With 70% of the world's population projected to live in urban areas by 2060 (ARUP, 2016) and 67% of current energy related emissions produced in urban areas (IEA, 2008), there is a compelling case to investigate the reduction of CO2 emissions from heating in densely populated areas in the UK or other regions with heating requirements. This paper investigates how a s i n g l e PVT panel system with thermal and electrical storage could reduce heating emissions for a row of terraced houses. The main findings of the study carried out in Dymola/Modelica were that there is potential for greater thermal and electrical output with larger PVT systems and shared communal electrical and thermal storage. Preheating the mains water which supplies the hot water tank u s i n g the PVT both increased the PVT thermal efficiency and utilisation, and the electrical efficiency. In this configuration, the PVT system was able to supply all hot water demands of a row of terraced houses and supply about 91% of electricity demands.
Solar photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors could be a competitive addition to district heating systems, particularly in areas with high energy density since they simultaneously produce electricity and heat whilst increasing the PV efficiency through cooling. This study presents a new Modelica PVT model, which is used together with EnergyPlus in a co-simulation setup to assess the technical feasibility of solar PVT district heating in new builds. The model has been applied to a block of 12 2-bedroom terraced houses with a 184m2 PVT array on the south facing side of the roof. It was identified that well-designed seasonal PVT heating configurations and control schemes are required to maximise PVT outputs. PVT dual thermal modes occur when the PV is either connected to a load or producing at close to the maximum power point. Integrating the dual modes into a control system could be more economical if heat tariffs were higher than electrical ones when heat demand is greater than the PVT thermal output.
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