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Content archived on 2022-12-27

PASSIVE SOLAR BUILDING WITH PHASE CHANGE STORAGE AND TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED FLOORS

Objective

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a passive solar design combined with a calortherm phase-change storage system and temperature controlled floors, to provide space heating and cooling for a block of flats in Athens.

The project mis realized in a block of 3 flats (total 597 m2). Each flat has a greenhouse and thick walls for heat storage.
The greenhouse, situated in the south facade, is single glazed and its upper part is made with polycarbonate sheets. The wall dividing the greenhouse and the living areas has a high thermal mass like the conservatory floor. In the upper part of the greenhouse there are some ventilation grilles which transfer, by natural convection, heat from the greenhouse to the building.
Just above the grilles, there is a row of Calotherm tubes which collect the rising warm air and store the remaining energy. The Calortherm phase change salts (C20 type) have a storage ability of 50 kWh.
The porevent solar overheating of the tubes above 80 deg.C they are shaded by a row of solar collectors which provide the domestic hot water.
The 12 m2 solar collectors are connected with a 450 litres storage tank with a 6 kWh immersion heater which provides the auxiliary heating for DHW.
The heat, stored during the day in greenhouse salts, is transfered to an air-water heat pump. The produced heat is stored in a secondary energy store (consisting of Calortherm C31 phase change salts) capable to store 120 kWh of heat. The space heating system for the apartments is low temperature floor heating system with polypropylene panel. The panel are joined together by polypropylene pipes and a special fusion welding method. In the cooling mode the system operates in a similar fashion. The greenhouse is shaded during the day by motorized blinds and the vertical glazing is kept open. There is also natural circulation in the house which allows warm air to escape through the upper part of the building.
The heat pump operates at its cooling mode at night. Storing the cold in C20 Calortherm tubes (not these from the greenhouse) and using fresh air to blow off the heat from the heat pump.
The cold from the C20 tubes is supplied to the floor at a rate of 40 W/m2, at approximately 20deg.C. To avoid air stratification, small fans are used to stir the air in the room.
The total annual energy loads are calculated on 60000 kWh for space heating, 20000 kWh for domestic hot water and 15000 kWh for space cooling.

Call for proposal

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Coordinator

TEKTON MAKRIS BROS SA
EU contribution
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Address
ALEXANDRAS AVENUE 1 EGYPTOU SQUARE
11473 Athens
Greece

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Total cost
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