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Title: Solar energy system performance evaluation: seasonal report for IBM System 4 at Clinton, Mississippi

Abstract

The IBM System 4 Solar Energy System was designed to provide 35 percent of the space heating and 62 percent of the domestic hot water (DHW) preheating for a single-family residence located within the United States. The system is a prepackaged unit called the Remote Solar Assembly which has been integrated into the heating and DHW system in a dormitory in Clinton, Mississippi. The system consists of 259 square feet of Solaron 2001 Series flat-plate-air collectors, a rock thermal storage containing 5 1/2 ton of rock, heat exchangers, blowers, a 52 gallon preheat tank, controls, and associated plumbing, two 30 gallon electric water heaters draw water from the preheat tank. A 20 kilowatt, duct mounted, electric heater supplies auxiliary energy. This system which has three modes of system operation was activated September, 1978. A system performance assessment is presented.

Publication Date:
Research Org.:
IBM Federal Systems Div., Huntsville, AL (USA)
Sponsoring Org.:
National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
5041110
Report Number(s):
DOE/NASA/CR-161509
DOE Contract Number:
AI01-76CS31037
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; SCHOOL BUILDINGS; SOLAR SPACE HEATING; SOLAR WATER HEATING; SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS; PERFORMANCE; SOLAR WATER HEATERS; BLOWERS; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS; HEAT EXCHANGERS; MISSISSIPPI; ROCK BEDS; SENSIBLE HEAT STORAGE; SOLAR AIR HEATERS; AIR HEATERS; APPLIANCES; BUILDINGS; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; ENERGY STORAGE; EQUIPMENT; HEAT STORAGE; HEATERS; HEATING; HEATING SYSTEMS; NORTH AMERICA; SOLAR COLLECTORS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; SOLAR HEATING; SOUTHEAST REGION; SPACE HEATING; STORAGE; USA; WATER HEATERS; 140901* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling; 140907 - Solar Thermal Utilization- Water Heating; 299001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Solar- (1989-)

Citation Formats

None. Solar energy system performance evaluation: seasonal report for IBM System 4 at Clinton, Mississippi. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2172/5041110.
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None. Solar energy system performance evaluation: seasonal report for IBM System 4 at Clinton, Mississippi. United States. doi:10.2172/5041110.
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None. Tue . "Solar energy system performance evaluation: seasonal report for IBM System 4 at Clinton, Mississippi". United States. doi:10.2172/5041110. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5041110.
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@article{osti_5041110,
title = {Solar energy system performance evaluation: seasonal report for IBM System 4 at Clinton, Mississippi},
author = {None},
abstractNote = {The IBM System 4 Solar Energy System was designed to provide 35 percent of the space heating and 62 percent of the domestic hot water (DHW) preheating for a single-family residence located within the United States. The system is a prepackaged unit called the Remote Solar Assembly which has been integrated into the heating and DHW system in a dormitory in Clinton, Mississippi. The system consists of 259 square feet of Solaron 2001 Series flat-plate-air collectors, a rock thermal storage containing 5 1/2 ton of rock, heat exchangers, blowers, a 52 gallon preheat tank, controls, and associated plumbing, two 30 gallon electric water heaters draw water from the preheat tank. A 20 kilowatt, duct mounted, electric heater supplies auxiliary energy. This system which has three modes of system operation was activated September, 1978. A system performance assessment is presented.},
doi = {10.2172/5041110},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980},
month = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980}
}
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Technical Report:
View Technical Report (4.19 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/5041110
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  • An economic analysis of the solar energy system was developed for five sites, typical of a wide range of environmental and economic conditions in the continental United States. The analysis was based on the technical and economic models in the F-chart design procedure, with inputs based on the characteristic of the installed system and local conditions. The results are of the economic parameters of present worth of system cost over a 20 year time span: life cycle savings, year of positive savings and year of payback for the optimized solar energy system at each of the analysis sites. The sensitivitymore » of the economic evaluation to uncertainties in constituent system and economic variables is also investigated.« less

  • The economic analysis of the solar energy system that was installed at Clinton, Mississippi is developed for this and four other sites typical of a wide range of environmental and economic conditions in the continental United States. This analysis is accomplished based on the technical and economic models in the f-chart design procedure with inputs based on the characteristics of the installed system and local conditions. The results are expressed in terms of the economic parameters of present worth of system cost over a projected twenty year life: life cycle savings, year of positive savings and year of payback formore » the optimized solar energy system at each of the analysis sites. The sensitivity of the economic evaluation to uncertainties in constituent system and economic variables is also investigated. Although budget constraints preclude an economic reevaluation of each of the sites, a similar site, Carlsbad, New Mexico, was done. When 1985 escalated values for fuel, costs, mass production, and improved design and installation techniques were applied, a significantly higher degree of savings was realized.« less

  • The IBM System 3 Solar Energy System was designed by the Federal Systems Division of IBM in Huntsville, Alabama to provide 46% of the space heating and 80% of the domestic hot water (DHW) for a 1078 square foot retrofit of an existing building used as a residence at the Glendo Reservoir State Park Ranger Station. The system consists of fourteen Sunworks Model LA1001A flat plate liquid collectors (294 square feet), a 1000 gallon hot water storage tank, a 65 gallon electric domestic hot water tank, pumps, heat exchangers, controls, and associated plumbing. Water is the heat transfer medium formore » this closed volume, passive drain down system. A gas furnace is used for auxiliary space heating energy. The system which became operational in October 1978 has five modes of operation. Performance data for the year of 1979 are presented and assessed.« less

  • The IBM-Carlsbad Solar Energy System is located in a single family residence at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico. This hot air solar heating and hot water system consists of 408 square feet of SEPCO, flat plate air collectors, a rock storage bin containing 12 tons of 3/4'' to 2 1/2'' diameter rocks, an energy transport system, air-to-water heat exchanger, controls and a hot water preheat tank which supplies preheated water to a 52 gallon electric hot water tank. An oil hot-air furnace supplies necessary energy when solar energy is insufficient to supply the space heating load. The system hasmore » five different modes of operation and became operational in March, 1978. The following topics are discussed: system description, performance assessment, operating energy, energy savings, maintenance, summary and conclusions.« less

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