A study of Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficient Technologies for Off-grid Community Residential Buildings in High Solar Radiation Regions
Lead Research Organisation:
Brunel University London
Department Name: Mech. Engineering, Aerospace & Civil Eng
Abstract
Research objectives and questions
Identify suitable stand-alone Renewable Energy Systems; two systems have been identified (a) High Concentrated Photovoltaics system to provide electricity and hot water and (b) solar-powered electrolyser system for production of hydrogen to be used as energy storage and cooking;
Identify suitable Energy Efficient Technology; one promising low-cost technology has been identified - reflective (cool) paint for the external building envelope to reduce heat transfer to internal space. Identify off-the-self technologies and systems suitable for residential buildings to reduce energy demand and develop an energy management system linked to Renewable Energy Systems;
Carry out a Life Cycle Analysis of (a) High Concentrated Photovoltaics system, (b) solar-powered electrolyser system and (c) reflective (cool) paint.
Research methodology
High Concentrated Photovoltaics system is a state of the art technology that is commercially available and continuously being researched and developed for application in high solar radiation regions because of the continuous increase in efficiency. Reflective (cool) paint is a high tech low-cost technology used to improve thermal comfort in naturally ventilated houses and reduce energy demand in air-conditioned houses. The solar-powered electrolyser system will be used to further increase the flexibility of the Renewable Energy System (via production of hydrogen to be used as energy storage and cooking), and hence the overall efficiency of the off-grid energy provision system. The integral energy and Life Cycle Analysis of the two stand-alone Renewable Energy Systems and one Energy Efficient Technology will contribute to knowledge in the area of stand-alone Renewable Energy System, new methodological approach in the development of off-grid communities and the results from this study will provide decision and policy makers with measurements of environmental and economic indicators in the drive towards sustainability.
The research methods are theoretical and computational modelling and field measurements. The computational tools to be used are EnergyPlus for thermal and energy modelling and SimaPro for LCA modelling. The following research task will be carried out:
EnergyPlus will be used to model energy consumption and hot water use for with and without Energy Efficient Technologies. The results with Energy Efficient Technologies will be used to size the High Concentrated Photovoltaics system and hydrogen storage;
Experimental data from a High Concentrated Photovoltaics module installation in Palermo will be used to calibrate a theoretical model to provide reliable predictions for the provision of required electricity and hot water for the community;
Experimental data from houses in Palermo and Portmore will be used to calibrate the EP models to ensure the accuracy of simulations. In addition, a cool roof installation in Portmore will be used to calibrate the EnergyPlus Life Cycle Analysis will be carried out using SimaPro to evaluate the embodied energy, operation energy and environmental impacts of the studied High Concentrated Photovoltaics system, solar-powered electrolyser system and reflective (cool) paint. Data required for Life Cycle Analysis analysis will be sourced from collaborating industry (IDEA Ltd and Sika International). Published data for solar-powered electrolyser system will be also used as far as possible. The Life Cycle Analysis results will be compared with available data of grid electricity Life Cycle Analysis.
Identify suitable stand-alone Renewable Energy Systems; two systems have been identified (a) High Concentrated Photovoltaics system to provide electricity and hot water and (b) solar-powered electrolyser system for production of hydrogen to be used as energy storage and cooking;
Identify suitable Energy Efficient Technology; one promising low-cost technology has been identified - reflective (cool) paint for the external building envelope to reduce heat transfer to internal space. Identify off-the-self technologies and systems suitable for residential buildings to reduce energy demand and develop an energy management system linked to Renewable Energy Systems;
Carry out a Life Cycle Analysis of (a) High Concentrated Photovoltaics system, (b) solar-powered electrolyser system and (c) reflective (cool) paint.
