IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v10y2017i10p1463-d112930.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparison of Different Solar-Assisted Air Conditioning Systems for Australian Office Buildings

Author

Listed:
  • Yunlong Ma

    (School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia)

  • Suvash C. Saha

    (School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia)

  • Wendy Miller

    (School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia)

  • Lisa Guan

    (University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Design Architecture and Building, Ultimo NSW 2007, Australia)

Abstract

This study has investigated the feasibility of three different solar-assisted air conditioning systems for typical medium-sized office buildings in all eight Australian capital cities using the whole building energy simulation software EnergyPlus. The studied solar cooling systems include: solar desiccant-evaporative cooling (SDEC) system, hybrid solar desiccant-compression cooling (SDCC) system, and solar absorption cooling (SAC) system. A referenced conventional vapor compression variable-air-volume (VAV) system has also been investigated for comparison purpose. The technical, environmental, and economic performances of each solar cooling system have been evaluated in terms of solar fraction ( SF ), system coefficient of performance ( COP ), annual HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) electricity consumption, annual CO 2 emissions reduction, payback period ( PBP ), and net present value ( NPV ). The results demonstrate that the SDEC system consumes the least energy in Brisbane and Darwin, achieving 56.9% and 82.1% annual energy savings, respectively, compared to the conventional VAV system, while for the other six cities, the SAC system is the most energy efficient. However, from both energy and economic aspects, the SDEC system is more feasible in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney because of high annual SF and COP , low yearly energy consumption, short PBP and positive NPV , while for Canberra and Hobart, although the SAC system achieves considerable energy savings, it is not economically beneficial due to high initial cost. Therefore, the SDEC system is the most economically beneficial for most of Australian cities, especially in hot and humid climates. The SAC system is also energy efficient, but is not as economic as the SDEC system. However, for Canberra and Hobart, reducing initial cost is the key point to achieve economic feasibility of solar cooling applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Yunlong Ma & Suvash C. Saha & Wendy Miller & Lisa Guan, 2017. "Comparison of Different Solar-Assisted Air Conditioning Systems for Australian Office Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-27, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:10:y:2017:i:10:p:1463-:d:112930
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/10/1463/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/10/1463/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hartmann, N. & Glueck, C. & Schmidt, F.P., 2011. "Solar cooling for small office buildings: Comparison of solar thermal and photovoltaic options for two different European climates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1329-1338.
    2. Muhammad Umair & Atsushi Akisawa & Yuki Ueda, 2014. "Performance Evaluation of a Solar Adsorption Refrigeration System with a Wing Type Compound Parabolic Concentrator," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-19, March.
    3. Baniyounes, Ali M. & Liu, Gang & Rasul, M.G. & Khan, M.M.K., 2013. "Comparison study of solar cooling technologies for an institutional building in subtropical Queensland, Australia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 421-430.
    4. Hassan Zohair Hassan, 2014. "Performance Evaluation of a Continuous Operation Adsorption Chiller Powered by Solar Energy Using Silica Gel and Water as the Working Pair," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Fong, K.F. & Lee, C.K. & Chow, T.T., 2012. "Comparative study of solar cooling systems with building-integrated solar collectors for use in sub-tropical regions like Hong Kong," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 189-195.
    6. Bahadori, Alireza & Nwaoha, Chikezie, 2013. "A review on solar energy utilisation in Australia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 1-5.
    7. Byrnes, Liam & Brown, Colin & Foster, John & Wagner, Liam D., 2013. "Australian renewable energy policy: Barriers and challenges," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 711-721.
    8. Baniyounes, Ali M. & Liu, Gang & Rasul, M.G. & Khan, M.M.K., 2012. "Analysis of solar desiccant cooling system for an institutional building in subtropical Queensland, Australia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(8), pages 6423-6431.
    9. Sheng Zhu & Jiufa Chen, 2012. "A simulation study for a low carbon consumption HVAC project using EnergyPlus," International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 248-254, April.
    10. M. Mujahid Rafique & Shafiqur Rehman & Luai M. Alhems & Aref Lashin, 2016. "Parametric Analysis of a Rotary Type Liquid Desiccant Air Conditioning System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-15, April.
    11. Camelia Stanciu & Dorin Stanciu & Adina-Teodora Gheorghian, 2017. "Thermal Analysis of a Solar Powered Absorption Cooling System with Fully Mixed Thermal Storage at Startup," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, January.
