1.0 INTRODUCTION2.0 SYSTEMS FOR WATER HEATING: Government FacilitiesWhat Are Solar Process Heat Systems?
What Are the Advantages of Solar Process Heat Systems?
Costs Associated With Today's Solar Process Heat Systems?
For More Information...
Acknowledgments 3.0 SYSTEMS FOR WATER HEATING: Industry and Commerce
4.0 SYSTEMS FOR COOLING AND REFRIGERATION
5.0 SYSTEMS FOR VENTILATION AIR PREHEATING/HEATING
6.0 REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEMS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
7.0 Appendix:
A. U.S. DOE's Solar Process Heat Program: A Summary
B. Glossary
C. List of Acronyms
For many of these market/application pairs (e.g. water
heating systems for prisons), solar thermal energy
systems represent a cost-effective and environmentally
friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuel
technologies.
This document contains a very small representative
selection of the systems available. There are thousands
of commercial systems that are currently in service most
of which have operated consistently for the last ten to
fifteen years. We hope that we can continue to expand
this Catalog further describing systems that have
particular features that distinguish them such as
architectural integration, multiple end-uses, and
seasonal storage or cooling with thermal energy
storage.
1. They are long-lasting, reliable sources of CLEAN
thermal energy that can replace 20-80 percent of thermal
energy requirements provided by fossil fuels (e.g. fuel
oil, natural gas, electricity).
2. Solar systems are often more cost-effective on a
life-cycle basis than alternative process heat systems.
Since solar systems are designed to last 20-30 years,
and pay for themselves in 3-10 years, they provide
owners with as many as 20 years of practically free
energy Ñ saving a facility thousands of dollars.
Additionally, solar system capital costs can be reduced
significantly by state and federal tax credits for solar
equipment, including a 10% federal tax credit and
accelerated depreciation.
3. By investing in solar process heat systems to
provide a portion of their thermal energy requirements,
users have the opportunity to respond to increasingly
stringent clean air mandates (locally and nationally)
without having to invest in expensive, nonproductive air
emissions control equipment and staff to operate and
maintain it.
4. For private companies and government agencies that
have long range planning horizons with respect to their
thermal energy requirements, solar provides insurance
against:
5. And
finally, the acquisition of solar systems by government
agencies serve to:
Please note the costs referenced in this catalog are not
representative of the current costs associated with
solar process heat systems. Many of these systems were
installed with the assistance of the U.S. Department of
Energy during the energy crisis. Part of the mission at
that time was to test different configurations and
hardware in order to select the best designs as standard
systems. As a result, the costs associated with system
deployment were often higher than what is currently the
case.
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
We have published this document for both energy policy
makers and technology procurement decision makers who
manage facilities with thermal loads applicable to solar
process heating systems. We hope that readers of this
publication will recognize the potential value of solar
process heat systems and look more closely at the
advantages solar can bring to a commercial, industrial,
government or residential facility.
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CREST, Hosted by CREST1.0 INTRODUCTION
For years, solar process heat systems have been
contributing to hundreds of industrial, government, and
commercial facilities in all regions of the U.S. -
contributing significantly to their thermal energy
loads. Today, solar thermal systems exist on over 1
million buildings
throughout the U.S. and in aggregate constitute an
equivalent thermal capacity of over one nuclear power
plant. As an introduction to the many system
applications for solar process heat technologies, this
catalog has been published to give readers a detailed
summary of
several existing system designs and statistics of solar
process heat systems in the field today.
Industry
Large Manufacturing Facilities
Air Preheating & Ventilation
Government
Hotels &
Restaurants
Process Hot Air
Commerce
Multifamily Housing
Process Water Heating
Hospitals
Water Heating
Schools
Process Steam
Prisons
Cooling & Refrigeration
What Are Solar Process Heat Systems?
Solar Process Heat Systems exploit a readily available,
free and constant source of energy - the sun. Depending
on the application, there are several potential system
designs and technology types that may be utilized. Many
collectors are nationally certified and rated by the
Solar Rating & Certification Corporation - an
independent organization which rates and certifies solar
thermal collectors. The matrix below is designed to
illustrate the many market sectors, facility types, and
applications where solar process heating systems can be
found today.
What Are the Advantages of Solar Process Heat Systems?
For users in the industry, commerce and government,
solar process heat offers several attractive
advantages:
What Are the Costs Associated With
Today's Solar Process Heat Systems?
Solar systems capital costs are in the $40-$45 square
foot range. The market and infrastructure for solar
process heat systems have evolved to the point where it
is now possible for prospective end-users to buy energy
from solar systems - rather than solar systems
themselves. That is, companies exist that arrange and
administer agreements where:
For More Information.....For more information on solar process heating
technologies and a list of member companies, please
contact the
122 C Street, NW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20001.
Phone: (202) 383-2600.
Fax: (202) 383-2670.
Acknowledgments
There are several organizations and individuals who have
contributed to the production of the Catalog. We would
like to thank the U.S. Department of Energy who
recognized the value of this effort by funding the
project and particularly the Office of Industrial Solar
Technologies. Additionally, the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory provided technical support and was a
major proponent of the Catalog's production. We would
also like to thank the many solar industry professionals
who supplied schematics, photographs and other
information that makes up the core of the Catalog.
Copyright (c) 1995, SEIA
Comments and questions to:
www-content@solstice.crest.org
URL: http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/seia_solthrm/index.html
Copyright (c) 1995, Solar Energy Industries Association
Comments & Questions to:
www-content@crest.org