Thermodynamic solar energy is a combination of aerothermal and solar thermal energy. This system uses solar energy and thermal energy from the air.
Thermodynamic solar energy is a system that takes advantage of the difference between the temperature of the liquid that circulates inside the thermodynamic panels and the ambient temperature. The fluid that circulates inside the panels is refrigerant at a shallow temperature.
What is aerothermal energy?
Aerothermal energy uses an air-source heat pump to lower the temperature of a refrigerant liquid and make it circulate in thermal contact with the outside.
Aerothermal energy is the thermal energy contained in the air. It is a renewable source of energy that can be harnessed to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings. Aerothermal energy is a renewable resource because it is constantly replenished by the sun.
The sun heats the earth’s atmosphere, which in turn heats the air. This heat is transferred to the earth’s surface and released into the atmosphere. The amount of aerothermal energy available at any given time depends on the weather. When it’s sunny, more aerothermal power is available than when it is cloudy.
In addition, aerothermal energy can be used to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings. To generate electricity, aerothermal energy can be used to power a turbine which drives an electrical generator. Alternatively, it can be used to heat water which is then used to drive a steam turbine.
These systems can absorb heat from the air to be used to heat and cool buildings. In this application, the air is pumped into a building and passed over a heat exchanger. This transfers the heat from the air into the building, or vice versa, depending on the season.
What is solar thermal energy?
Solar thermal energy is a type of solar energy that harnesses the sun’s heat to generate electricity or heat water or air.
These power plants use thermal panels irradiated by the sun to generate electricity. Solar water heating systems use the sun’s heat to warm water for domestic or commercial use. Solar air conditioning systems use the sun’s heat to cool air in buildings.
Solar thermal power plants have low emissions and do not produce pollution or greenhouse gases. Solar water heating and solar air conditioning systems can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing the need for fossil fuel-generated energy.
Independent tests say it is efficient to generate electricity and heat water or air. Solar thermal power plants can have efficiencies of up to 50%. This means that 50% of the solar energy striking the collector is converted into electricity. Solar water heating systems typically have an efficiency of 80-95%. This means 80-95% of the solar energy striking the collector is used to heat water. Solar air conditioning systems typically have an efficiency of 30-40%.
What is this solar energy system for?
The primary use of this system is the generation of domestic hot water (ACS), water heaters, and hot water systems. In general, thermodynamic water is used in family homes, but it can also be used in other industrial uses where hot water is required.
Pros and cons of thermodynamic solar panels
The main advantage of thermodynamic solar panels is that energy can be generated in almost any condition. The requirement is that the outdoor temperature is not lower than the coolant temperature.
The main disadvantage is that the electricity consumption is constant due to the need for a heat pump.
Thermal solar panels are not very expensive and have a useful life of more than 25 years.
How does thermodynamic solar energy work?
An installation is composed of the following:
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A thermodynamic panel that tries to absorb the most significant amount of heat from the environment. The absorption is carried out through a refrigerant gas at a shallow temperature (around -4ºC).
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A heat pump has a compressor that moves the refrigerant gas from the panel to an expansion system.
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An accumulator with a coil through which the refrigerant gas passes at a high temperature, producing a heat exchange and heating the water for later use.
Differences between thermodynamic and thermal solar energy
Thermodynamic solar energy is a system for generating thermal energy that is more complicated but complete than solar thermal energy. Solar thermal energy only captures heat through solar energy, while a thermodynamic system also uses heat in the environment. Therefore, it has more elements.
On the other hand, thermodynamic solar energy has the advantage that it is capable of extracting energy not only from the sun but also from ambient air, wind, or even rainwater. Therefore it is not as dependent on a changing resource as the sun.