Tag Archives: solar energy in latin america

Thermal Solar Collector

Thermal solar collector is responsible for capturing solar radiation and converting its energy into heat energy.

A body exposed to the sun receives an energy flow Er and heats up.

Simultaneously, thermal losses occur due to radiation, convection and conduction, which grow as the body temperature increases.

There comes a time when thermal losses Ep equals the gains due to the incident energy flow, reaching the so-called equilibrium temperature:

 Er = Ep

The equilibrium temperature of the collectors is usually between 100º and 150º C under normal conditions of use and for irradiation values in the order of 1,000 W / m2.

If it is possible to continuously extract a part of the heat produced Ee to take advantage of it as usable energy, the equilibrium conditions change:

Er = Ep + Ee

Ep is now smaller because a part of the energy received Er is tapped Ee.

The body has become a solar thermal collector.

If we want to increase Ee we have two options: reduce thermal losses Ep or increase energy flow Er.

First option involves collector design and construction improving in order to reduce losses.

For the second option is used the concentration technique, which by some optical system concentrates the solar flux on a smaller surface so that as the area decreases, the intensity increases.

In a solar collector the energy is extracted through a fluid called heat carrier.

Resultado de imagen de rendimiento colector solar térmico

The greater the difference between operating temperature and ambient temperature, the greater the thermal losses and thus the lower energy amount that heat transfer fluid will be able to extract.

The collectors must be operated at the lowest possible temperature, provided that temperature is sufficient for the specific use in each case.

This is because collector efficiency decreases as the operating temperature increases.

Improved insulation helps thermal losses reduce.

Reflection losses are due to transparent cover that usually exists in almost all collectors.

It will be necessary to properly orient the collectors so that they receive the greatest radiation amount possible during the period of use.

The question: which is the best collector ?

A priori has no answer.

It will depend on system location and energy demand that is intended to be met.

There are many types of solar collectors, but there are two large groups: unconcentrated collectors and concentrated collectors.

Solar thermal collectors according to their working temperature:

1) Low temperatura

1.1) Flate: protected and not protected

1.2) Vacuum tubes: direct flow, heat pipe and solar concentrator CPC)

2) High temperatura

2.1) Parabolic Cylinder

2.2) Central receiver system

2.3) Parabolic disks

2.4) Solar chimney

3) Other collectors

3.1) Rubber

3.2) Spherical

3.3) Conical

Resultado de imagen de colector solar térmico de baja temperatura

In next posts we will analyze in detail each collector type.

This content was extracted from the Solar Thermal Energy Technical-Commercial Manual and is part of Solar e-learning.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

El Salvador Solar PV

Until recently there were only off-grid PV systems and a limited number of on-grid systems for self-consumption in El Salvador; most of them in government buildings, schools and universities.

By the end of 2015 the largest PV system in operation was 99 kW.

In October of that year AES Moncagua PV plant, with an investment of US$ 4 million and 2.5 MW, was inaugurated.

Resultado de imagen de fotovoltaica aes moncagua

This solar plant located in San Miguel is directly connected to Electric Company of East (EEO) distribution network for later supply.

At present, it is under construction that will be the largest solar power generation plant in the country, with 100 MW of installed capacity.

It will be located in Rosario de La Paz, La Paz department, in an area of 150 blocks, a few kilometers from Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport.

The project, totaling US$ 151 million, will be financed by an IDB loan of US$ 57.7 million, a co-loan from the Canadian Private Sector Climate Fund of the Americas of US$ 30 million and co-loan of a French Development Agency subsidiary of US $ 30 million.

The winning company Providencia Solar S.A. de C.V., a company incorporated in El Salvador for the sole purpose of the project developing, is owned by an independent French renewable energy producer.

At the end of June 2016 the first solar module was installed and construction began.

Initial forecasts estimate that it will be injecting power in April 2017 after 11 months of construction and an additional test perform month.

Resultado de imagen de providencia solar s.a. de c.v

Solar Reserve and La Trinidad projects (also of 2014 bid) would add 28 MW.

