Economic analysis of community solar heating systems that use annual cycle thermal energy storage
The economics of community-scale solar systems that incorporate a centralized annual cycle thermal energy storage (ACTES) coupled to a distribution system is examined. Systems were sized for three housing configurations: single-unit dwellings, 10-unit, and 200-unit apartment complexes in 50-, 200-, 400-, and 1000-unit communities in 10 geographic locations in the United States. Thermal energy is stored in large, constructed, underground tanks. Costs were assigned to each component of every system in order to allow calculation of total costs. Results are presented as normalized system costs per unit of heat delivered per building unit. These methods allow: (1) identification of the relative importance of each system component in the overall cost; and (2) identification of the key variables that determine the optimum sizing of a district solar heating system. In more northerly locations, collectors are a larger component of cost. In southern locations, distribution networks are a larger proportion of total cost. Larger, more compact buildings are, in general, less expensive to heat. For the two smaller-scale building configurations, a broad minima in total costs versus system size is often observed.
- Research Organization:
- Solar Energy Research Inst. (SERI), Golden, CO (United States); Toronto Univ., Ontario (Canada)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-77CH00178
- OSTI ID:
- 6883635
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/TR-721-898
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
SOLAR DISTRICT HEATING
ANNUAL ENERGY STORAGE
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
COST
OPTIMIZATION
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
SIZE
TANKS
USA
BUILDINGS
CONTAINERS
DISTRICT HEATING
ECONOMICS
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
HEATING
HEATING SYSTEMS
NORTH AMERICA
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING
STORAGE
ANNUAL CYCLE ENERGY SYSTEM:Q2
COMMUNITIES
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS:Q1
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR:Q1
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR DISTRICT HEATING:T2
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS:T1
SOLAR
140901* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling
140300 - Solar Energy- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
299001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Solar- (1989-)
142000 - Solar Energy- Heat Storage- (1980-)