Possibility to utilize solar
heating system in Mongolia
D.CHIMEDDORJ
Chief Engineer
Energy Authority of Mongolia
May 16, 2012
Contents

Introduction
 Background
 The burning platform


Solar Energy study in Mongolia
Solar heating concepts






Soum and Aimag heat demand
Heat demand and Generation in UB
Solar heating technology
Connecting to District heating network
Economic overview
Conclusion
Background information

Mongolia has an extremely harsh winter
climate

Winter temperature range is -10 C to -30 C
in the daytime

Temperature drop is -40 C at night.

Long heating season, with a total of eight
months from the middle of September to the
middle of May.
Background information





Ulaanbaatar (UB) is the coldest capital city
in the world.
The air quality is dangerously bad - UB is
becoming the world’s most polluted city.
In UB, annual average particulate matter
concentrations have been recorded at as
high as 279.
World Health Organization recommended
PM10 level is 20.
UB’s PM10 levels are 14 times higher than
the WHO’s recommendation.
Background information

The heating demand is continuously
increasing.

The heat supply in Mongolia is mainly
provided from combined heat and power
plants.

The energy source is mainly coal which,
despite co-generation, contributes to
carbon emissions.
The burning platform
From a global perspective the
increasing global fuel prices, local
environment (air pollution), limitation of
fuel reserves and extensive amount of
available solar resources, creates a
burning platform for solar heating in
district heating systems around the
world.
The burning platform
In northern Europe the solar heating
systems are not only an environmental
friendly solution, but also cost-efficient
compared to other solutions.
 Furthermore, systems designed for solar
heating has a tendency to be more efficient
than traditional district heating systems, as
temperature levels has been considered,
heat storage tanks and other technical
solutions has been utilized.

The burning platform
Solar heating solutions have been used
world wide for decades, not to say
centuries, but have most often been
relatively simple solutions with i.e. a tank on
the roof with lack of controlling etc.
 However, the technology has been matured
over the last decades where large scale
solar heating plants have been constructed
and connected to existing district heating
systems.
 The technology is now days robust and can
operate in both harsh winter climate and hot
summer climate.

Solar Energy study in Mongolia

The research started since 1961





Insolation of the direct radiation
Insolation of the diffuse radiation
Insolation of the total radiation
Average irradiance in hours per day
Solar Radiation Map of Mongolia
 Ministry of Education, Culture and Science - in 2010
Solar Radiation Map of Mongolia
Insolation of radiation annually /DNI/
№
Regions \by color\
Potential \ kWh/m2\
1
800-930
2
930-1060
3
1060-1190
4
1190-1320
5
1320-1450
6
1450-1580
7
1580-1710
8
1710-1840
9
1840-1970
10
1970-2100
DNI

In Mongolia the annual irradiation is
1350-1850 kWh/m2 and as illustrated
in table
the annual irradiation in
Ulaanbaatar is above 1800 kWh/m2.
Which placements are feasible for Solar Thermal Plant?
Classification of regions by the Annual Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI)
Excellent
(>2200 kWh/m2・a)
Good
(>2000 kWh/m2・a)
Acceptable
(>1800 kWh/m2・a)
Low
(<1600 kWh/m2・a)
Example: DNI in China?
Large zones with more than
2400 – 2600 kwh/m2/year !!!
Solar heating concept
Soum and Aimag heat demand
 Heat demand and Generation in UB
 Solar heating technology
 Connecting to District heating network

№
Aimags
Heating demand, Gcal/h
Hot water
demand, Gcal/h
Total Demand
Gcal/h
MW/h
1
Dundgobi
9.25
9.25
7.96
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Dornogobi
GobiSumber
Bulgan
Huvsgul
Sukhbaatar
Khentii
Bayankhongor
Uvurkhangai
Arkhangai
Uvs
Khovd
Gobi-Altai
Zavkhan
Selenge
Tuv
Bayan-Ulgii
13.4
5.6
9.7
15.9
11.6
10.94
13.41
3.04
10.87
11.4
11.3
14.7
13.86
28.5
18.68
15.8
13.4
5.6
9.7
15.9
11.6
10.94
13.41
3.04
13.72
12
11.9
14.7
14.03
28.67
18.68
15.8
11.52
4.82
8.34
13.67
9.98
9.41
11.53
2.61
11.80
10.32
10.23
12.64
12.07
24.66
16,06
13.59
222.34
191.21
Total
217,95
2.85
0.6
0.6
0.17
0.17
4.39
Main Performance Indicators of Existing Boilers in Soums
No.
Items
Argalant
Airag
Mogod
Tsetse
rleg
1
Boiler type
NR-18-54
NR18-54
BZUI100
NR-1854
0.38
0.7
0.38
Bayan
chand
mani
CLSG95-70
Bayan
gol
KhutagUndur
TsagaanUul
Ikh-Uul
NR-1854
BZUI-100
DTH-0.7
ANDI-20
0.38
0.73
Design
capacity
(Gcal/h)
0.38
3
No. of boilers
installed
2
3
2
3
1
2
4
Type of coal
burnt
Baganuur
lignite
coal
Shive
eOvoo
lignit
e
coal
Bayand
uuh
bitumino
us coal
Mogoi
ngol
bitumin
ous
coal
Nalaik
h
bitumin
ous
coal
Bagan
uur
lignite
coal
2
Zaamar
NRJ-45
BZUI-100
Tument
sogt
Delgert
sogt
Jargalant
BZUI100
NR6J/10J/1
6J/25J
RJ-18
0.7
0.7
0.8
3
0.3
0.43
0.7
0.43
0.7
2
SaikhanOvoo
bitumi
2
2
3
2
5
Mogoingol
bituminous
coal
Saikhan
Ovoo
lignite
coal
Zaamar-Ikh
lignite coal
Talbulag
lignite
coal
Tevshiin
govi
coal
-nous coal
Sharyngol
lignite
coal
5
Annual coal
consumption
(t/yr)
1,200
3,900
1,200
1,000
533
1819
690
510
724
1,280
2,053
565
1,100
6
Maximum
Boiler
efficiency
(%)
60.3
60.3
56.2
60.3
46.1
60.3
50.8
59.3
57.2
50.0
50.8
45.0
50.0
7
Supplied
water temp.
(0C)
70
80
80
75
50
50
60
75
60
60
60
60
60
8
Returned
water temp.
(0C)
60
65
65
65
42
40
65
65
40
40
40
40
40
36.5
27.5
35
31
53.7
74
40
-
90
-
-
-
-
9
Circulation
water flow (
t/hr)
10
Outdoor
heating
design temp.
(0C)
-33.9
-29.1
-25.2
-35.6
-30.2
-39.4
-30.9
-31.3
-30.0
-31.3
-27.2
-28.1
-33.4
11
No. of boiler
workers
11
23
14
23
6
20
10
10
36
17
17
14
21
12
Existing heat
demand
(MW)
0.8
0.67
0.35
0.77
0.8
1.44
0.8
0.72
0.74
0.87
0.9
0.3
0.9
0.82
0.96
0.62
0.8
0.82
1.91
1.0
0.93
0.75
1.00
1.0
0.5
1.0
13
Total heat
demand
Power
performance
Gcal/h
Connected
consumption
Gcal/h
Difference
TPP-2
TPP-3
TPP-4
Total
57
485
1045
1585
52
485
960
1495
5
0
85
90
Solar heating technologies

