A Parametric Study of a Solar-Assisted House Heating System with a Seasonal Underground Thermal Energy Storage Tank

• Main Authors: Le Minh Nhut, Waseem Raza, Youn Cheol Park
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: energy; heating system; solar energy; underground thermal storage tank
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8686

The requirement for energy is increasing worldwide as populations and economies develop. Reasons for this increase include global warming, climate change, an increase in electricity demand, and paucity of fossil fuels. Therefore, research in renewable energy technology has become a central topic in recent studies. In this study, a solar-assisted house heating system with a seasonal underground thermal energy storage tank is proposed based on the reference system to calculate the insulation thickness effect, the collector area, and an underground storage tank volume on the system performance according to real weather conditions at Jeju Island, South Korea. For this purpose, a mathematical model was established to calculate its operating performance. This mathematical model used the thermal response factor method to calculate the heat load and heat loss of the seasonal underground thermal energy storage tank. The results revealed that on days with different weather conditions, namely, clear weather, intermittent clouds sky, and overcast sky, the obtained solar fraction was 45.8%, 17.26%, and 0%, respectively. Using this method, we can save energy, space, and cost. This can then be applied to the solar-assisted house heating system in South Korea using the seasonal underground thermal energy storage tank.