scholarly journals Underfloor Heating Using Ceramic Thermal Panels and Solar Thermal Panels in Public Buildings in the Mediterranean: Energy Savings and Healthy Indoor Environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Echarri-Iribarren ◽  
Carlos Rizo-Maestre ◽  
José Luis Sanjuan-Palermo
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Capillary Tube ◽  
Lithium Bromide ◽  
Cooling Water ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Convective System ◽  
Solar Panels ◽  
Public Buildings ◽  
One Year

Radiant floor air conditioning systems based on capillary tube mats, in addition to offering high comfort standards, generate significant energy savings. They allow the use of renewable energies such as thermal solar panels and combine them with solar cooling systems based on lithium chloride or absorption systems with lithium bromide in summer, cooling water down to 15–16 °C through solar thermal panel energy collection. Thus, in addition to energy savings from the transport of low water flows, annual energy demand is also reduced. This research analyses the application of thermal ceramic panels (TCP)—containing polypropylene (PPR) tube capillary mats—to public buildings in the Spanish Mediterranean. A case study of the Museum of the University of Alicante (MUA) is presented. Water was distributed individually from a split system heat pump inside the building combined with a thermal solar panel system on the roof. The MUA’s annual energy demand was quantified using thermal simulation tools and was monitored during the entire one-year cycle. Simulations were conducted both for the radiant floor system and an all-air conventional convective system, as well as with solar thermal panel applications. The reduction in annual energy demand was 24.91% when TCP panels are used on the floor. This is a considerable value, but lower than others results obtained in Central Europe due to the higher values of humidity. When solar thermal panels are installed on the rooftop the energy savings can increase to 60.70%.

scholarly journals Healthy Climate and Energy Savings: Using Thermal Ceramic Panels and Solar Thermal Panels in Mediterranean Housing Blocks

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Echarri-Iribarren ◽  
Carlos Rizo-Maestre ◽  
Fernando Echarri-Iribarren
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Capillary Tube ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Lithium Bromide ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
High Standards

Radiant surface conditioning systems based on capillary tube mats not only provide high standards of comfort, but they also generate substantial energy savings. These systems allow for using renewable energies such as solar thermal panels because they function with water at moderate temperatures—lower in winter and higher in summer—compared to fan-coil systems or hot water radiator systems. Moreover, in summer, they can be combined with solar cooling systems based on lithium chloride or absorption systems based on lithium bromide, which enable the cooling of water at 15–16 °C by means of solar thermal panel energy collection. This further reduces the annual energy. The purpose of this study was to examine the application of thermal ceramic panels (TCP) containing prolipropylen (PPR) capillary tube mats, in residential buildings in the Spanish Mediterranean. The water distribution system was set up individually from a heat pump and was combined with a community system of solar thermal panels. After monitoring a home over a complete one-year cycle, the annual energy demand was quantified through simulations, based on both the radiant system and the VRV system, as well as in combination with a thermal solar panel system. TCP panels reduced the annual energy demands by 31.48%, and the additional investment cost of €11,497 could be amortized over 23.31 years. The combination of TCP panels with 18.5 m2 of solar thermal panels reduced the annual energy demand by 69.47%, and the investment of €20,534 of additional cost could be amortized over 15.67 years. The energy consumptions of installation elements were also comparatively quantified.

scholarly journals Radiant Floors versus Radiant Walls Using Ceramic Thermal Panels in Mediterranean Dwellings: Annual Energy Demand and Cost-Effective Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 588
Author(s):  
Víctor Echarri-Iribarren ◽  
Wong Nyuk Hien ◽  
Ana Sánchez-Ostiz
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Capillary Tube ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Solar Panels ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Cooling Systems ◽  
Solar Cooling ◽  
One Year ◽  
Family House

The present study focuses on the application of large-format thermal ceramic conditioning panels (TCPs) containing polypropylene (PPR) capillary tube mats in dwellings on the Mediterranean coast. The thermal and energy behaviours were examined once the underfloor heating was installed, and they were compared with an alternative wall application. The system was implemented in a single-family house located on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. After having monitored the house during a complete one-year cycle, the annual energy demand was quantified using the Design Builder tool. TCP panels applied to radiant floors reduced energy demand by 5.15% compared to the wall-layout alternative. Significant reductions in CO2 emissions were also achieved, as well as a 25.19% reduction in energy demand compared to convection systems. The incorporation of 24 m2 of solar thermal panels into the system, combined with solar cooling systems based on lithium chloride, was also analysed. A reduction in energy demand of 57.46% was obtained compared to all-air convection systems. Finally, the amortisation periods of the investments in TCP panels and solar panels were calculated and compared to a convection system. Underfloor TCP panels proved to be more cost-effective than a wall installation. The additional cost of EUR 21,844 could be amortised over approximately 14 years with the radiant underfloor TCP system, while the wall TCP would be amortised over 17.4 years.

