IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i17p5573-d629994.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Solar-Powered Thermoelectric-Based Cooling and Heating System for Building Applications: A Parametric Study

Author

Listed:
  • Mohadeseh Seyednezhad

    (Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA)

  • Hamidreza Najafi

    (Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA)

Abstract

Thermoelectric (TE) based cooling and heating systems offer significant advantages over conventional vapor compression systems including no need for refrigeration or major moving parts, high controllability, and scalability. The purpose of the present study is to provide an energy and economic assessment of the performance of a TE-based radiant cooling and heating system for building applications. It is considered that TE modules are integrated in the ceiling to lower/increase the ceiling temperature through the Peltier effect during the hot/cold season to provide thermal comfort for the occupants via radiation and convection. The study explores the possibility of using rooftop PV panels to produce electricity required for the operation of TE modules. An actual office building located in Melbourne, FL, USA is considered for a test study, and the hourly cooling and heating loads of the building are calculated through building energy simulation in eQuest. Various operating conditions, including different input voltages and temperature gradient across TE modules, are considered, and the system is sized to properly address the year-around cooling/heating demand. It is shown that a nominal cooling capacity of 112.8 W and a nominal PV capacity of 31.35 W per unit area of the building is required to achieve the target goal when the system operates at the optimal condition. An economic analysis is also performed, and estimated cost, as well as potential savings, are calculated for each operating condition. The optimal operating condition with minimum cost is selected accordingly. The results demonstrated that the initial cost of the proposed system is considerably higher than conventional heating/cooling systems. However, the system offers other benefits that can potentially make it an attractive option for building cooling/heating applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohadeseh Seyednezhad & Hamidreza Najafi, 2021. "Solar-Powered Thermoelectric-Based Cooling and Heating System for Building Applications: A Parametric Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:17:p:5573-:d:629994
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/17/5573/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/17/5573/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Luo, Yongqiang & Zhang, Ling & Liu, Zhongbing & Wang, Yingzi & Meng, Fangfang & Wu, Jing, 2016. "Thermal performance evaluation of an active building integrated photovoltaic thermoelectric wall system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 25-39.
    2. He, Wei & Zhou, Jinzhi & Hou, Jingxin & Chen, Chi & Ji, Jie, 2013. "Theoretical and experimental investigation on a thermoelectric cooling and heating system driven by solar," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 89-97.
    3. Duan, Mengfan & Sun, Hongli & Lin, Borong & Wu, Yifan, 2021. "Evaluation on the applicability of thermoelectric air cooling systems for buildings with thermoelectric material optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    4. Tan, Yong Zen & Han, Le & Chew, Nick Guan Pin & Chow, Wai Hoong & Wang, Rong & Chew, Jia Wei, 2018. "Membrane distillation hybridized with a thermoelectric heat pump for energy-efficient water treatment and space cooling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 1079-1088.
    5. Irshad, Kashif & Habib, Khairul & Basrawi, Firdaus & Saha, Bidyut Baran, 2017. "Study of a thermoelectric air duct system assisted by photovoltaic wall for space cooling in tropical climate," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 504-522.
    6. Su, Xiaosong & Zhang, Ling & Liu, Zhongbing & Luo, Yongqiang & Chen, Dapeng & Li, Weijiao, 2021. "Performance evaluation of a novel building envelope integrated with thermoelectric cooler and radiative sky cooler," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1061-1078.
    7. Global Energy Assessment Writing Team,, 2012. "Global Energy Assessment," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521182935.
    8. Cheng, Tsung-Chieh & Cheng, Chin-Hsiang & Huang, Zhu-Zin & Liao, Guo-Chun, 2011. "Development of an energy-saving module via combination of solar cells and thermoelectric coolers for green building applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 133-140.
    9. Luo, Yongqiang & Yan, Tian & Zhang, Nan, 2020. "Study on dynamic thermal characteristics of thermoelectric radiant cooling panel system through a hybrid method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    10. Zhao, Kang & Liu, Xiao-Hua & Jiang, Yi, 2016. "Application of radiant floor cooling in large space buildings – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 1083-1096.
    11. Liu, Di & Zhao, Fu-Yun & Yang, Hong-Xing & Tang, Guang-Fa, 2015. "Thermoelectric mini cooler coupled with micro thermosiphon for CPU cooling system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 29-36.
    12. Twaha, Ssennoga & Zhu, Jie & Yan, Yuying & Li, Bo, 2016. "A comprehensive review of thermoelectric technology: Materials, applications, modelling and performance improvement," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 698-726.
    13. Global Energy Assessment Writing Team,, 2012. "Global Energy Assessment," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107005198.
    14. Zhang, Houcheng & Xu, Haoran & Chen, Bin & Dong, Feifei & Ni, Meng, 2017. "Two-stage thermoelectric generators for waste heat recovery from solid oxide fuel cells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 280-288.
    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. Mohadeseh Seyednezhad & Hamidreza Najafi & Benjamin Kubwimana, 2021. "Numerical and Experimental Investigation of a Thermoelectric-Based Radiant Ceiling Panel with Phase Change Material for Building Cooling Applications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-17, October.
    2. George M. Stavrakakis & Dimitris Al. Katsaprakakis & Markos Damasiotis, 2021. "Basic Principles, Most Common Computational Tools, and Capabilities for Building Energy and Urban Microclimate Simulations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-41, October.
    3. Kittiwoot Sutthivirode & Tongchana Thongtip, 2022. "Experimental Determination of an Optimal Performance Map of a Steam Ejector Refrigeration System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-19, June.