There are four main technologies
within solar thermal technologies:
 Central Receiver Tower Plant
 Parabolic solar unit
 Evacuated tubes
 Flat plate collectors
Central Receiver Tower Plant
Concentrates solar radiation on a
point receiver at the top of a tower
 Enables operation at high temperature
level and provides heat storage
capabilities
 Has high net solar to electrical
efficiency and is a commercially
proven technology

Solar Thermal Plant with Central Receiver
Receiver
Central
Receiver
Tower
Helioltats
Heliostat
reflectors
Energy Conversion
system
Power
Conversion
System
Parabolic solar unit
A trough-shaped parabolic reflector is
used to concentrate sunlight on an
insulated tube (Dewar tube) or heat
pipe, placed at the focal point,
containing coolant which transfers
heat from the collectors to the boilers
in the power station.
 Temperature range: 0-400°C

Parabolic solar unit
Evacuated tubes
Evacuated heat pipe tubes are
composed of multiple evacuated glass
tubes each containing an absorber
plate fused to a heat pipe.
 The heat from the hot end of the heat
pipes is transferred to the transfer fluid
of a domestic hot water or hydronic
space heating system in a heat
exchanger called a “ manifold ” .
Temperature range: 0-150°C

Evacuated tubes
Flat plate collectors
The solar energy is transformed into
heat by the absorber which is located
in the inside of the solar collector. It
absorbs the solar heat and transmits it
to a frost-resisting liquid which
circulates in a system of pipes.
 The heated liquid is lead to a warm
water tank, store tank or a separate
heat exchanger. Temperature range:
0-120°C

Flat plate collectors
Connection to District Heating network
District Heating networks in Mongolia,
are most often divided into primary and
secondary networks.
 The primary network can be seen as a
transmission network where substations
equipped with heat exchangers are
separating the primary and the
secondary network.
 The secondary networks are distributing
heat to a number of dwellings.

Connection to District Heating network
The temperature levels on the primary
network are often 130/70, sometimes
up to 150/80.
 The temperature levels on the
secondary networks are typically in
the range of 95/70.

Connection to District Heating network
There are several ways to connect solar
heating units to a district heating network.
 Most common way is solar heating units in
combination with heat storage tank
connected to the secondary network thru a
heat exchanger. The hot water from the
solar heating units is mixed with the supply
water
from
the
substation
(when
necessary). The storage tank can be used
to level the variations in heat demand and
solar heat resources for optimal utilization
of the resources.

Connection diagram
Secondary network installation with heat storage tank
Cold water
storage
Heat conversion
Hot water
storage
Solar field
Main scheme
Operating
process
Cost estimation
The cost for Turn-key solar heating
equipment/plant is estimated to 500800 USD/m2.
 For a typical soum center heating area
of 10'000m2 with 1Gcal/h peak
demand and assuming that 25% of the
heat comes from solar panels, the
cost would be 0.25-0.42 million USD.

Conclusion

Use Solar Thermal Energy:
• for heating system of the Aimag centers
• for central heating system of the Soums’
centers
• for heating system of Ulaanbaatar’s districts
• Infrastructure development by Government
•
Using investment opportunities as a
cooperation between government and
private sector
Recommendation

Solar heating system
◦ Provide FS for Solar heating system of
Soum and aimag center.
◦ Provide FS for Solar Heating system in
UB Ger area and/or Support UB district
heating network
FS for Solar Thermal PP in grid
connection
 Implement Pilot project
