will vary from around35% to 80% depending on your home features. Fig 4 below is the calculated portion of Space Heating Requirements provided by Solar HT for the Perth Test Home. The Total heating requirements (Red) and the heat provided by the Solar HT system (Orange area overlaid over red).with improvements made to the system and more suitable homes (refer page 3 for details), efficiencies can be as high as 90%. (shown dotted on the graph below) 90% 70% Fig 4 Spring Weather Conditions September - October - November March - April - May In Perth the Residual Heat stored in the Thermal Mass of the home slowly dissipates with the onset of colder conditions during late April and early May. Even with cooler ambient temperatures of around 20 deg C during the day and 10 deg Cover night, the Residual Heat maintains comfortable temperatures for around two weeks before additional gas or Electric heat is required. Solar HC maintains the level of Residual Heat each day by replacing the overnight lost heat by the lower temperatures. Solar HC, in most applications, should provide 100% of the required heat to maintain comfort conditions throughout Autumn to the "Whole Home". During September the sunlight hours increase to around 8 hours with the range from 4 hours to 11 hours. With the ambient temperatures averaging 20 deg C with overnight averaging 9 deg C in September, the Solar HT system will deliver around 100% of the required heating through the"whole Home "during Spring. The Murdoch University ETC report concluded that the Test Home would deliver 100% of required heat in Autumn and Spring and around 28% in Winter Totalling around 70% of the required heat. With improvements discussed in page 3, the Solar HT could deliver around 70% to 90% of your heating requirements depending on the thermal performance of your home. Page 4

5 Acceptable Ranges of Effective Temperature and humidity for Human Comfort He e ac Sp as G Relative Humidity at er th September 2002 Source: Air Conditioning Design Manual, ASHRAE, 1993 er eat H tric c Ele Solar HT Control Home Operative Temperature Fig 5 Overlayed on this chart are the approximate evening / night temperatures experienced the two homes (ignoring supplimentary heating). It can be seen that the Green Area (Control Home) lies totally outside the area of comfort while the Orange Area (Solar HT Home) lies largely within the "Comfort Zone". Gas Space Heating produces moisture and, although heats the home, increases Humidity and continues to create conditions outside the Comfort Zone. Oil Filled Column Heaters do not add moisture and are ideal for a Boost for Solar HT heated homes. Page 5

6 Unflued Gas Space Heaters and Your Health Western Australian Health Department Update 28 July 2004 (Extracts) Heating your home can provide warmth and comfort during Winter, especially for people living in colder climates. However, unflued gas heaters release emissions directly into the room which can potentially harm your health. What is an unflued gas heater? An unflued gas heater burns gas to produce heat and has no flue or chimney to take combustion products outside. Some are portable and have a flexible hose to plug them into a gas outlet through the wall or floor socket or may be LPG heaters. Others may be fixed to the wall. What air pollutants are produced? Unflued gas heaters produce a number of pollutants as a result of combustion. Pollutants which can harm your health include nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Water vapour is also produced and can indirectly affect health by increasing the growth of moulds and dust mites.the amounts of air pollutants produced by an unflued gas heater can vary depending on. *The type of heater *Correct installation *Correct use of heater *How often it is serviced In addition, the level of air pollutants in the room will vary depending on: *The way in which the heater is used *The size of the room being heated *The effectiveness of ventilation in removing pollutants from the room. Potential health effects on air pollutants Recent research has found that unflued gas heaters increase the level of indoor air pollutants and also the incidence of respiratory symptoms amongst some building occupants. Health effects from nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide may occur immediately at the time of exposure or they may occur sometime later. Some people are more susceptible than others and may be more likely to suffer health effects. Given the high rate of childhood asthma in both Australia and New Zealand, the use of this type of heater should be minimised. Nitrogen dioxide is usually difficult to detect in a home. People with asthma are particularly susceptible to the effects of nitrogen dioxide and may experience asthma attacks more often. In addition, children may experience increased coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath and may get respiratory infections more often. Carbon monoxide is invisible and has no smell or taste, so is difficult to detect. It deprives the body of oxygen, leading to impaired thinking and reduced alertness. If the level of carbon monoxide in a room goes above the"safe levels", people with heart disease may get chest pain or angina. Smokers with heart disease are particularly at risk. Young children, unborn babies and the elderly may also be affected. Exposure to very high levels of carbon monoxide can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. This may affect anyone. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include tiredness, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, nausia, weakness or confusion. What to do if you have an unflued gas heater There are several things you can do to avoid or reduce your e exposure to pollutants from unflued gas heaters.* The room needs to be well ventilated. Keep internal doors and at least one window open to allow fresh air to enter the room. Check to ensure ceiling vents are not blocked.* Never use an unflued heater in the room where you sleep or in a caravan. *Minimise the length of time that an unflued gas heater is used. * Ensure the heater has electronic ignition. Also check that the heater has a safety system that shuts the heater off when there is not enough fresh air. * Have your unflued gas heater serviced at least once a year. Heaters that are not in good working order can release higher amounts of pollutants into your home. Alternative heating options * Flued Gas Heaters or Central Heating, which carries the pollutants outside. * An Electric Heater or Reverse Cycle air Conditioner Be very careful about using an Unflued Gas Heater especially if *anyone has a Heart Disease or Asthma *anyone is Pregnant or Elderly *you have Children Page 6

