Parametric study and cost analysis of a solar-heating-and-cooling system for detached single-family households in hot climates

• We model a solar-heating-and-cooling system for detached single-family households.
• We determine the optimum geometric configuration resulting in minimum total cost.
• The optimum solar collector area and storage tank capacity is 70 m2 and 2000 L.
• The parametric study determined a total annualized cost for the system at $3,719.
• The threshold for market penetration of the system is found to be $360/m2.

A solar-heating-and-cooling (SHC) system, consisting of a flat-plate solar collector array, a hot water storage tank, and an absorption chiller unit is designed and modeled to satisfy thermal loads (space heating, domestic hot water, and space cooling). The system is applied for Nicosia, Cyprus, a location with prolonged summer-like conditions, where heating demand is moderate, while space cooling demand is comparatively very high. The study investigates the potential of a solar system installed and operated onsite in a detached single-family household to satisfy all necessary thermal loads. The hot water storage tank is also connected to an auxiliary heater (diesel-fired boiler) to supplement solar heating, when needed. The main purpose of the study is to model the overall system and contact a parametric study that will determine the optimum economic system performance in terms of design parameters. The system is compared, through a cost analysis, to an electric heat pump (EHP) system. It is found that the optimum system combination of solar collector area and volumetric capacity of the hot water storage tank is 70 m2 and 2000 L, respectively. The total annualized cost (in USD) for the optimum SHC system is $3,719. The sensitivity analysis showed that the SHC system would be unfavorable to compete with EHP technology, if the solar collector cost is above $360/m2.