The design and cost of optimized systems for residential heating and cooling by solar energy

An extensive analysis of solar heating and dwellings in eight cities in the U.S.A. has been completed by the authors and recently published. The design of the solar heating system was optimized in each location, and the cost of solar heat was determined. The mathematical model of these systems has now been modified to include heat-operated absorption cooling units of the aqueous lithium bromide type. Approximately one hundred analyses of hourly cooling (and heating) performance for a full year in these locations have been made. Designs have been reoptimized to minimize total annual energy costs for house cooling and heating and for hot water supply. The combined system has been found more economical than heating alone in most locations, and some locations unattractive for solar heating have become candidates for the combination. The paper contains a description of the method of computation and the results of the design and cost analyses.