Thermodynamic and Economic Analysis of the Production of Electricity, Heat, and Cold in the Combined Heat and Power Unit With the Absorption Chillers

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Szega ◽  
Piotr Żymełka
Keyword(s):  
Power Unit ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Operating Time ◽  
Lithium Bromide ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Hard Coal ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Absorption Chillers

This paper presents the approach of thermoeconomic analysis of centralized cold generation in trigeneration system integrated with steam-powered absorption chillers (ACs). The analysis was conducted for real back-pressure combined heat and power (CHP) unit BC-50 and single-effect absorption refrigerators using water and lithium bromide as the working fluids. It has been assumed that the heating medium supplied to the chiller generator is technological steam from the existing steam bleeding. The calculations take into account changes of energy demand for heating and cooling for each month of the year. Mathematical simulation models of cogeneration and trigeneration systems have been developed with the commercial program for power plant simulation EBSILON Professional. System effects of heat and electricity cogeneration and cogeneration with additional cold production have been calculated compared to separate production of heat, electricity, and cold (replaced heating plant and power unit). The effect of trigeneration has been assessed quantitatively by the coefficient of the increasing cogeneration effects, which has been calculated as a ratio of chemical energy savings of fuels to the demand for heat by the consumers in the cases of trigeneration and cogeneration. This paper includes also analysis of economic effectiveness of a trigeneration system with ACs for cold agent production. The results of economic calculations show that an acceptable payback period of approximately 13 yr for a CHP and absorption system may be achieved. Discounted payback (DPB) is equal to the half of assumed operating time of the system. Sensitivity analysis shows that the most important impact on profitability is the selling price of cold and the purchase of fuel—hard coal.

scholarly journals Energy Performance Assessment of Innovative Building Solutions Coming from Construction and Demolition Waste Materials

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Beatriz Fraga-De Cal ◽  
Antonio Garrido-Marijuan ◽  
Olaia Eguiarte ◽  
Beñat Arregi ◽  
Ander Romero-Amorrortu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Construction And Demolition Waste ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Demolition Waste ◽  
The Impact

Prefabricated solutions incorporating thermal insulation are increasingly adopted as an energy conservation measure for building renovation. The InnoWEE European project developed three technologies from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials through a manufacturing process that supports the circular economy strategy of the European Union. Two of them consisted of geopolymer panels incorporated into an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) and a ventilated façade. This study evaluates their thermal performance by means of monitoring data from three pilot case studies in Greece, Italy, and Romania, and calibrated building simulation models enabling the reliable prediction of energy savings in different climates and use scenarios. Results showed a reduction in energy demand for all demo buildings, with annual energy savings up to 25% after placing the novel insulation solutions. However, savings are highly dependent on weather conditions since the panels affect cooling and heating loads differently. Finally, a parametric assessment is performed to assess the impact of insulation thickness through an energy performance prediction and a cash flow analysis.

scholarly journals A Computer Vision-Based Occupancy and Equipment Usage Detection Approach for Reducing Building Energy Demand

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Paige Wenbin Tien ◽  
Shuangyu Wei ◽  
John Calautit
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Internal Heat ◽  
Electrical Equipment ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Hvac Systems ◽  
Equipment Usage

Because of extensive variations in occupancy patterns around office space environments and their use of electrical equipment, accurate occupants’ behaviour detection is valuable for reducing the building energy demand and carbon emissions. Using the collected occupancy information, building energy management system can automatically adjust the operation of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to meet the actual demands in different conditioned spaces in real-time. Existing and commonly used ‘fixed’ schedules for HVAC systems are not sufficient and cannot adjust based on the dynamic changes in building environments. This study proposes a vision-based occupancy and equipment usage detection method based on deep learning for demand-driven control systems. A model based on region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN) was developed, trained and deployed to a camera for real-time detection of occupancy activities and equipment usage. Experiments tests within a case study office room suggested an overall accuracy of 97.32% and 80.80%. In order to predict the energy savings that can be attained using the proposed approach, the case study building was simulated. The simulation results revealed that the heat gains could be over or under predicted when using static or fixed profiles. Based on the set conditions, the equipment and occupancy gains were 65.75% and 32.74% lower when using the deep learning approach. Overall, the study showed the capabilities of the proposed approach in detecting and recognising multiple occupants’ activities and equipment usage and providing an alternative to estimate the internal heat emissions.

