It accounts for 48% of energy consumption in residential buildings alone and is responsible for the release of approximately 502 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. Residential space heating makes up a large portion of energy consumption in the United States. Seasonal solar thermal energy storage systems Up to 91% of energy for this large building can be provided by the most efficient SSTES system. Substantial energy savings are possible within the small footprint required by city lots. A total of 15 simulations of various storage bed locations and configurations as well as building efficiencies are modeled to determine whether a system is feasible for an urban environment. A sand-based storage bed SSTES system for a new five story student housing complex at Virginia Commonwealth University is modeled using TRNSYS Version 16 software. That energy is then sent into the building via radiant floors for space heating use. Solar collectors are used to heat a sand bed, which retains its thermal energy through the winter. Seasonal solar thermal energy storage (SSTES) provides a method to store solar thermal energy collected in the summer to use for heating in the colder months. Box 843015, Richmond, VA 23284-3015, USAĪrticle history: Received 27 April 2011 Received in revised form 31 August 2011 Accepted 4 October 2011 Keywords: TRNSYS Solar thermal storage Seasonal storage Urban buildingsĪ b s t r a c t Space heating, primarily using fossil fuels, is a major component of US energy consumption. ∗ Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 401 West Main Street, Room E3221, P.O.
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirectĮnergy and Buildings journal homepage: Modeling seasonal solar thermal energy storage in a large urban residential building using TRNSYS 16 L.T.