During January 2017, another 169.9 MW of renewable energy were awarded, of which 50 MW will be from wind energy and 119.9 MW from photovoltaic generation.

There were 29 proposals (4 of wind generation and the rest of photovoltaic).

The offers were in response to a tender launched by the country for 170 MW of renewable energy (initially 100 MW of solar and 70 MW of wind).

The bidding rules leave a construction period of 3 years for wind projects and 2 years for solar.

Tomorrow 25th of January will be official notification date and contracts will be signed between January 31st and March 27th.

There were 4 solar winning proposals for this tender.

A company combining French and Salvadoran capital was awarded 50 MW at a unit price of US$ 49.55 / MWh and another 50 MW at US$ 49.56 / MWh. The solar plant, with an estimated investment of US$ 150 million, will be located in Ozatlán, Usulután.

In addition, 10 MW of solar generation were awarded to an offer at US$ 67.24 / MWh and 9.9 MW to another offer at US$ 54.98 / MWh.

Allocation to solar projects exceeded the 100 MW expected because wind energy supply offers did not reach the initially installed capacity required.

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Free Solar Tools (II)

On Internet we can find free tools for basic or low complexity solar systems dimensioning and for certain components or accessories estimation.

Sopelia research team has carried out an exhaustive search and testing from which a new corporate website section called Free Solar Tools has been created.

Selected tools were classified into 4 categories.

Today we will analyze the second one: Consumption Calculation.

In first category we have already analyzed tools to obtain data about solar resource and other variables to consider in estimating energy solar system will provide in our location.

Now we are going to analyze tools to calculate the “load”, that is, the energy demand to be satisfied.

Tools order is not random. We have prioritized the most intuitive, the most universal and those that can be used online without download.

For this second category our selection is as follows:

1) Housing heating calculation

Approximate calculation tool developed by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay.

Consider the variables surface, heating technology, materials, openings, insulation and roof.

Data that interests us to solar thermal system dimensioning is kcal / month.

Imagen relacionada

2) Advanced Energy Efficiency Calculator

Tool to make detailed calculations of house energy consumption.

It includes a general table (all devices), a groups table (device families) and a configurable table (custom).

Last one is a version in which you can modify table data and know more accurately your particular case.

Resultado de imagen de electrocalculator

3) Hot water, heating and pool conditioning demand calculation

Spreadsheet for hot water, heating and swimming pool conditioning demand estimation.

Only Spain localizations are deployed, but can be used as template and adapt to any location by manually solar resource and other starting data entering.

Inputs: location, number of occupants and occupant’s consumption, temperature of use, collector’s number.

Outputs: collector surface, inclination, accumulation volume, yields and savings, demand and coverage calculation and comparative graphs.

Resultado de imagen de demanda ACS, calefacción y piscina

4) Electrical consumption calculation

Only available for PC.

Cannot be viewed from mobile devices (Smartphone / Tablet).

Application developed by the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru to estimate electricity consumption based on each device power (W) and hours of use number.

Resultado de imagen de Ministerio de Energía y Minas de Perú

5) Energy consumption calculator

Very easy operation online free basic calculator.

Different electrical devices, their power, and their daily use regime are added.

Resultado de imagen de calculadora de consumo eléctrico

Accessing Free Solar Tools section of Sopelia’s corporate website you will find the links to have these tools and begin to configure your future solar system.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

2017: The Year In Which Argentina Made Renovable

The year 2017 in Argentina is the break point between a disastrous past and a future that can be plentiful in renewable energies field.

In RenovAr Program rounds 1 and 1.5, 2,423 MW of renewable energy projects have been awarded.

The always old-timers will say (and in some cases with reason) that many projects will not be realized.

The surprisingly low award prices and the increase in financing costs provoked by the white house tenant change make doubtful some projects profitability.

Especially the 60% that was not developed by Chinese origin promoters. The latter have the handicap of unattainable financing for the rest, but they will also have difficulty coping with the high “Argentine cost”.