scholarly journals Multi-Country Analysis on Energy Savings in Buildings by Means of a Micro-Solar Organic Rankine Cycle System: A Simulation Study

Environments ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Arteconi ◽  
Luca Del Zotto ◽  
Roberto Tascioni ◽  
Khamid Mahkamov ◽  
Chris Underwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Operational Cost ◽  
The North

In this paper, the smart management of buildings energy use by means of an innovative renewable micro-cogeneration system is investigated. The system consists of a concentrated linear Fresnel reflectors solar field coupled with a phase change material thermal energy storage tank and a 2 kWe/18 kWth organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system. The microsolar ORC was designed to supply both electricity and thermal energy demand to residential dwellings to reduce their primary energy use. In this analysis, the achievable energy and operational cost savings through the proposed plant with respect to traditional technologies (i.e., condensing boilers and electricity grid) were assessed by means of simulations. The influence of the climate and latitude of the installation was taken into account to assess the performance and the potential of such system across Europe and specifically in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, U.K., and Sweden. Results show that the proposed plant can satisfy about 80% of the overall energy demand of a 100 m2 dwelling in southern Europe, while the energy demand coverage drops to 34% in the worst scenario in northern Europe. The corresponding operational cost savings amount to 87% for a dwelling in the south and at 33% for one in the north.

scholarly journals Optimal Regulation of Pumping Station in Water Distribution Networks Using Constant and Variable Speed Pumps: A Technical and Economical Comparison

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Cimorelli ◽  
Carmine Covelli ◽  
Bruno Molino ◽  
Domenico Pianese
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Variable Speed Drives ◽  
Optimal Regulation ◽  
Energy Consuming

Greenhouse gas emission is one of the main environmental issues of today, and energy savings in all industries contribute to reducing energy demand, implying, in turn, less carbon emissions into the atmosphere. In this framework, water pumping systems are one of the most energy-consuming activities. The optimal regulation of pumping systems with the use of variable speed drives is gaining the attention of designers and managing authorities. However, optimal management and operation of pumping systems is often performed, employing variable speed drives without considering if the energy savings are enough to justify their purchasing and installation costs. In this paper, the authors compare two optimal pump scheduling techniques, optimal regulation of constant speed pumps by an optimal ON/OFF sequence and optimal regulation with a variable speed pump. Much of the attention is devoted to the analysis of the costs involved in a hypothetical managing authority for the water distribution system in order to determine whether the savings in operating costs is enough to justify the employment of variable speed drives.

scholarly journals Design and Pinch Analysis of a GFT Process for Production of Biojet Fuel from Biomass and Plastics

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 6035
Author(s):  
Alejandro López-Fernández ◽  
David Bolonio ◽  
Isabel Amez ◽  
Blanca Castells ◽  
Marcelo F. Ortega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Cooling Water ◽  
Calorific Value ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Pinch Analysis ◽  
Steam Generation ◽  
Fischer Tropsch ◽  
Fuel Density

Environmental problems are frequently related to energy use, estimated to grow at 1.6% per year until 2035. The transport sector accounts for 30% of energy demand and aviation is growing around 2.6% per year. Thus, low-emissions policies promote the use of sustainable aviation fuels. This work simulates a gasification and Fischer-Tropsch process to obtain biojet fuel from biomass and plastic waste. Syngas obtained through cogasification is purified by amine scrubbing and subjected to a Fischer-Tropsch process to produce hydrocarbons, which are upgraded for optimal fuel properties. Pinch analysis is applied to minimize energy usage, while Rankine cycles and a cooling tower are designed to cover the demand of electricity and cooling water. Results show that mass yields of the process towards biofuels are 13.06%, with an output of 1697.45 kg/h of biojet fuel. Density, kinematic viscosity, pour and flammability points and the lower calorific value of the biojet fuel comply with the ASTM D7566 standard. Pinch analysis allows to reduce 41.58% and 100% of cooling and heating demands, respectively, using biomass as renewable energy for heating. Moreover, steam generation covers 38.73% of the required electricity. The produced biojet fuel emits 20.14 gCO2eq/MJ and has a minimum selling price of 1.37 EUR/L.

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