SOLAR ENERGY AUGMENTATION FOR HOT WATER NEEDS IN CONNECTICUT HIGHWAY REST AREAS

In July 1978, a solar water-heating system was installed in the visitor center located on the Eastbound side of Interstate 86 in West Willington, Connecticut. The system was heavily instrumented and monitored for over a year using a high-speed data-acquisition system. The project, designated 77-4 was carried out by the Joint Highway Research Council (ConnDOT and University of Connecticut) to determine the feasibility of incorporating solar service water heating in other facilities of this and other types operated by ConnDOT. The monitoring effort showed that the system performed close to expectations, off-setting 47 percent of the electrical energy expended in heating water. A 20-year life cycle cost analysis based on this performance suggests that these systems are worthwhile economically, especially in areas of the state with high utility costs and in new construction situations where the expense of the conventional water heater can be avoided. Payback periods range from 7 to 15 years depending on the utility rates and life-cycle-cost-analysis assumptions. It was found that the "FCHART" performance prediction procedure normally used for residential domestic hot-water-system situations come within 10 percent of predicting the actual performance of the subject system yielding slightly lower solar load fractions than those obtained in the experiment. This report contains a chronological history of the project, a description of the instrumentation and data system custom built for the project, detailed operational results, and an economic analysis of the solar system. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Connecticut, Storrs

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 261 Glenbrook Road
  Storrs, CT  United States  06269-2037
• Authors:
  • Jackson, D R
  • CALLAHAN, J M
  • Bowley, W W
• Publication Date: 1982-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 62 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Demonstration projects; Life cycle analysis; Life cycle costing; Roadside rest areas; Solar energy; Solar power generation; Water heaters
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Terminals and Facilities; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00372228
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1983 12:00AM