The truth is that much of them will become reality and renewable energy participation in the country’s energy matrix will begin to be relevant (Law 27.191 objectives of 8% in 2017 and 20% in 2025).

Resultado de imagen de solar térmica argentina

On distributed generation side, the impulse is given by solar thermal energy, which in locations without natural gas network access is already more profitable than all other energy sources.

In addition, those who are developing new constructions in locations with natural gas network access and do not incorporate solar thermal energy in their projects, are making a serious mistake.

Energy tariffs will continue with their irreversible sincerity process.

Photovoltaic distributed generation is more difficult because involves a more important initial investment and a longer repayment term.

In locations with electricity grid access is being developed almost exclusively for lighting applications in complement with LED technology.

In isolated locations for houses electrification, water pumping, signaling and communications.

This situation is going to change throughout this year.

Decree 531 establishes the purchase mechanisms (private contracting, self-generation or cogeneration or participation in a joint purchasing mechanism) for users with energy demands equal to or greater than 300 kW; which must cover at least 8% of the total electricity consumption from renewable sources by December 31, 2017.

Sopelia is advising many companies that have already taken the first step: develop solar energy projects on the paper to evaluate purchase mechanisms versus self-generation in order to achieve (and even surpass) the required percentage.

Solar is the renewable energy with urban environment integration highest level and these companies can take advantage of their roofs to place photovoltaic or thermal systems.

Resultado de imagen de solar fotovoltaica argentina

All companies that make intensive electrical energy use or include fluids heating in their production process should elaborate these projects on paper to make the right decisions with real information that accurately reflects their particular situation.

The government could accelerate this transformation process by:

* Regulations that oblige solar thermal systems incorporation in all new construction, in Spanish CTE style

* Implementation of a serious plan (installed capacity objectives, deadlines and compliance measures of those objectives, measures to correct deviations) that really favors the distributed photovoltaic generation development in residential, commercial, services and industrial sectors

* Impulse of interconnection infrastructure investment by energy distribution companies

* Conducting a thorough study to reduce import tariffs on renewable inputs and equipment that can hardly be manufactured in short and medium term in the country.

Renewable energies put Argentina in front of another opportunity (and go …) to end its sad paradox:

Having enormous natural resources and never making a correct use of them for benefit of all its citizens.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

The Networking Power

All started around 1 year ago, with the occasional encounter between a solar energy expert and a digital marketing expert.

Throughout these 12 months:

* The blog you are reading at this moment is launched.

It includes a Latin American region solar sector research work.

Three post from each of the 20 countries in the region will describe their renewable energy matrix, their domestic applications solar thermal sector and their photovoltaic sector.

Also contents about solar technology, current information and new developments are included.

* A solar e-learning web site that allows you to entirely receive solar energy training from your PC, Tablet or Smartphone wherever you are; was set up on a 3.1 Moodle platform.

* 3 ebooks exclusively sold on Amazon (Introduction to Solar Energy) and Casa del Libro (Technical-Commercial Solar Thermal Energy Manual and Technical-Commercial Solar Photovoltaic Energy Manual) were made.

* Solar Layout was developed, the most intuitive solar app for solar collectors and solar modules at installation site positioning.

fig-1

* Participated in projects development and management (not only in Latin America).

* Equipment and turnkey solar thermal, photovoltaic and solar lighting solutions were commercialized.

* We have been Media Partner of the most important solar energy event at regional level, Intersolar South America.

All this was possible thanks to changes and transformations that in IT, telecommunications and work sectors have occurred in recent years.

Currently professionals situated in different locations can create, exchange information, interact in a virtual way, develop and manage projects.

Work teams are flexible. They are born, transformed and mutated depending on business opportunities.

The fuel for all this to work has been a powerful solar and linked sectors professionals and companies networking that increases day by day with Social Media impulse.

