Re: Solar concentrator design.
From: N. Thornton (bigcat_at_meeow.co.uk)
Date: 12/06/04
- Next message: N. Thornton: "Re: Self Empowerment"
- Previous message: N. Thornton: "Re: reflective light"
- In reply to: Roland PJ: "Re: Solar concentrator design."
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
Date: 5 Dec 2004 18:40:16 -0800
Roland PJ <roland@rolandpj.com> wrote in message news:<cotkho$cm$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net>...
> Pete Lynn wrote:
> > I think the system has to be able to be also used for heating, even if
> > only for hot water. Stationary heating elements are not essential, but
> > probably preferable.
> Pete, you're on the right track. PV's efficiency declines with
> temperature so cool them by heating water. Even better, concentrate the
> sunlight to reduce PV costs, and use the 'waste' heat for heating, and
> the 'waste' light for interior lighting.
I guess to do that you'd put the panel indoors and beam the light in
onto it. Then no energy is lost, you get 100% efficiency when youre
using all the energy forms, light, water heat and space heat.
But if youre doing that, theres no need for a fancy collector at all,
just use the energy for space heating. Beam it straight onto a brick
wall and you get a bit of heat storage as well.
Theres no point mucking about with a bunch of plumbing to save the
small DHW cost when with no such collector & associated muckabout, you
can save on the far larger bill of space heating.
The only issue in this is concentrated sunlight, bright enough and hot
enough to be dangerous if not handled with a few precautions.
However I do like this idea, and with a bit of refinement would like
one in a dream house. I'd put the collector area upstairs, so people
in the garden walking past the target window dont get fried and
blinded. Id also have a dedicated brick collector, basically a brick
built 1 foot room to receive the light, so no-one can get fried inside
the house, and nothing set on fire. Being brick or concrete built it
would have significant storage, taking the solar heating through the
evening as well. For best performance it would want computer
controlled flaps I expect, or a fan that delivers hot air to the
downstairs.
Also it needs good window and wall insulation. Finally it would want
some serious reflector area, no 8' dish, more like a whole wall of
computer tracked mirrors. I'd pity any bird flying past that window...
so maybe some wire netting as well, painted white to stop it getting
sizzling hot.
One could also add some water heating pipes onto the wall, if wanted,
but it seems to be unproportionally costly for a relatively small
return, so I'd be in no hurry there.
NT
- Next message: N. Thornton: "Re: Self Empowerment"
- Previous message: N. Thornton: "Re: reflective light"
- In reply to: Roland PJ: "Re: Solar concentrator design."
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
Relevant Pages
|