Research methodology
High Concentrated Photovoltaics system is a state of the art technology that is commercially available and continuously being researched and developed for application in high solar radiation regions because of the continuous increase in efficiency. Reflective (cool) paint is a high tech low-cost technology used to improve thermal comfort in naturally ventilated houses and reduce energy demand in air-conditioned houses. The solar-powered electrolyser system will be used to further increase the flexibility of the Renewable Energy System (via production of hydrogen to be used as energy storage and cooking), and hence the overall efficiency of the off-grid energy provision system. The integral energy and Life Cycle Analysis of the two stand-alone Renewable Energy Systems and one Energy Efficient Technology will contribute to knowledge in the area of stand-alone Renewable Energy System, new methodological approach in the development of off-grid communities and the results from this study will provide decision and policy makers with measurements of environmental and economic indicators in the drive towards sustainability.
The research methods are theoretical and computational modelling and field measurements. The computational tools to be used are EnergyPlus for thermal and energy modelling and SimaPro for LCA modelling. The following research task will be carried out:
EnergyPlus will be used to model energy consumption and hot water use for with and without Energy Efficient Technologies. The results with Energy Efficient Technologies will be used to size the High Concentrated Photovoltaics system and hydrogen storage;
Experimental data from a High Concentrated Photovoltaics module installation in Palermo will be used to calibrate a theoretical model to provide reliable predictions for the provision of required electricity and hot water for the community;
Experimental data from houses in Palermo and Portmore will be used to calibrate the EP models to ensure the accuracy of simulations. In addition, a cool roof installation in Portmore will be used to calibrate the EnergyPlus Life Cycle Analysis will be carried out using SimaPro to evaluate the embodied energy, operation energy and environmental impacts of the studied High Concentrated Photovoltaics system, solar-powered electrolyser system and reflective (cool) paint. Data required for Life Cycle Analysis analysis will be sourced from collaborating industry (IDEA Ltd and Sika International). Published data for solar-powered electrolyser system will be also used as far as possible. The Life Cycle Analysis results will be compared with available data of grid electricity Life Cycle Analysis.
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509437/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2021 | |||
| 1836559 | Studentship | EP/N509437/1 | 01/01/2017 | 31/12/2019 | Emmanuel Shittu |
| EP/R512990/1 | 01/10/2018 | 30/09/2023 | |||
| 1836559 | Studentship | EP/R512990/1 | 01/01/2017 | 31/12/2019 | Emmanuel Shittu |
| Description | This section is explained in terms of the research problem, the research gap and contribution. --> Research problem: residential buildings including low-rise type in hot regions have high cooling energy demand that contributes to high electricity use by cooling systems and environmental impact issues including climate change. This energy demand and environmental impacts can be mitigated by: i. The increasing energy efficiency of residential buildings ii. Reduction of internal heat gains iii. Application of solar energy systems --> Research gap: operational energy savings and lifecycle environmental impacts of renovation solutions for low-rise residential buildings in hot countries --> The key contributions to the energy and building research field: i. Computational model was developed to used to accurately predict energy demand and savings by different energy-efficient envelope technologies of low-rise houses in hot countries ii. Monitoring energy production data of the HCPV/T 2000x system can be used to size the HCPV/T 2000x system required to meet most/all energy demand of retrofitted low-rise houses iii. LCA system boundary was developed for cool roof paint and HCPV/T 2000x system to assess their environmental impact performance iv. The combination of energy demand, energy production and LCA is a novel methodology for the critical assessment of material and energy flows in energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies for buildings. |
| Exploitation Route | The research project led to academic contribution via the publications of journal papers, a conference paper, and a conference poster. The integration of thermal modelling and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method used in this research project, can be used by researchers to investigate building energy-efficient technologies to improve energy performance and environmental impacts of residential buildings. Academic and professionals in the built environment, including policymakers, can make use of the research outcomes to improve building energy and environmental performance. The cool roof paint can be used to address the growing cooling energy concern in hot countries, by retrofitting poorly insulated low-rise existing building roof. The cool roof paint can also be used on the roof of the new low-rise building instead of roof thermal insulation because it is a low-cost solution with similar energy savings potential. The integration of the High Concentrator Photovoltaic Thermal (HCPV/T) 2000x system in residential buildings can be used as a step to improving environmental impact in the building sector. This is because it reduces the dependency on non-Renewable Energy Source (non-RES) systems, which according to found literature studies have a high environmental impact (including climate change). |
| Sectors | Construction,Education,Energy,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| URL | https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/645677/results |