Resultado de imagen de solar networking

What we could call “stable cast” is the following:

+ Marcelo Ferrari – CEO

+ Nahuel Rull – Argentina Country Manager

+ Tomás Ruiz – Solar Thermal Energy Expert

+ Francisco Ramírez – Photovoltaic Solar Energy Expert

+ Federico Redin – Facilities Expert

+ Dante Fiorini – Digital Marketing Expert

+ Rafael Chacón Almeda – E-learning Expert

+ Antonio Vites – SEO & SEM Expert

+ Sergio Fernandez Alonso – Programming and Apps Development Expert.

We want to wish you a prosperous 2017 in which we hope to continue collaborating in your solar energy projects and count on you to continue tending the Sopelia Network.

Photovoltaic Effect

The solar energy direct conversion into electrical energy uses the physical phenomenon called photovoltaic effect of light radiation with valence electrons interaction in semiconductor media.

In conventional crystalline silicon cell case, 4 of the normally silicon atom 14 electrons are valence atoms and therefore can participate in interactions with other atoms (both silicon and other elements).

Two adjacent pure silicon atoms have a pair of electrons in common.

There is a strong electrostatic bond between an electron and the two atoms it helps together hold.

That link can be separated by a certain energy amount.

If the supplied energy is sufficient, the electron is brought to a higher energy level (conduction band), where it is free to move.

When it passes to the conduction band, the electron leaves a “hollow” behind, that is to say a vacuum where an electron is missing. A nearby electron can easily fill the gap, thus exchanging space with it.

To take advantage of electricity it is necessary to create a coherent electrons movement (and voids) by an electric field inside the cell.

The field is formed with physical and chemical treatments that create an excess of positively charged atoms in one part of the semiconductor and an excess of negatively charged atoms in the other.

This is obtained by introducing small amounts of boron (positively charged) and phosphorus (negatively charged) atoms into the silicon crystalline structure, ie doping the semiconductor.

The electrostatic attraction between the two atomic species creates a fixed electric field that gives the cell the so-called diode structure, in which the current passage is obstructed in one direction and facilitated in the opposite one.

In phosphor doped layer, which has 5 outer electrons against the 4 silicon, a negative charge formed by a valence electron is present for each phosphorus atom.

In doped layer with boron, which has 3 outer electrons, a positive charge formed by the voids present in boron atoms when combined with silicon is created.

Resultado de imagen de electrones silicio cristalino

The first layer, negative charge, is denoted by N; the other, positively charged, with P; the separation zone is called P-N junction.

When the two layers are approached, an electronic flow is activated from the N zone to the P zone, which, when the electrostatic equilibrium is reached, determines a positive excess of charge in the N zone and an excess of negative charge in zone P.

The result is a device internal electric field that separates the excess electrons generated by the absorption of the light in the corresponding holes, pushing them in opposite directions (the electrons towards the zone N and the holes towards the zone P) so that a circuit can collect the current generated.

Therefore, when light hits the photovoltaic cell, positive charges are pushed in increasing numbers towards cell top and negative charges towards the bottom, or vice versa, depending on cell type.

Resultado de imagen de efecto fotovoltaico

If lower and upper part are connected by a conductor, the free loads pass through it and an electric current is obtained.

While the cell remains light exposed, electricity flows regularly as direct current.

Conversion efficiency in commercial silicon cells normally ranges from 13% to 20%.

Typical photovoltaic cell has a total thickness of between 0.25 and 0.35 mm.

It is generally square in shape, has a surface area between 100 and 225 mm² and produces (with a radiation of 1 kW / m² at a temperature of 25 ° C) a current between 3 and 4 A, a voltage of approximately 0.5 V and a corresponding power of 1.5-2 Wp.

This is an extract of contents included in Technical-Commercial Photovoltaic Solar Energy Manual and e-learning training of Sopelia.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

El Salvador Solar Thermal

Great was our surprise when we began to carry out the research work on El Salvador domestic solar thermal energy applications sector.

Considering that in country central region solar irradiation is high (5.3 kWh/m2/day), compared with other locations such as Germany or Tokyo (3.3 kWh/m2/day), the potential is enormous.