    12. Elisa Moretti & Emanuele Bonamente & Cinzia Buratti & Franco Cotana, 2013. "Development of Innovative Heating and Cooling Systems Using Renewable Energy Sources for Non-Residential Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(10), pages 1-16, October.
    13. Baniyounes, Ali M. & Ghadi, Yazeed Yasin & Rasul, M.G. & Khan, M.M.K., 2013. "An overview of solar assisted air conditioning in Queensland's subtropical regions, Australia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 781-804.
    14. Baniyounes, Ali M. & Rasul, M.G. & Khan, M.M.K., 2013. "Assessment of solar assisted air conditioning in Central Queensland's subtropical climate, Australia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 334-341.
    15. M. Mujahid Rafique & Shafiqur Rehman & Aref Lashin & Nassir Al Arifi, 2016. "Analysis of a Solar Cooling System for Climatic Conditions of Five Different Cities of Saudi Arabia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-13, January.
    16. Assilzadeh, F. & Kalogirou, S.A. & Ali, Y. & Sopian, K., 2005. "Simulation and optimization of a LiBr solar absorption cooling system with evacuated tube collectors," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 1143-1159.
    17. Mateus, Tiago & Oliveira, Armando C., 2009. "Energy and economic analysis of an integrated solar absorption cooling and heating system in different building types and climates," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(6), pages 949-957, June.
    18. Alexandros Arsalis & Andreas N. Alexandrou & George E. Georghiou, 2016. "Thermoeconomic Modeling and Parametric Study of a Photovoltaic-Assisted 1 MW e Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-15, August.
    19. Yunlong Ma & Suvash C. Saha & Wendy Miller & Lisa Guan, 2017. "Parametric Analysis of Design Parameter Effects on the Performance of a Solar Desiccant Evaporative Cooling System in Brisbane, Australia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, June.
    20. Giovanni Angrisani & Carlo Roselli & Maurizio Sasso & Francesco Tariello & Giuseppe Peter Vanoli, 2016. "Performance Assessment of a Solar-Assisted Desiccant-Based Air Handling Unit Considering Different Scenarios," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-24, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Prieto, Alejandro & Knaack, Ulrich & Auer, Thomas & Klein, Tillmann, 2019. "COOLFACADE: State-of-the-art review and evaluation of solar cooling technologies on their potential for façade integration," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 395-414.
    2. Nuria Novas & Alfredo Alcayde & Isabel Robalo & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro & Francisco G. Montoya, 2020. "Energies and Its Worldwide Research," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-41, December.
    3. Tanima Bal & Saheli Ray & Nidul Sinha & Ramesh Devarapalli & Łukasz Knypiński, 2023. "Integrating Demand Response for Enhanced Load Frequency Control in Micro-Grids with Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-23, August.
    4. Shamim, Jubair A. & Hsu, Wei-Lun & Paul, Soumyadeep & Yu, Lili & Daiguji, Hirofumi, 2021. "A review of solid desiccant dehumidifiers: Current status and near-term development goals in the context of net zero energy buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    5. Pau Fonseca i Casas & Antoni Fonseca i Casas & Nuria Garrido-Soriano & Alfonso Godoy & Wendys-Carolina Pujols & Jesus Garcia, 2017. "Solution Validation for a Double Façade Prototype," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-19, December.
    6. Bárbara Torregrosa-Jaime & Benjamín González & Pedro J. Martínez & Gaspar Payá-Ballester, 2018. "Analysis of the Operation of an Aerothermal Heat Pump in a Residential Building Using Building Information Modelling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-17, June.
    7. Boris Delač & Branimir Pavković & Vladimir Glažar, 2023. "Economic and Energetic Assessment and Comparison of Solar Heating and Cooling Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, January.
    8. Ramadas Narayanan & Edward Halawa & Sanjeev Jain, 2019. "Dehumidification Potential of a Solid Desiccant Based Evaporative Cooling System with an Enthalpy Exchanger Operating in Subtropical and Tropical Climates," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-18, July.
    9. Ramadas Narayanan & Edward Halawa & Sanjeev Jain, 2018. "Performance Characteristics of Solid-Desiccant Evaporative Cooling Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, September.
    10. Edward Halawa & Frank Bruno, 2023. "Energy Performance and Thermal Comfort Delivery Capabilities of Solid-Desiccant Rotor-Based Air-Conditioning for Warm to Hot and Humid Climates—A Critical Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-17, August.
    11. Ramadas Narayanan & Subbu Sethuvenkatraman & Roberto Pippia, 2022. "Energy and Comfort Evaluation of Fresh Air-Based Hybrid Cooling System in Hot and Humid Climates," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-13, October.
    12. Emanuele Bonamente & Andrea Aquino, 2017. "Life-Cycle Assessment of an Innovative Ground-Source Heat Pump System with Upstream Thermal Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-10, November.
    13. Lanbo Lai & Xiaolin Wang & Gholamreza Kefayati & Eric Hu, 2021. "Evaporative Cooling Integrated with Solid Desiccant Systems: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.
