Solar-Thermal Active-Panel for Energy Efficient Building Envelopes Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Buildings utilize approximately 40% of the total energy consumed in USA and Canada. Therefore, there is an**increasing need for saving energy consumed by buildings. Large portions of building materials have relatively**low thermal conductivities and high heat capacities. Therefore, the building structures have significant**potential to be utilized as temporary thermal energy storage systems. Innovative North (industrial partner for**this project) has been involved in the process of developing clean technologies like "SolarStrom" and**"ThermoStorm". Such technologies can be effectively utilized for windows, doors, walls, etc. for the energy**efficient building and can store energy from renewable sources and convert the stored energy to heat and other**useful forms (e.g., air-heating, air-conditioning, power generation, water heating, etc.) when required. Proposed**project involves computational simulation, design optimization, and performance test of solar-thermal**active-panel for energy efficient building envelopes integrated with latent heat thermal energy storage system.**Energy storage layer having both metallic porous and non-porous layer with phase change material will be**investigated and their energy storing efficiency will be determined. A large scale prototype will be developed**for experimental measurements in the lab and outside environment. Heat flux and temperatures of air layer,**heat transfer fluid, and energy storage material layer will be measured. Energy conversion efficiency of the**prototype will be calculated. Project like this will assist stimulation of green investment, green innovation, and**will create more employment opportunities for local people and environment friendly technologies. In the long**run, such system has the potential for cost and carbon footprint reductions in Ontario as well as in Canada.