Given the almost non-existent information available (and official agencies lack of response), we decided to consult professionals and companies in the renewable energy sector of El Salvador.

The conclusions are:

1) There are very few companies that offer solar thermal equipment (some, including inventory they wish to liquidate due to low sales volume)

2) Unfortunately local mentality still focuses more on initial investment than on long-term savings from electricity consumption expenditure reduction

3) The use is practically limited to hotel and hospital sectors and is irrelevant in residential sector

4) There is no normative that regulates and promotes sector development.

Resultado de imagen de solar térmica el salvador

This situation, which is repeated in many Latin American countries with solar resource great potential, raises the question of why solar thermal development is so inferior in relation to photovoltaics.

To answer this question we will make a brief comparison between both solar technologies:

– Domestic solar thermal applications

+ It is a simpler technology

+ It is more efficient respect to the space used

+ Higher yields are obtained (around 40% for solar collectors compared to maximum 20% of solar modules)

+ Solar fraction can easily exceed 70% in locations with medium-high radiation level

+ It is a technology with lower level of complexity in its installation

Aspects to consider:

* System performance is much lower in winter months, when hot water needs are higher

* If there is frost risk in system site, antifreeze use in heat transfer fluid is indispensable.

Resultado de imagen de solar térmica el salvador

– Photovoltaic solar energy applications

+ Photovoltaic systems are more versatile

+ Photovoltaic modules have longer service life (30 years with a guarantee of 20 years by almost all manufacturers) than thermal solar collectors (10 years with between 1 to 5 years guarantee)

+ Frost does not affect them

Aspects to consider:

* Higher investment compared to solar thermal system of equivalent power

* Grid connected systems are subject to numerous bureaucratic procedures and taxes that lengthen its amortization time

* It is a newer technology that needs technical advances to improve its performance and efficiency.

We can conclude that the balance is slightly tilted in favor of solar thermal.

So, why photovoltaics development is bigger?

The answer is that solar thermal is developed almost exclusively in distributed energy generation way, while solar photovoltaic does it mainly from large central power plants.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

Free Solar Tools (I)

On Internet we can find free tools for basic or low complexity solar systems dimensioning and for certain components or accessories estimation.

Sopelia research team has carried out an exhaustive search and testing from which a new corporate website section called Free Solar Tools has been created.

Selected tools were classified into 4 categories.

Today we will analyze the first one: Solar Resource and Other Baseline Data.

In this category we will find data about solar resource and other variables to consider in order to estimate the energy that solar system will provide in our location.

It is the starting data for necessary solar system dimensioning in order to satisfy our energy demand.

Tools order is not random. We have prioritized the most intuitive, the most universal and those that can be online used without download.

For this first category our selection is the following:

1) Meteorological and solar energy data

Sponsored by NASA Science Applications Program and developed by the World Prediction Energy Resources Project, this site offers information and supporting documentation for solar systems dimensioning. The “Data Retrieval” section that interests us is “Meteorology and Solar Energy” and within it, “Data Tables for a Particular Location”. Once there, entering Latitude and Longitude of our location, we access a series of calculation parameters that we can select or obtain entirety.

Resultado de imagen de nasa

2) Daily and annual solar calculator

Spreadsheet developed by US NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory based on Jean Meeus astronomical equations algorithms. It allows to calculate solar day, year and location specific data.

Resultado de imagen de noaa

3) Renewable energies Global Atlas

Geographic Online Information System (GIS) interrelated worldwide distributed centers data. In addition to information about renewable energy resources you can access information such as population density, topography, land use, infrastructure and protected areas. The objective of this system is to allow users to identify areas of interest for further exploration. It is an initiative that involves national institutes, energy agencies, private companies and international organizations.

Resultado de imagen de international renewable energy agency

4) Opensolar

Open database (you can extract and insert information) with global average daily solar radiation data for each month of the year measured on the surface.

