|
|
At GEAR, we are committed to developing
technologies with focus on less or no impact
on the environment to provide a better life for
ourselves and generations to come.
|
|
|
|
Solar Heating
|
The energy required for the space heating of factory buildings and warehouses can be a major percentage of the energy consumption of a company. While in some cases, waste heat from other processes in the company is available and is the most cost effective way to heat a factory building, an interesting option is to use solar energy to cover the heat demand of an industrial building. Factory buildings and warehouses differ from residential or office buildings in several ways. Typical room heights range from 20 to 30 ft in height and the required room temperatures can be as low as 50 degrees F. Lower required room temperatures in combination with simple system concepts that can be used for space heating of factory buildings are an ideal situation for the application of solar thermal energy. These factors create a big potential for the use of solar thermal energy in various industry sectors.
|
Solar Cooling
|
Industrial grade solar collectors can also power air-conditioning. The main components of a solar cooling system are the solar collectors that are used to generate water at high temperatures for use in a single-stage absorption chiller. There are a myriad of applications for solar cooling in industry and commerce - for shopping malls, hotels, hospitals, schools, commercial centers, etc.
The production of cold through absorption machines and other solar heating equipment is another major field of applications with the added advantage of the coincidence of peak demand with maximum insulation.
Air-conditioning systems are typically based on a compression cycle driven by an electric motor. However, an alternative, mechanically simpler system is based on an absorption cycle driven by a heat source. One type of system that can be operated efficiently using solar energy is the water/lithium bromide absorption chiller. Water at very low pressure is used as the refrigerant and lithium bromide is used as the absorbent. Absorption chillers can be either direct-fired or indirect-fired. They are produced commercially by heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment manufacturers.
Several major air-conditioning equipment manufacturers make indirect-fired absorption chillers that can run on solar heated water or steam.
|