7 Unflued Gas Heaters and Indoor Air Quality Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation Air Quality Information Sheet 4 Australians spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, which make the protection of indoor air quality important. Concerns about the air pollution emissions from unflued gas heaters in homes and schools were raised in the 1980's Manufacturers of unflued gas heaters have been developing lower emission appliances for the market to improve indoor air quality. An Australian study in 2004 concluded that unflued gas heaters contribute to increasing indoor concentrations of Nitrogen Oxide, Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide. The levels of Nitrogen Oxide produced by unflued gas heaters often exceed international health guidelines for indoor air quality. In many homes, lack of adequate ventilation prevents the dispersion of air pollution emissions from unflued gas heaters. What air pollution is produced by unflued gas heaters? Unflued gas heaters emit a range of air pollutants that can reduce indoor air quality. These include: * Carbon Monoxide * Nitrogen Oxide * Volatile Organic Compounds * Air Toxins - e.g.. Formaldehyde *Unflued gas heaters also produce water vapour in the combustion process. This increases the moisture in the indoor atmosphere. The amount of air pollution produced from unflued gas heaters will depend on several factors including the type of heater, correct installation and use of heater, size of room being heated and room ventilation. What are the impacts of air pollution from "Unflued Gas Heaters"? Health: Air pollution from unflued gas heaters can contribute to numerous health problems (e.g. Asthma, Lung Disease, Cancer) particularly in vulnerable people with respiratory and cardiovascular illness, pregnant women, children and the elderly. Nitrogen Oxide can contribute to increased occurrence of asthma, and place children at risk of developing respiratory infections. Elevated levels of Carbon Monoxide can lead to dizziness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, tiredness and headaches. High Carbon Monoxide concentrations can lead to death due to the high Carbon Monoxide levels depriving the body of oxygen. Also unflued gas heaters are a source of Formaldehyde emissions, which is a Carcinogenic Air Toxin. Water Vapour produced from gas heaters can contribute to mould formation and increasing numbers of dust mites. Both mould and dust mites can aggravate allergic conditions insusceptible humans. Glossary Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless, highly toxic gas, which is readily taken up by the blood and interferes with oxygen absorption. It is one of the most common and widely distributed air pollutants. It is commonly produced by motor vehicles, industrial emissions, cigarettes and area sources. Relatively small quantities of carbon monoxide can impair bodily functions with prolonged and acute exposure can be fatal. Formaldehyde can lead to allergic conditions impacting on the skin and lungs and other health impacts including shortened life expectancy and reproductive problems. Within indoor environments, sources include gas combustion. Mould is a fungi that grows in the presents of organic material (including wood and paper) and water moisture. The most common moulds found in indoor environments are Alternaria, Cladosporium, Penecillium and Aspergillus. These moulds release spores which travel in the air and can impact on human health. High levels of mould spore indoors can aggravate respiratory conditions including asthma, lung disease and allergies in humans. Nitrogen Oxides are produced by the combustion of fossil fuels such as Motor Vehicles and Gas Appliances. Low levels of Nitrogen Oxide can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Page 7

