Advanced Residential Energy Technologies for Harsh Northern
Climate Advanced energy technologies such as fuel cells, Stirling engine,
combined space and water heating systems are a relatively new approach for
heat and power generation in Northern Territories. The extreme outdoor
conditions and lack of efficient building technologies have been for a long
time one of the main barriers preventing applications of novel high efficiency
technologies in the remote communities. Recently, the advanced building
technologies challenge the heating industry to develop more efficient and
environmental friendly energy systems to meet the lower heating loads and
increased demand for a comfortable living environment. For example the use
of a high level of insulation diminished, to a certain degree, the impact of
outdoor conditions - temperature and wind on the building’s thermal losses.
Furthermore, the new low-emissivity double and triple glass windows have
significantly increased solar gains, greatly affecting the heating system’s
operational performance. Due to the above factors the magnitudes of water
and space heating loads are converging and opened an opportunity for new
technological solutions to be applied to the mechanical systems’ design.
Although integrated space and water combination (combo) heating systems
are a relatively new approach to heating in Canada, they have already begun
to gain popular acceptance on the market. In comparison to the existing
conventional arrangement (gas/oil fired furnace and gas/electric hot water
storage tank), the new systems employ a single gas or oil-fired energy
generator capable of satisfying both the single and combined energy heating
demands. Thus, open the possibilities for achieving major efficiency gains
and pollutant reductions in a cost-effective fashion.
Micro generation, a notion of simultaneous generation of both heat and
power in an individual dwelling is another approach that offers an elegant
and economically viable way to meet the residential power/thermal loads. It
helps to meet the Kyoto targets by demonstrating superior environmental
performance with high efficiency and low harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
However, before introducing micro generation systems in large quantities a
number of issues should be resolved in terms of system integration,
interconnect, reliability and safety.
This paper will present the results from the performance evaluation of a
combined heating system installed in two houses in Yellowknife, NWT and
previous laboratory testing in Ottawa. The results from field evaluation of a
residential size 5kWel solid oxide fuel cell and 1kWel stirling engine will be
also be discussed. The paper will also present specific procedures that may
be necessary to further optimize the performance of advanced energy
systems in northern applications.
Key words: SOFC, Stirling engine, combined energy systems,
microgeneration
Evgueniy Entchev, Skip Hayden
Name:
Dr. Evgueniy Entchev, PhD
Affiliation:
CANMET
Department: NRCAN
Title:
senior scientist/ adj. professor
E-Mail:
eentchev@nrcan.gc.ca
Phone:
6113-992-2516
Fax:
6113-992-2516
Address:
1 Haanel Dr
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
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