Assessment of Energy, Environmental and Economic Performance of a Solar Desiccant Cooling System with Different Collector Types

Giovanni Angrisani, Carlo Roselli, Maurizio Sasso and Francesco Tariello
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Giovanni Angrisani: Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Piazza Roma 21, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Carlo Roselli: Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Piazza Roma 21, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Maurizio Sasso: Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Piazza Roma 21, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Francesco Tariello: Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Piazza Roma 21, 82100 Benevento, Italy

Energies, 2014, vol. 7, issue 10, 1-24

Abstract: Desiccant-based air handling units can achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings with respect to conventional air conditioning systems. Benefits are maximized when they interact with renewable energy technologies, such as solar collectors. In this work, experimental tests and data derived from scientific and technical literature are used to implement a model of a solar desiccant cooling system, considering three different collector technologies (air, flat-plate and evacuated collectors). Simulations were then performed to compare the energy, environmental and economic performance of the system with those of a desiccant-based unit where regeneration thermal energy is supplied by a natural gas boiler, and with those of a conventional air-handling unit. The only solution that allows achieving the economic feasibility of the solar desiccant cooling unit consists of 16 m 2 of evacuated solar collectors. This is able to obtain, with respect to the reference system, a reduction of primary energy consumption and of the equivalent CO 2 emissions of 50.2% and 49.8%, respectively, but with a payback time of 20 years.

Keywords: desiccant cooling; solar energy; energy; environmental and economic analysis; simulation model; collector types (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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