SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS

Solar energy is the primary light and heat resource of the Earth. It can provide eternal energy to
maintain the atmosphere temperature and germinate plants. With technological developments, solar
energy can be utilized more and more efficiently and economically.

In a solar heating and cooling system, solar energy has the potential to meet a large proportion of the
heating and cooling needs of buildings and industry. There are also numerous technologies for different
heat source temperatures and specific demands. To ensure steady and long-term solar utilization, heat
storage is also essential. In this chapter, an overview of the solar heating and cooling technologies,
including solar energy, solar heating, solar cooling, and heat storage, will be given.

Solar heating & cooling (SHC) technologies collect the thermal energy from the sun and use this heat to
provide hot water, space heating, cooling, and pool heating for residential, commercial, and industrial
applications. These technologies displace the need to use electricity or natural gas.

IMPORTANCE OF SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS

 Renewable Energy Source

Solar energy is a renewable resource, meaning it is naturally replenished and virtually
inexhaustible. By harnessing the power of the sun, we can reduce our dependence on finite
fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and
climate change.
 Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Solar heating and cooling systems produce no direct emissions of greenhouse gases
during their operation. This reduces our carbon footprint and helps combat climate change, as
buildings are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions due to traditional heating and
cooling methods.
 Energy Cost Savings
Solar heating and cooling systems can significantly lower energy bills for homeowners,
businesses, and institutions. By generating heat or cooling from sunlight, these systems reduce
the need for electricity or gas, leading to long-term cost savings and a rapid return on
investment.
SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING METHODS

1. ACTIVE HEATING

Solar systems that collect solar radiation and convert it to

heat in the form of water, air, or another fluid are known as
active solar systems. These solar systems may be utilized to
improve the efficiency of your solar system, which is one of
the key advantages of employing them. Only external energy
sources are used in active solar panels. For your
consideration, we’ve listed some of the features of active
solar systems:

The following are some of the most important characteristics of active solar systems:

 Flat-plate PV panels, which are normally linked and non-movable, make up the active solar
collectors. These panels are connected to form modules in
high-level designs.
 To collect and convert power, these collectors use liquid or
air as conductors. Hydronic collectors are active solar
systems that use liquid, whereas air collectors are active solar
systems that use air.
 Fluid conductors are more common than air conductors
because transmitting energy through a liquid is usually more
efficient. Air-based active solar systems, on the other hand,
do not freeze.

2. PASSIVE HEATING

Passive Solar Heating is most cost-effective way of warming buildings and the goal of any passive solar
heating systems is to capture and store the sun’s heat within the buildings materials and then release
the heat during periods when the sun is not shining.

The pattern, structure, and construction of your home have a

significant impact on passive solar system panels. These systems
make use of the sun’s energy for cooling and heating. Furthermore,
these passive systems do not rely on external devices to work. To
transform photo voltaic rays into sunshine, they use passive
collectors. Thermodynamic laws are used to transmit energy from
hotter to colder surfaces in these passive collectors. The overall
benefit of a passive solar system is based on the system’s overall
adjustment and the thermal volume of its walls. As a result,
investing in passive solar systems to power your small business is a
wonderful idea because they don’t require any external gadgets.

The following are some of the most important characteristics of passive solar systems:

 Passive collectors, rather than requiring PV panels, rely on

south-facing windows to transform rays into the sunlight.
 The law of thermodynamics states that heat moves from
warm to cool surfaces, such as through convection, and that
this is how passive solar collectors are designed.

The orientation of the passive solar system and the thermal mass of
its walls, which govern its ability to absorb heat, influence its
success.

A “passive” solar house provides solar cooling and heating to keep the home comfortable without the
use of any mechanical equipment such as pumps or fans. Passive solar energy relies purely on the
design, positioning and style of construction of a particular home (or other building), thus allowing it to
respond to its surrounding environment with nature doing most of the work.
 3. SOLAR COOLING

Solar Cooling is another efficient use of a renewable energy

technology. The necessity for air-conditioning for our homes in
hot areas around the world and the abundance of the sunshine
within these areas has brought about a willingness to combine
the two for the benefit of the people who live there.

The principle behind solar driven refrigeration is similar to

conventional refrigeration in that the cooling is produced
through the evaporation of some form of liquid refrigerant that
absorbs the heat and cools its surroundings. The difference here
is that solar thermal energy is used instead of electrical power as
the driving energy. This idea works well as the sun’s energy is
abundant during the summer seasons when there is high air-
conditioning demand due to the momentary increase in solar
insolation and the air temperature.

The advantage here is that compared to conventional cooling systems, huge electrical energy savings
can be made by using solar driven adsorption chillers or by off-grid homes and buildings who supply
their energy needs using a diesel generator. In these situations, cooling by utilizing solar energy would
bring about a reduction in diesel fuel consumption and CO2 emissions making it beneficial to the
environment. Also, no environmentally harmful substances are used to produce the coldness as pure
water can be used as the refrigerant.