    14. Ancuta C. Abrudan & Octavian G. Pop & Alexandru Serban & Mugur C. Balan, 2019. "New Perspective on Performances and Limits of Solar Fresh Air Cooling in Different Climatic Conditions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-22, June.
    15. Gado, Mohamed G. & Ookawara, Shinichi & Nada, Sameh & El-Sharkawy, Ibrahim I., 2021. "Hybrid sorption-vapor compression cooling systems: A comprehensive overview," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yunlong Ma & Suvash C. Saha & Wendy Miller & Lisa Guan, 2017. "Parametric Analysis of Design Parameter Effects on the Performance of a Solar Desiccant Evaporative Cooling System in Brisbane, Australia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, June.
    2. Sultan, Muhammad & El-Sharkawy, Ibrahim I. & Miyazaki, Takahiko & Saha, Bidyut Baran & Koyama, Shigeru, 2015. "An overview of solid desiccant dehumidification and air conditioning systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 16-29.
    3. Nkwetta, Dan Nchelatebe & Sandercock, Jim, 2016. "A state-of-the-art review of solar air-conditioning systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1351-1366.
    4. Shirazi, Ali & Taylor, Robert A. & White, Stephen D. & Morrison, Graham L., 2016. "Transient simulation and parametric study of solar-assisted heating and cooling absorption systems: An energetic, economic and environmental (3E) assessment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 955-971.
    5. Herrando, María & Pantaleo, Antonio M. & Wang, Kai & Markides, Christos N., 2019. "Solar combined cooling, heating and power systems based on hybrid PVT, PV or solar-thermal collectors for building applications," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 637-647.
    6. Alahmer, Ali & Ajib, Salman & Wang, Xiaolin, 2019. "Comprehensive strategies for performance improvement of adsorption air conditioning systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 138-158.
    7. Chen, Guansheng & Liu, Chongchong & Li, Nanshuo & Li, Feng, 2017. "A study on heat absorbing and vapor generating characteristics of H2O/LiBr mixture in an evacuated tube," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 294-299.
    8. Zeyghami, Mehdi & Goswami, D. Yogi & Stefanakos, Elias, 2015. "A review of solar thermo-mechanical refrigeration and cooling methods," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1428-1445.
    9. Lubis, Arnas & Jeong, Jongsoo & Giannetti, Niccolo & Yamaguchi, Seiichi & Saito, Kiyoshi & Yabase, Hajime & Alhamid, Muhammad I. & Nasruddin,, 2018. "Operation performance enhancement of single-double-effect absorption chiller," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 299-311.
    10. Zouaoui, Ahlem & Zili-Ghedira, Leila & Ben Nasrallah, Sassi, 2016. "Open solid desiccant cooling air systems: A review and comparative study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 889-917.
    11. Gao, D.C. & Sun, Y.J. & Ma, Z. & Ren, H., 2021. "A review on integration and design of desiccant air-conditioning systems for overall performance improvements," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    12. Hang, Yin & Du, Lili & Qu, Ming & Peeta, Srinivas, 2013. "Multi-objective optimization of integrated solar absorption cooling and heating systems for medium-sized office buildings," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 67-78.
    13. Alobaid, Mohammad & Hughes, Ben & Calautit, John Kaiser & O’Connor, Dominic & Heyes, Andrew, 2017. "A review of solar driven absorption cooling with photovoltaic thermal systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 728-742.
    14. Leonzio, Grazia, 2017. "Solar systems integrated with absorption heat pumps and thermal energy storages: state of art," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 492-505.
    15. Balghouthi, M. & Chahbani, M.H. & Guizani, A., 2012. "Investigation of a solar cooling installation in Tunisia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 138-148.
    16. Ghadi, Yazeed Yasin & Rasul, M.G. & Khan, M.M.K., 2016. "Design and development of advanced fuzzy logic controllers in smart buildings for institutional buildings in subtropical Queensland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 738-744.
    17. Calise, Francesco & Dentice d'Accadia, Massimo & Palombo, Adolfo & Vanoli, Laura, 2013. "Dynamic simulation of a novel high-temperature solar trigeneration system based on concentrating photovoltaic/thermal collectors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 72-86.
    18. Palomba, Valeria & Vasta, Salvatore & Freni, Angelo & Pan, Quanwen & Wang, Ruzhu & Zhai, Xiaoqiang, 2017. "Increasing the share of renewables through adsorption solar cooling: A validated case study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 126-140.
    19. Eicker, Ursula & Pietruschka, Dirk & Haag, Maximilian & Schmitt, Andreas, 2015. "Systematic design and analysis of solar thermal cooling systems in different climates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 827-836.
    20. Fong, K.F. & Lee, C.K., 2015. "Investigation of separate or integrated provision of solar cooling and heating for use in typical low-rise residential building in subtropical Hong Kong," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 847-855.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:10:y:2017:i:10:p:1463-:d:112930. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.