5425-opensolardb-org-banner-2

5) Monthly average radiation calculation

Tool developed by IDEA research group to calculate monthly average radiation on arbitrarily oriented and inclined surfaces.

Resultado de imagen de universidad de jaén

Accessing Free Solar Tools section of Sopelia’s corporate website you will find the links to get these tools and begin to configure your future solar system.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

The Real Energy Revolution

We are witnessing an unprecedented growth of renewable energies participation in global energy matrix.

But why does the average citizen not perceive the benefits and feel somehow alien to this process ?

The main reason is that this participation is built on an already obsolete energy matrix paradigm.

The 3 pillars of the future energy matrix are:

1) Energy efficiency

In this element the consumer is the variable of greater weight.

The transformation is related to a energy consumption habits profound change. It is very difficult to happen in those countries with a high subsidy component in their energy tariffs.

The other important aspect and on which the states can directly act is the stimulus for more efficient devices acquisition.

The energy efficiency generates a lower demand and therefore a decrease of generation investment.

Resultado de imagen de eficiencia energética

2) Renewable energies

In energy-importing countries (mostly in Latam) renewables development is an instrument to improve payments balance.

In any world country, a means to boost and make the economy more competitive.

Investment in a solar system is very high in countries that do not manufacture equipment compared to those that do.

Let us illustrate this with a concrete example: in the largest producer of solar modules (China) W FOB value is around US$ 0.50. That solar module placed outside destination country customs, for example Argentina, costs US$ 1.20 (+ 140%). If we add the commercial margin of the companies that sell and the companies that install them, the final consumer ends up paying US$ 2.50 / W (+ 400%).

The companies awarded renewable energy public tenders in countries where no equipment is manufactured do not pay import taxes for equipment and are exempt from most taxes.

It is a utopia the idea of short and medium term local equipment manufacturing if the country does not have the capacity to convert silicon to solar-grade silicon or technology to manufacture evacuated vacuum tubes. Especially if we consider the aggressive decrease in solar equipment price of last 5 years.

Resultado de imagen de energías renovables

3) Distributed generation

Distributed generation systems surpass those of centralized generation in national security (attacks, warlike conflicts, etc.) and supply continuity (natural catastrophes and seasonal peaks cuts) questions.

Distributed generation is also a wealth redistribution way, giving consumer the opportunity to generate the energy he consumes and the possibility of obtaining an income from the surplus.

New energy infrastructure investments should be directed towards interconnecting and renewables integrating systems and abandoning the paradigm of an already obsolete energy matrix (distribution from centralized generation plants).

Efforts to develop large wind and solar generation should be redirected to distributed generation systems development.

Large plants should be only a complement, located only in locations where renewable resource potential is very high and take advantage primarily of rooftop and ceilings surface instead of being placed in soils that could have other uses.

Fingers and toes are enough to count worldwide renewable sector EPC companies of a certain scale projects.

These companies are itinerant. They land in countries with great potential where the ban is lifted.

In Europe the main countries of the itinerary were Spain, France, Italy and now United Kingdom.

In Latin America they went to Chile, Brazil, Mexico and now Argentina.

The myth that this type of projects generates a large number of stable jobs is false. The work is intensive only at construction time. Then the operation and maintenance of these plants is relatively simple and is done remotely with very little personnel on field.

We are not against renewable generation plants development, what we manifest is that the energy matrix paradigm is the one that is already obsolete.

The renewable resource generates energy where it is available. If we take advantage of it there, we avoid all expenses and eliminate all energy losses inherent to the distribution of that energy.

Stable jobs generation and sustainable economic renewable sector development go hand in hand with distributed generation and prosumer (residential, industrial and services) figure development.

Solar is the ideal renewable energy for distributed generation because it has the highest integration into urban environment level.

