Print this page An Introduction to Solar Collectors for Heating and Cooling of Buildings
and Domestic Hot Water
J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI
Course Outline
INTRODUCTION
SCOPE
RELATED CRITERIA
SOLAR ENERGY
FLAT PLATE SOLAR COLLECTORS
COLLECTORS
ENERGY STORAGE AND AUXILIARY HEAT
DOMESTIC HOT WATER SYSTEMS (DHW)
THERMOSYPHON, BATCH AND INTEGRAL COLLECTOR SYSTEMS
SPACE HEATING AND DHW SYSTEMS
PASSIVE SYSTEMS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SYSTEM CONTROLS
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Learn about standards and performance criteria relating to solar heating systems;
- Learn about solar radiation and how it is captured by solar collectors;
- Learn the fundamentals of solar collector orientation;
- Learn about flat plate solar collectors;
- Learn about absorber plate coatings;
- Learn the purpose of transparent coverings and insulation for collectors;
- Learn the fundamentals of air and liquid collectors;
- Learn about selective coatings for flat plate collectors;
- Learn about flat plate collector housings, gaskets and sealants;
- Learn the pros and cons of different collector fluids;
- Learn techniques for collector freeze protection; and
- Learn about the space cooling systems that can be solar powered.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for engineers, architects and other building design and construction professionals who want to learn about the basic technology of solar collectors and how they can be employed to power space heating and cooling and domestic hot water heating systems for buildings.
Benefit for Attendee
This course will give engineers and others an ethical framework within which to address many complex engineering projects that challenge the limits of engineering theoretical knowledge and experience.
Course Introduction
This course will introduce you to design criteria and cost analysis methods for the sizing and justification of solar heat collectors for space heating and cooling of buildings and domestic hot water (DHW) heating.
About Course Author
Paul Guyer is a registered mechanical engineer, civil engineer, fire protection engineer and architect with over 35 years experience in the design of buildings and related infrastructure. For an additional 9 years he was a senior-level advisor to the California Legislature on infrastructure and capital outlay issues. He has designed and supervised the design of hundreds of construction projects requiring the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications for federal, state and local public agencies and private companies. He is a graduate of Stanford University and has held numerous national, state and local positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.
Course Content
The course content is contained in the following PDF file:
An Introduction to Solar Collectors for Heating and Cooling of Buildings
and Domestic Hot Water
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
Upon completion of this course you will have an understanding of the standards and performance criteria for solar heating systems, solar radiation and its collection, important collector features, freeze protection, air and liquid collectors, collector fluids, and solar powered cooling systems.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
