Yes, I have used RETScreen and understand a solar wall can be modeled within
it. In fact, Conserval has already done this for us. In considering
SolarWallR, all the air handlers have been sized down and when I enter in
the system inputs for capacity there isn't enough juice so I have to
incorporate solar air heating into this model. Either that or autosize
everything to get 300 and subtract the retscreen model as an ECM.
So create a plenum for each air handler and then make all the plenum walls
Trombe-wall and just fiddle with it until it works, maybe. I can spend a
minute on it and try. Either way its modeling reality, right? There should
be a lot more discussion on this. Someone must have submitted an energy
model with solar air heating to USGBC using equest.
Kevin
OK, allow me to answer my own question. SolarWall has been used for LEED
before and ventilation units should not be sized down at all when used
together. Auto-size should not be necessary, just subtracting energy model
to energy model.
Kevin Kyte, LEED AP
Undoubtedly the SolarWall will save energy, but due to the intermittency
of solar (especially at night!) I would be surprised if you could
actually downsize the heating capacity of your air handlers just by
adding the SolarWall. Perhaps your model results are eluding to this.
It certainly deserves careful consideration.
Best Regards,
Michael L. Kingsley, PhD, PE, LEED AP