Holistic Modelling and Parametric Study of Bathroom Solar Hot Water Heating System

Abstract

One of the major issues facing the world in the 21st century is climate change. However, sustainability has become a crucial concept to combat extreme consumption of environmental resources. The bathroom has been estimated to be the principal user of environmental resources in United Kingdom households. Therefore, the challenge that how a combined water and energy saving unit in the bathroom will contribute to the sustainability of the houses will remain unresolved. While the use of solar hot water technologies has been fundamental for energy efficiencies, this study reckons that lack of significant energy saving, and efficiency issues are based on the use of individual components and technologies it employed and concludes that a holistic approach is required to combat this issue. The method this study presented adopts conceptual and mathematical concept that is based on holistic modelling to design for a bathroom unit using Polysun program. Parametric analysis was also conducted to know how change in variable parameters like location, load and switch-on temperatures will affect the performance of the system designed. This study uncovers the contribution of renewable energy source in the bathroom and the significant contribution it makes in levels of energy consumption and carbon emissions which is attributed to the sustainability of the bathroom system and contribution this in turn makes to tackle the climate change as part of a sustainability-based strategy.