Wall heat loss recapture evaluation of transpired solar collectors for different climates: A European case study

Abstract

In the present paper, the performance of the transpired solar collector (TSC) is evaluated for several European cities with different climates. Two primary outputs, the solar air heating, and the recapture of transmission heat loss through the walls were analysed. The wall heat loss recapture can be considered as an important factor for energy saving in buildings, which has not been studied before. RETScreen and SWift are two building simulation tools available for the design and evaluation of transpired solar collectors. Another primary aim is to investigate the detailed mathematical approach that describes the heat transfer process of the physical model for each simulation tool. Results of the models were analysed to predict the performance of TSC in delivering heated air for ventilation applications, and the ability of the partial recapture the transmission heat loss from the warm building interior. Solar radiation, heating degree days, wall thermal transmittance, and air flowrate are the key parameters that influence the heat transfer process. The findings indicate a promising result of using TSC as a dynamic insulation solution for energy savings which can reach up to 55 [kWh/(m2·year)] at high air flowrate 180 [m3/(h∙m2)] for some climates besides the main duty which is the solar air heating.