Abstract
© 2017, University of Malaya. All rights reserved. Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems account for approximately 55% o f the total energy consumption in buildings. Different types of cooling technologies that integrate solar thermal energy have been explored because of increasing worldwide energy shortage. Latest air-conditioning systems have achieved improved energy efficiency. The application o f solar energy to various types of HVAC systems proved its huge potential for reducing energy usage. However, solar radiation is highly time dependent and fails to meet building demand. In this study, the potential of a 1.5 HP solar assisted air-conditioning system was evaluated by collecting and using real data, including current, voltage, power, and temperature. The application o f the solar-assisted and inverter-type air-conditioning systems was compared for evaluating their performances. The study was conducted in the northern region of Malaysia, specifically Kedah, in a room with the same as that o f a standard office space. Results showed that the average coefficients o f performance of the solar assisted air-conditioning system ranged from 3.00 to 4.45. This range allows for the optimal consumption of electric energy without wastage. Therefore, the solar-assisted air-conditioning system can provide an environmentally friendly alternative to reducing electricity rates.
Highlights
systems are responsible for approximately 55% of the total energy consumption
HVAC contributed to the reduction of fossil fuel resources and production
Studies showed that the total number of air-conditioning units
Summary
Ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are responsible for approximately 55% of the total energy consumption in buildings (Al-Abidi et al, 2012). Studies showed that the total number of air-conditioning units in residential buildings in Malaysia was 493,082 in 1999. This figure increased by 6.7% (528,792 units) in 2000 and by roughly 42% (907,670 units) in 2009 (Saidur et al, 2007). Solar radiation is a highly time-dependent energy resource and it does not always meet the building demand (Munaaim et al, 2014; Al-Obaidi et al, 2017). This problem can be addressed by storing and releasing thermal energy according to building load (Aminuddin and Rao, 2008; Sulaiman, 2005). An appropriate control method should be employed by solar assisted HVAC systems to adjust the stored solar thermal energy according to the transient building demand
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