8 Typical Application of Solar HT - Tiled Roof Generally homes with tiled rooves should be darker in colour to provide meaningful Savings with Solar HT gains It is not recommended that homes with White or Very Light Colours be fitted with Solar HT systems Your Homes Suitability and Performance Expectation Area of Home Square Metres % 18% 18% 16% 16% Roof Shape Square to Rectangular 4 42% 39% 36% 33% Roof Colour Dark to Medium 25% 23% 21% 19% 17% Extra Roof Surface Double Garage (under roof) 5% 6% 6% Alfresco (under roof) 2% 2% 3% Short Ridge 3.5Mtrs to Long Ridge Murdoch University ETC Test Home 70% Average Solar HC Home 81% Ideal Solar HC Home 95% Page 8

9 Typical Application of Solar HT - Colourbond Roof Generally homes with Colour bond rooves should be darker in colour to provide meaningful Savings with Solar HT gains White or Very Light Coloured Colour bond rooves can be fitted with Solar HT systems with lower Savings Expectations Your Homes Suitability and Performance Expectation Area of Home Square Metres % 19% 18% 18% 17% Roof Shape Square to Rectangular 4 42% 40% 38% 35% Roof Colour Dark to Medium 27% 23% 21% 18% 12% Extra Roof Surface Double Garage (under roof) 5% 6% 6% Alfresco (under roof) 2% 2% 3% Short Ridge 3.5Mtrs to Long Ridge Approximate Reduction in Fossil Fuel Use...% Average Solar HC Home Ideal Solar HC Home 8 97% Page 9

10 Evaporative Cooling plus Gas Heating Solar Power Maximiser plus 2 Kw PV Reduces Combined Gas and Electricity Bills by up to 67% by Reducing Cooling and Heating Costs by up to 86% Compare a 3 Kw system reducing Combined Energy Bills by only 22% Elect Gas $1,500 $1,900 Cooling Heating Daytime Electricity Use - 35% Home's Solar Efficiency - 90% $320 $1,500 Heatring $250 Electricity Tariff Cents Feed In Cents incl G.S.T Savings over 8 Year Warranty Period at 5% PA Increases Maximum Savings = Kw x 4.4 x 365 x Kw $910 3 Kw $1,365 4 Kw $1,820 5 Kw $2,275 Solar Power PV Year 1 8 Years Daytime Use at 35% Feed In 3 Kw 4 Kw $4,200 x 35% ($1,365 - $525) x 7.85/28.33 ($1,820 - $525) x 7.85/28.33 $525 $223 $758 $359 $884 $7,231 $8,433 22% of Combined Gas/Elect Bills Feed In $126 per Kw Solar Power PV plus 4Kw Battery Assume Extra Saving of $275 5Kw plus 6Kw Battery $1,033 $9,855 30% of Combined Gas/Elect Bills Maximiser Electricity Bill Gas Bill Evaporative $320 to $90 Heating $250 to $25 + $28 Gas Heating $1500 to $150 $230 $197 $427 $1,350 $1,777 $16,953 86% Reduction Cooling & Heating Maximiser plus 2Kw PV Daytime Use at 35% ($1,500 - $427)x 35% $375 Feed In 2 Kw ($910 - $375) x 7.85/28.33 $148 $523 $2,300 $4,989 $21,942 67% of Combined Gas/Elect Bills 3.02 Times 3Kw Saving Price Solar Power 3Kw Solar Power plus 4Kw Battery Maximiser plus 2Kw PV Year 1 $758 $1,033 $2,300 8 Year Warranty $7,230 $9,855 $21,940 Free Auto Heat/Seal Free Smoke/Seal $4,750 $12,750 $7,680 Triple your Savings - Halve your Payback Period Payback in Years Interest at 10% Page 10

