Characterization and assessment of selected solar thermal energy systems for residential and process heat applications

The environmental data presented are in partial response to the Technology Assessment of Solar Energy (TASE) program. TASE is an assessment of the potential environmental, socioeconomic, and institutional impacts of solar technologies on the national, regional, and local community levels. The results of studies of seven solar thermal energy applications are presented. Five of these are residential applications: space heating - active liquid, space heating - active air, domestic hot water - active, space heating - passive, and space heating and cooling - active liquid. Denver, Colorado, was selected as a representative location for each of the above applications. The remaining two applications produce industrial process heat: a flat-plate collector system producing 50/sup 0/C to 100/sup 0/C hot water for a commercial laundry in Indianapolis, Indiana; and a concentrating collector system that could produce 100/sup 0/C to 300/sup 0/C process heat adequate to the needs of a pulp mill in Madison, Wisconsin. For each application, a representtive system model and preliminary designs of major system elements were established. Then the following data were generated: annual useful energy produced, type and weight of the basic component materials, environmental residuals generated during system operation, and land and water requirements. These data were generalized for other TASE study purposes by expressing them as quantities per 10/sup 15/ Btu of useful energy. This report discusses the system characteristics and evaluates the environmental impacts. To allow the reader to estimate system performance at other geographic locations than those studied, insolation and other pertinent data are provided.