Performance and economics of residential solar space heating

Technical Report · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6980516

Zehr, F J; Vineyard, T A; Barnes, R W; O'Neal, D L

The performance and economics of residential solar space heating were studied for various locations in the contiguous United States. Common types of active and passive solar heating systems were analyzed with respect to an average-size, single-family house designed to meet or exceed the thermal requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Minimum Property Standards (HUD-MPS). The solar systems were evaluated in seventeen cities to provide a broad range of climatic conditions. Active systems evaluated consist of air and liquid flat plate collectors with single- and double-glazing; passive systems include Trombe wall, water wall, direct gain, and sunspace systems. The active system solar heating performance was computed using the University of Wisconsin's F-CHART computer program. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's Solar Load Ratio (SLR) method was employed to compute solar heating performance for the passive systems. Heating costs were computed with gas, oil, and electricity as backups and as conventional heating system fuels. Simple payback period, discounted payback period, and twenty year life cycle cost were computed for each system type, collector or glazing area, fuel, and city. The life cycle cost calculation for each system combination was made using a 2% discount rate and the Department of Energy's (DOE) suggested fuel escalation values. In addition, alternative life cycle costs were determined assuming federal and state income tax credits, financing charges, various discount rates, low and high cost extreme systems, and high fuel prices.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6980516
• Report Number(s): ORNL/CON-70; ON: DE83003187
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
299001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Solar-- (1989-)
ATTACHED GREENHOUSES
AUXILIARY HEATING
BUILDINGS
COST
DIRECT GAIN SYSTEMS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS
GREENHOUSES
HEATING
HEATING SYSTEMS
HOUSES
LIFE-CYCLE COST
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
PAYBACK PERIOD
PERFORMANCE
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SPACE HEATING
TROMBE WALLS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WALLS
WATER WALLS