Solar
Systems Design Software |
| Controlling the System: It is important to be able
to shut off the solar system with a control to prevheating
the pool and to keep water from running through the collectors
in bad weather. Pool water running through the collectors
in cold or rainy weather can actually cool the pool.
If you have the Automatic Electronic Control System, you simply set the
desired temperature on the control panel and the system does the rest.
When the solar sensor finds that there is enough solar energy falling
on the solar collectors to heat your pool/water and the pool/water is
cooler than you desire, it automatically sends water through the solar
collectors. Bright sunshine is not needed to heat your pool/water. The
solar sensor will turn on your solar heater even on a hazy or cloudy day
when it finds the right amount of solar energy.
Manual control systems use a hand operated three-port valve. You can
turn the heater on or off with a quarter turn of the valve handle.
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| solacalc |
| Simulates passive solar houses by calculating heat losses and solar gains
in residential buildings, using interlinked worksheets and very extensive
help. Based on New Method 5000, 'solacalc' uses UK climate data to easily
and quickly calculate thermal balances and financial analysis. A reference
calculation concurrently offers a design comparison without solar features.
A Net Present Value calculation provides economic analysis.
Keywords
passive solar, house design, building design, building services, design
tools
Expertise Required
None, but knowledge of spreadsheets and basic building thermodynamics
is helpful.
Users
More than 30.
Audience
Architects, Builders, homeowners, technicians in architectural practices,
utilities and research establishments.
Input
Building geometry, U values, K values or insulation specifications, heat
exchanger flow rates, exterior temperatures, degree days, day lengths,
transmitted solar energy, shading factors and internal gains etc. Apart
from building geometry, input requirements are available for automatic
insertion from internal databases.
Output
22 spreadsheet reports or graph summaries can be printed directly.
Computer Platform
PC-compatible, 386 or higher, running Windows 3.1 or Windows 95.
Programming Language
Borland Delphi.
Strengths
Easy and automated version of EU standard method for analysing buiding
thermal performance on a monthly basis. Allows flexible data entry where
unusual designs are to be computed. Internet connection is provided for
additional data information.
Weaknesses
Currently uses European data. Doesn't provide detailed analysis.
Contact
Company:
Equinland Limited
E-mail:
mail@solacalc.com.
Website:
www.solacalc.com
Availability
Shareware with 30 free uses, registration $39.95 + $4 p&p. Buy online
and download from ;
http://www.solacalc.com/solacalc.zip
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| Solar Benefits Model |
Model to estimate the economic benefits of installing a solar water-heating
system when its cost is financed through a mortgage, either on a new home
or when a system is added to a existing home which is being purchased or
refinanced. This program is intended primarily for residential applications.
When properly installed and maintained, solar water-heating systems can
produce monthly energy savings in many locations. These energy savings result
in "positive monthly cash flows," where the savings generated
by the system exceed the monthly mortgage payment for the incremental cost
of the solar system. The Solar Benefits Model allows you to vary various
financing, energy production, and cost variables specific to your situation
to determine the approximate cash flow you can expect to achieve from solar
water heating.
Keywords
solar hot water, residential mortgage, cash flow analysis
Users
More than 100.
Audience
Builders, architects, designers, realtors, solar industry, potential home
buyers.
Input
Users input data specific to the type of water heating system the solar
system is being paired with, including whether the fuel source is electricity
or natural gas, energy cost, general inflation rate, energy cost escalation
rate, the cost of the solar system, maintenance costs, percentage of energy
supplied by solar, any financial incentives available, down payment, interest
rate, amount and term of the mortgage, income tax rate, and the number
of people in the household. Default values for all of these fields exist
in the software. Data is entered in numeric format in individual data
entry windows.
Output
Information regarding monthly savings and rates of return are presented
in numerical output, graphs are presented for annual and cumulative net
cash flows.
Computer Platform
PC/Mac with Office 97 or later.
Programming Language
Visual Basic
Strengths
Provides a means of evaluating the cost of ownership of a solar water
heating system which accurately portrays the actual cash flow a residential
user will experience, which is superior to other financial measures such
as investment payback.
Weaknesses
The program is based on an Excel spreadsheet with a front-end visual basic
presentation which makes it ideal for sales presentations and other non-technical
uses. The underlying spreadsheet, which can be used independently, can
be used by to provide a more in-depth analysis capability for mortgage
cash flow analysis.
