The Performance of First Transpired Solar Collector Installation in Turkey

In 2014, Turkey consumed 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas for space heating which accounts 26 percent of general natural gas consumption. Using several technologies to collect solar heat is one of the solutions to reduce the energy consumption in buildings. Among these technologies are transpired solar collectors, which are relatively new solar energy technology in Turkish energy market despite its wide and effective use in North America and Europe over the past 30 years to save energy in buildings by heating ventilation air using solar energy. In 2012, the first transpired solar collector on an industrial building was installed in Turkey, Cayirova. The installation on the south facing wall of PIMSA manufacturing building is a total of 770 m2 with six large associated air handling units.This paper presents a review of the performance of the first transpired solar collector in Turkey. The energy drawn from solar collector and delivered to the building each month over the period of two years is monitored and analyzed. Results cover monitoring for the period of February 2013 - April 2013 and January 2014 - March 2014, when the transpired solar collector was operating. The monitoring system includes twenty-four thermocouples embedded in transpired solar collector with connected air handling units, two in the building, two outside on the wall and twenty-four automatic damper controllers all connected to a building management system. It has shown that transpired solar collector provides a significant amount of the heating required by the building. Heat outputs from transpired solar collector installation are also compared with the simulation outcomes of Retscreen solar air heating analysis software developed by the Canadian government.