Parametric Study and Long-term Prediction of the Production of a Solar Water Heaters Installation

Abstract

In order to increase the contribution of solar thermal energy in moderately exposed locations, it is necessary to study solar installations and optimise their design. A parametric analysis was carried out on a solar installation in a European climate, consisting of 16 water-in-glass evacuated tube collectors connected to their storage unit. The purpose of the installation is to prepare large quantities of hot water at 85°C twice a day to prepare feed for a calf rearing farm. The arrangement of half of the collectors in series and half in parallel makes this solar installation suitable for this application. The orientation and the inclination were studied for four different European cities to determine their effects on the energy supplied. The results show that location and orientation have a great impact, especially in the cities with higher solar irradiance. Having solar water heaters facing south with a 45° tilt angle allow the solar installation to maximise its production for three locations. Studying the ratio of the energy supply to the energy demand is an interesting way to show the performance of the solar installation. The developed dynamic numerical model will help design the solar energy production in challenging weather conditions where the reduction of fossil energy consumption can be optimised.