Contact
Company:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
E-mail:
Russell_Hewett@nrel.gov
Website:
http://www.eren.doe.gov/solarbuildings
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| SolArch |
| Design tool for architects familiar with passive solar energy. It includes
a thermal performance calculator, a design element checklist, and excel
spreadsheets database with useful Solar Architecture parameters (e.g. thermal
properties). Version 1.0 is in English and includes some sample data for
the UK and Ireland. Screen Shots
Keywords
thermal performance calculation, solar architecture, residential buildings,
design checklists
Validation/Testing
N/A
Expertise Required
Familiarity with solar architecture.
Users
Several hundred around the world, primarily in Europe (UK/Ireland).
Audience
Users familiar with solar architecture, e.g. architects / civil engineers,
construction industry / building designers, government agencies, technical
press and media, public utilities / energy supply industry, professional
and trade associations, consultants, university faculty and students.
Input
Thermal performance calculation basic data input - numerical, text, and
graphical.
Output
Building thermal performance parameters, graphics, excel spreadsheets:
Daylighting and passive solar design technologies from manufacturer/supplier
database; ecological assessment of building materials; embodied energy
/ energy requirement for manufacturing and/or processing; daylighting
checklist; recommended illuminances; address list from manufacturer/supplier
database; thermal properties: surface and airspace resistance, materials
(conductivity, etc.), radiative properties of materials, typical floor
construction U-values, typical roof construction U-values, and typical
wall construction U-values; and ventilation technologies from manufacturer/supplier
database.
Computer Platform
PC (Windows)
Strengths
Simple thermal performance calculation, thermal parameter database, manufacturer
information.
Weaknesses
Some data specific to UK/Ireland.
E-mail:
solarch@kahl.net
Website:
http://www.kahl.net/solarch
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T*SOL |
| Software for the planning, analysis and simulation of thermal solar heating
systems. A professional tool for planners, engineers and energy specialists,
T*SOL can also be used for education purposes by universities and research
institutes.
A large number of solar water heating systems, including space heating,
can be tested under varying parameters, with the results (temperature,
energies, efficiencies and solar fraction) easily saved to file and presented
in graph or chart form.
Two extra modules are available in addition to the main programme: the
Swimming Pool module and the SysCat module for large-scale systems. Screen
Shots
Keywords
solar thermal heating, swimming pool heating, solar planning and design
Validation/Testing
N/A
Expertise Required
No special expertise or training needed.
Users
Over 1,000 users in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Now available internationally
with the English version 4.0.
Audience
Professionals - solar specialists, planners, engineers, heating technicians
and plumbers, energy consultants. Educators - universities and research
institutes.
Input
Collector area, regulating temperatures, costs, consumption, storage tank
size, and heat exchanger.
Output
Preformatted reports in graph and chart form. User definable reports also
possible. Economic efficiency calculation.
Computer Platform
Windows 95, 98, NT or 2000, 166 MHz Pentium PC, 32 MB RAM, 50 MB hard
disk space, CD and floppy disk drives.
Programming Language
Borland Pascal
Strengths
Precise calculations possible, very user-friendly, no training required.
Contact
Company:
Dr. Valentin EnergieSoftware GmbH
E-mail:
info@valentin.de
Website:
http://www.valentin.de
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F-Chart **Active and Passive Solar Systems Analysis
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F-CHART is the authoritative solar system analysis and design program
written by S.A. Klein and W.A. Beckman, the originators of the F-Chart
method.
Download
a demonstration version for Windows.
View
Example Input and Output from F-Chart.
Collector Types
Flat-Plates
Evacuated Types
CPC's
1 and 2-Axis Tracking
System Types
Water Storage Heating
Pebble Bed Storage Heating
Building Storage Heating
Domestic Water Heating
Integral Collector-Storage DHW
Indoor and Outdoor Pool Heating
Passive Direct-Gain
Passive Collector-Storage Wall
Features
Life-cycle economics with cash flow
Weather data for over 300 locations
Weather data can be added
Monthly parameter variation
2-D incidence angle modifiers
English and SI units
Approved for use in California
Versions for Mac, DOS, and Windows
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