Heating of a UPB environment with Solar Energy
In Bolivia there is an abundant solar resource (4 to 6 kWh / m2.day), solar radiation is higher than in many European countries such as Spain and Germany (2 to 4 kWh / m2.day). This resource can be applied to generate both electrical energy and thermal energy.
The UPB system consists of thermal solar heaters that heat a fluid with solar energy, the fluid stores and delivers the thermal heat to a secondary fluid that is in a storage tank. The secondary fluid delivers its heat to a heat exchanger that is located in the environment to be heated and is moved by a low-energy pump that circulates the water through the heat exchanger and the storage tank.
The solar heating system works in the cold months in Cochabamba between May and August. This project aims to decrease the consumption of electrical energy for heating by using thermal solar energy and also demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of the project so that it can be scaled to other applications.
Responsible:
Juan Pablo Vargas Bautista, PhD
E-mail: jpvargas@upb.edu