Resultado de imagen de generación distribuida

Countries that take the following steps to achieve the future energy matrix, will make their economy more competitive:

• Stimulating efficient devices acquisition (special financing, tax exemptions) or taxing non efficient devices acquisition

• Eliminate import taxes on renewable equipment inputs that cannot be manufactured in the short and medium term and focus industrial effort on imported inputs supplemented with local raw material inputs

• Give priority to distributed generation and prosumers creation over large generation power plants development

• Invest in interconnection and renewables integration energy infrastructure and gradually abandon the obsolete energy matrix (large power systems – distribution).

It is a long process but, like every great journey, it begins by taking a step.

Municipalities (in solar thermal energy) and Provinces (in photovoltaic solar energy) have the power to promote solar distributed generation development.

There are examples on which they can work to adapt to each local reality and to introduce improvements to avoid mistakes.

In distributed solar thermal energy, an example can be the Spanish Technical Building Code (CTE). An improvement to introduce to this referent could be the obligation of a periodic maintenance to verify the system good operation and to corroborate solar fraction required is reached.

In distributed photovoltaic solar energy, an example may be the net-metering regime of some US states (eg California). In this case, the implementation of complementary financial tools (special financing, leasing), that have promoted its great development, could be imitated.

Conditions (political and economic stability) must be created for desired events to occur.

Reality cannot be modified by laws.

For example, if a Latin American province has regulations to promote distributed generation since 2013 and in 3 years have connected 10 systems, it means that we are doing something wrong.

As in all life aspects of any individual or society, goals must be set (ambitious but at same time achievable) in order to achieve success, deadlines must be set and periodic measurements must be made to introduce improvements and correct errors.

This is very difficult if long-term energy policies that surpass current government are not adopted.

For now, short term rules.

It is easier to sit down with a few to negotiate and cut tapes for the photo, than work seriously and in the long run for general interest.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

Solar Thermal Energy

Solar thermal energy systems for domestic applications will be increasingly present in the built landscape and will be promoted by regulations such as solar ordinances or future building technology standards.

The most basic system is the compact equipment called thermosiphon, which incorporates all subsystems and where the fluid circulates naturally (difference in densities).

Resultado de imagen de termosifón solar

Solar thermal systems use the sun’s rays to get hot water or air.

Special plates, called collectors, concentrate and accumulate Sun heat and transmit it to the fluid we want to heat.

This fluid can be home’s drinking water or home’s heating or cooling hydraulic system.

Generally a thermal solar energy system is constituted by several subsystems, which in turn can be considered as interdependent systems connected to each other.

However, sometimes the same physically independent element performs several functions within the solar system.

These different subsystems are:

a) Capture system: composed of solar collectors. They are responsible for receiving the solar radiation and transmit it to the fluid that circulates inside.

Imagen relacionada

b) Accumulation system: composed of one or more deposits to accumulate the hot water generated up to the moment of its use.

Resultado de imagen de tanque solar térmico

c) Hydraulic system: composed of the pumps and pipes through which the working fluid circulates. A primary circuit transports the energy captured to the accumulator. The circulation of the fluid through the pipes is performed by a circulation pump or by natural circulation.

Resultado de imagen de circuito solar térmicod) Exchange system: exists in case the fluid flowing through the solar collectors is not the same as the one used by the user; for example when there is frost risk or user fluid can damage the solar system. The exchanger can be part of the same accumulator or located outside.

Resultado de imagen de intercambiador solar

e) Control system: in pumps forced circulation systems will be in charge to start and stop them. Different components system actuation (motorized valves, pumps, etc.) is done through control mechanisms.

Resultado de imagen de centralita solar térmico

f) Auxiliary energy system: generally solar system economic viability requires that total energy demand cannot be met with solar input at all times. The energy produced by solar system depends on climatic conditions and that is why an auxiliary energy production system is available. These support equipment complement the solar system in order to ensure at all times hot water service continuity.

Resultado de imagen de caldera gas

Solar thermal systems have a great similarity with conventional thermal systems.

In fact, they share all their components (pipes, protection mechanisms, accumulation tanks, exchangers, pumping groups, insulation) except one: solar collectors.

This content was extracted from Solar Thermal Energy Technical & Commercial Manual and is part of Solar e-learning.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.