11 Refrigerated Cooling & Heating Solar Power Maximiser plus 2 Kw PV Reduces Electricity Bills by up to 80% by Reducing Cooling and Heating Costs by up to 89% Compare a 5 Kw system reducing Combined Energy Bills by only 40% Elect Gas $4,200 $400 Cooling Heating Daytime Electricity Use - 35% Home's Solar Efficiency - 90% $1,830 $1,250 Daytime Electricity Use - 35% Feed In Cents incl G.S.T Savings over 8 Year Warranty Period at 5% PA Increases Maximum Savings = Kw x 4.4 x 365 x Kw $910 3 Kw $1,365 4 Kw $1,820 5 Kw $2,275 Solar Power PV Year 1 8 Years Daytime Use at 35% $4,200 x 35% $1,470 Feed In ($2,275 - $1,470) x 7.85/28.33 $223 $1,693 $16,151 40% of Elect Bills Solar Power PV plus 6Kw Battery Assume Extra Saving of $340 PA 5Kw plus 6Kw Battery $2,033 $19,395 40% of Elect Bills Maximiser Electricity Bill Refrigerated Cool $1,830 to $95-5% Refrigerated Heat $1,250 to $125-10% Solar Heating Fan Evaporative Cooling - Inverter Technology Maximiser plus 2Kw PV $95 $125 $28 $90 $338 $2,742 $26,159 89% Reduction Cooling & Heating Daytime Use at 35% ($4,200 - Maximiser $2,742)x 35% $510 Feed In 2 Kw ($910 - $510) x 7.85/28.33 $111 $621 $3,363 $32,083 80% of Elect Bills Solar Power PV 5Kw Solar Power plus 6Kw Battery Maximiser plus 2Kw PV Saving Year 1 8 Year Warranty $1,693 $16,150 $2,033 $19,395 $3,363 $32,085 Price Free Auto Heat/Seal Free Smoke/Seal $5,890 $14,890 $9,680 Payback in Years Interest at 10% Double your Savings - Reduce your Payback Period by 1 Year Page 11

12 How to Maximise your "Energy Savings" with Solar HT during Autumn, Winter and Spring Preparing your home for Maximum Performance At all times during the day and night ALL External Doors and Windows should be kept closed. The Solar HT system when operating will deliver sufficient fresh air to circulate through your home. During the Day open all internal doors including bathrooms and laundry to enable the Warm Dry circulating air to penetrate all parts of the home. The objective is to allow as much warmth to be absorbed into the Walls and Floors(thermal mass) as possible to be used in the evening to re-radiate into your occupied space. Open all East, North and West facing blinds and window coverings to maximise the Passive Solar gain. During the Evening close all internal doors to create barriers against heat losses through external walls. Close all blinds and window coverings to limit heat losses through the windows. Pelmets over windows offer maximum protection against the heat losses. Ceiling penetrations must also be sealed against heat losses. The Solar HC Ceiling Relief Grille is installed with a non return damper that closes and seals whenever the Solar HC system is not in operation. Evaporative Air Conditioning systems are sometimes installed without a non return damper in the dropper. Have your service contractor to check to confirm the system has the non return damper fitted. Dress for the occasion Health authorities recommend 18 deg C is the ideal temperature for healthy living and comfort. Some people prefer temperatures of around 20 to 22 deg C. Whichever temperature you prefer it is good practice to dress accordingly to reduce body heat losses. Sensible clothing including footwear will allow you to live comfortably at around 18 to 22 deg C and breath easily and live healthier. Maintenance To ensure maximum performance from your Solar HC we recommend that you have the two Air Filters installed at the Intake of the Solar HC system Removed, Cleaned and then Re Fitted to you system. Your Solar HT installer can arrange to carry out this service. Refer to Warranty Extensions. Manual Operation of your Solar HT system Solar HT will begin to heat your entire home when the Roof Space temperature increases to around 1.5 deg C above your living space temperature. During Autumn and Spring this condition will occur at around 9 AM in the morning. During Winter, with shorter daylight hours and lower sun intensity, the temperature differential will occur at around10.30 AM. Importantly, when the Roof Space temperature drops to with in 2 deg C of your living room temperature, you must switch the system off to avoid heat syphoning back to the roof space. During Autumn and Spring speeds 1 and 2 would be sufficient to transfer sufficient heat. During Winter higher fan settings of 3 and 4 may be required to maximise the heat transfer during a shorter period of time. Automatic Operation of your Solar HT system At the beginning of the cooler weather, switch your Solar HT system on to Standby and set your controller at around 24 deg C or your preferred temperature setting. The system will automatically start up when the minimum temperature differential is reached and then continually monitor the temperature around your set temperature. During the late afternoon when the Roof Space temperature drops to within 2 deg C of the living room temperature the system will automatically switch over to Standby until the next morning when the whole cycle starts up again. During Winter, it is recommended that the controller setting. Be increased to around 28 deg C to maximise the heat transfer into your home. It is unlikely that your living space would reach close to the controller setting, however, if conditions become too uncomfortably warm turn the controller down for a period of time and then reset for the following day. At the end of the cooler season switch the system off. 5 Years Parts & Labour Warranty with an Option to increase the Warranty to 8 Years All Solar HT systems are Warranted for 5 years for all Labour and Parts replacement. Your Solar HT installer will extend your warranty to 8 years provided you have your system serviced at least once per year from the date of install. Page 12