There are two kinds of solar cooling systems: desiccant systems and absorption chiller systems. In a
desiccant system, air passes over a common desiccant or “drying material” such as silica gel to draw
moisture from the air and make the air more comfortable. The desiccant is regenerated by using solar
heat to dry it out.

Absorption chiller systems, the most common solar cooling systems, use solar water heating collectors
and a thermal-chemical sorption process to produce air-conditioning, without using electricity. The
process is nearly identical to that of a refrigerator, only no compressor is used. Instead, the absorption
cycle is driven by a heated fluid from the solar collector.

4. SOLAR COMBISYSTEM

A solar combisystem provides both solar space heating and

cooling as well as hot water from a common array of solar
thermal collectors, usually backed up by an auxiliary non-
solar heat source.

Solar combisystems are solar heating systems for combined

domestic hot water preparation and space heating. They
are similar to solar water heaters in that they use solar
energy and transport the produced heat to a storage
device. The major difference is that the installed collector
area is generally larger for combisystems, as there are two
heat loads to meet. Also, a combisystem uses at least two
energy sources to supply hot water and heating—a solar
collector and an auxiliary energy source. The auxiliary
energy source could be biomass, gas, oil or electricity.
HOW SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM WORKS?

Solar thermal technologies absorb the heat of the sun

and transfer it to useful applications, such as heating
buildings or water.

SHC systems trap the heat from the sun (solar radiation)
and transfer the heat to water or air for use as thermal
energy.

SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS KEY COMPONENTS

Solar heating and cooling systems consist of several key components that work together to harness solar
energy for heating or cooling purposes. These components may vary depending on the specific system
type and application, but here are the fundamental components typically found in such systems:

1. Solar Collectors: Solar collectors are devices designed to capture and absorb solar radiation.
There are two main types of solar collectors used in heating and cooling systems:
a. Solar Thermal Collectors: These collectors use sunlight to heat a fluid (usually a heat
transfer fluid or water) directly. There are various types of solar thermal collectors,
including flat-plate collectors, evacuated tube collectors, and concentrating collectors.
b. Photovoltaic (PV) Panels: While PV panels are primarily associated with electricity
generation, they can also be used for cooling through solar-powered air conditioning
systems. PV panels convert sunlight into electricity, which can then be used to power air
conditioning units or heat pumps.
2. Heat Transfer Fluid: In solar thermal systems, a heat transfer fluid (usually a special type of
antifreeze solution) is used to transfer heat from the collectors to the storage or distribution
system. This fluid carries the heat from the collectors to where it is needed for space heating
or hot water.
3. Heat Exchanger: A heat exchanger is a device that transfers heat from the heat transfer fluid
in the collectors to a different fluid or air used for space heating, hot water, or cooling. It
ensures that the heat captured by the collectors is efficiently transferred to the intended
application.
4. Storage Tank or Thermal Mass: To provide a continuous source of heating or cooling when
the sun is not shining, solar heating and cooling systems often include a storage tank or
thermal mass. This component stores excess thermal energy generated during sunny
periods and releases it when needed.
5. Distribution System: The distribution system carries the heated or cooled air or fluid to the
desired locations within a building. This can include radiators, underfloor heating systems,
air ducts, or pipes for hot water distribution.
6. Heat Pump (Optional): In solar cooling systems, heat pumps may be used to provide
additional cooling capacity or to maintain cooling during periods of low solar radiation. Heat
pumps can also be used in solar heating systems to increase efficiency.
7. Control System: A control system regulates the operation of various components in the solar
heating and cooling system. It ensures that the system operates efficiently and optimally
based on weather conditions and user preferences.
8. Backup Heating or Cooling System: To provide heating or cooling when solar energy is
insufficient (e.g., during cloudy days or at night), many solar heating and cooling systems
include backup heating or cooling systems. These can be traditional heating or cooling
systems powered by electricity, natural gas, or other conventional fuels.
9. Monitoring and Measurement Equipment: To track system performance and energy savings,
monitoring and measurement equipment such as temperature sensors and flow meters may
be integrated into the system. This data helps users optimize their system's efficiency.
 10. Insulation and Piping: Proper insulation and piping are essential to minimize heat loss or gain
during the transfer of heated or cooled fluids from the collectors to the storage or
distribution system.

These components work together to harness solar energy efficiently and provide heating or cooling for
residential, commercial, or industrial applications, contributing to energy efficiency and sustainability.
The specific configuration and size of these components may vary depending on the system's design and
intended use.
 REFERENCES

https://www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/solar-hot-water/solar-cooling.html

https://www.seia.org/initiatives/solar-heating-cooling#:~:text=Solar%20heating
%20%26%20cooling%20(SHC),use%20electricity%20or%20natural%20gas.

https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100301-5.00001-1https://sci-hub.se/
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100301-5.00001-1

https://ornatesolar.com/blog/difference-between-active-and-passive-solar-systemhttps://
ornatesolar.com/blog/difference-between-active-and-passive-solar-system

https://www.iea-shc.org/data/sites/1/publications/2000-12-SolarUpdate.pdf