    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. Cai, Yang & Wang, Wei-Wei & Liu, Cheng-Wei & Ding, Wen-Tao & Liu, Di & Zhao, Fu-Yun, 2020. "Performance evaluation of a thermoelectric ventilation system driven by the concentrated photovoltaic thermoelectric generators for green building operations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 1565-1583.
    2. Mohadeseh Seyednezhad & Hamidreza Najafi & Benjamin Kubwimana, 2021. "Numerical and Experimental Investigation of a Thermoelectric-Based Radiant Ceiling Panel with Phase Change Material for Building Cooling Applications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-17, October.
    3. 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.
    4. Zuazua-Ros, Amaia & Martín-Gómez, César & Ibañez-Puy, Elia & Vidaurre-Arbizu, Marina & Gelbstein, Yaniv, 2019. "Investigation of the thermoelectric potential for heating, cooling and ventilation in buildings: Characterization options and applications," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 229-239.
    5. Zhao, Dongliang & Yin, Xiaobo & Xu, Jingtao & Tan, Gang & Yang, Ronggui, 2020. "Radiative sky cooling-assisted thermoelectric cooling system for building applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    6. Andrés Villarruel-Jaramillo & Manuel Pérez-García & José M. Cardemil & Rodrigo A. Escobar, 2021. "Review of Polygeneration Schemes with Solar Cooling Technologies and Potential Industrial Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-30, October.
    7. Sadighi Dizaji, Hamed & Jafarmadar, Samad & Khalilarya, Shahram & Moosavi, Amin, 2016. "An exhaustive experimental study of a novel air-water based thermoelectric cooling unit," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 357-366.
    8. Yang, Yang & Chen, Sarula, 2022. "Thermal insulation solutions for opaque envelope of low-energy buildings: A systematic review of methods and applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    9. Luo, Yongqiang & Zhang, Ling & Bozlar, Michael & Liu, Zhongbing & Guo, Hongshan & Meggers, Forrest, 2019. "Active building envelope systems toward renewable and sustainable energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 470-491.
    10. Cai, Yang & Wang, Lei & Ding, Wen-Tao & Liu, Di & Zhao, Fu-Yun, 2019. "Thermal performance of an active thermoelectric ventilation system applied for built space cooling: Network model and finite time thermodynamic optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 915-930.
    11. Liu, Xiaoli & Jani, Ruchita & Orisakwe, Esther & Johnston, Conrad & Chudzinski, Piotr & Qu, Ming & Norton, Brian & Holmes, Niall & Kohanoff, Jorge & Stella, Lorenzo & Yin, Hongxi & Yazawa, Kazuaki, 2021. "State of the art in composition, fabrication, characterization, and modeling methods of cement-based thermoelectric materials for low-temperature applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    12. Tilmann Rave, 2013. "Innovation Indicators on Global Climate Change – R&D Expenditure and Patents," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 66(15), pages 34-41, August.
    13. Daniel Moran & Richard Wood, 2014. "Convergence Between The Eora, Wiod, Exiobase, And Openeu'S Consumption-Based Carbon Accounts," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(3), pages 245-261, September.
    14. Lykke E. Andersen & Luis Carlos Jemio, 2016. "Decentralization and poverty reduction in Bolivia: Challenges and opportunities," Development Research Working Paper Series 01/2016, Institute for Advanced Development Studies.
    15. Inglesi-Lotz, Roula, 2017. "Social rate of return to R&D on various energy technologies: Where should we invest more? A study of G7 countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 521-525.
    16. Tom Mikunda & Tom Kober & Heleen de Coninck & Morgan Bazilian & Hilke R�sler & Bob van der Zwaan, 2014. "Designing policy for deployment of CCS in industry," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(5), pages 665-676, September.
    17. Jun Nakatani & Tamon Maruyama & Kosuke Fukuchi & Yuichi Moriguchi, 2015. "A Practical Approach to Screening Potential Environmental Hotspots of Different Impact Categories in Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-15, August.
    18. Fichter, Tobias & Soria, Rafael & Szklo, Alexandre & Schaeffer, Roberto & Lucena, Andre F.P., 2017. "Assessing the potential role of concentrated solar power (CSP) for the northeast power system of Brazil using a detailed power system model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 695-715.
    19. Selosse, Sandrine & Ricci, Olivia & Maïzi, Nadia, 2013. "Fukushima's impact on the European power sector: The key role of CCS technologies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 305-312.
    20. Kamjoo, Azadeh & Maheri, Alireza & Putrus, Ghanim A., 2014. "Chance constrained programming using non-Gaussian joint distribution function in design of standalone hybrid renewable energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 677-688.

    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:14:y:2021:i:17:p:5573-:d:629994. 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.