Solar energy system performance evaluation: final report for Honeywell OTS 41, Shenandoah (Newnan), Georgia

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6890143· OSTI ID:6890143

Mathur, A K; Pederson, S

The operation and technical performance of the Solar Operational Test Site (OTS 41) located at Shenandoah, Georgia, are described, based on the analysis of data collected between January and August 1981. The following topics are discussed: system description, performance assessment, operating energy, energy savings, system maintenance, and conclusions. The solar energy system at OTS 41 is a hydronic heating and cooling system consisting of 702 square feet of liquid-cooled flat-plate collectors; a 1000-gallon thermal storage tank; a 3-ton capacity organic Rankine-cycle-engine-assisted air conditioner; a water-to-air heat exchanger for solar space heating; a finned-tube coil immersed in the storage tank to preheat water for a gas-fired hot water heater; and associated piping, pumps, valves, and controls. The solar system has six basic modes of operation and several combination modes. The system operation is controlled automatically by a Honeywell-designed microprocessor-based control system, which also provides diagnostics. Based on the instrumented test data monitored and collected during the 7 months of the Operational Test Period, the solar system collected 53 MMBtu of thermal energy of the total incident solar energy of 219 MMBtu and provided 11.4 MMBtu for cooling, 8.6 MMBtu for heating, and 8.1 MMBtu for domestic hot water. The projected net annual energy savings due to the solar system were approximately 50 MMBtu of fossil energy (49,300 cubic feet of natural gas) and a loss of 280 kWh(e) of electrical energy.

• Research Organization: Honeywell, Inc., Roseville, MN (USA). Technology Strategy Center
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-81CS30574
• OSTI ID: 6890143
• Report Number(s): DOE/CS/30574-T1; ON: DE82021004
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
140907 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Water Heating
AIR CONDITIONERS
APPLIANCES
COMPUTERS
CONTAINERS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DATA ACQUISITION
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS
FLOW REGULATORS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT STORAGE
HEATERS
HEATING SYSTEMS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROPROCESSORS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
PIPES
PUMPS
RANKINE CYCLE
SENSIBLE HEAT STORAGE
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONERS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
STORAGE
TANKS
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
VALVES
WATER
WATER HEATERS