Implementation of thermal storage material to enhance the performance of domestic solar water heater.

The requirement for energy is increasing on a large scale in the industrial and domestic sectors due to the rapid industrial growth and human living standards. International organisations are creating strict laws and guidelines at the same time to limit the usage of traditional fossil fuel-based electricity generating. Additionally, fast-developing countries like Oman are putting numerous plans to integrate renewable energy in the residential and industrial sectors as part of their commitment to lessen the potential for global warming. The government is taking proactive steps to use solar-based systems in household applications because Oman has a strong potential for using solar power and has a high demand for electricity from the residential sector. Since Oman has a promising potential to use solar power and a large demand for power from the residential sector, many steps are being taken to use solar-based systems in domestic applications. Presently, the hot water needs of domestic as well as many industrial consumers are met by grid electricity. The solar PV technology is a desirable alternative for using renewable energy. However, installing a solar thermal energy conversion system is a potential way to use solar power for producing hot water because solar thermal collectors have a greater conversion efficiency (55–75%) than PV collectors (10–20%). Thermal energy storage systems are also essential for the efficient use of solar thermal energy. Phase change material (PCM)-based thermal storage, one of the more modern technologies, has been recognised as a dependable solution in earlier investigations. However, for this strategy to be successfully applied in a particular location, it is necessary to analyse the quantity and quality of solar energy available. In this study, the technical feasibility of using PCM thermal storage to supply 200 litres of hot water per day to a residential building is examined. The size and specification of the thermal collector have been selected based on the simulation studies. For this purpose, the system advisor model (SAM) of the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), USA, and the weather data of Shinas, Oman, from the NASA database were used. To store 6 MJ of heat collected per day from two solar thermal collectors, 50 kg of paraffin wax having a melting point of 60oC was used. An experimental setup has been fabricated as per the optimum design parameters identified from the simulation studies in SAM, and tests have been conducted to find out the performance of the system. According to the findings, the system could save 1168 kWh of AC electricity annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]