American solar thermal energy expert Fafco will launch a new photovoltaic heat pump solution for water and swimming pool heating. The system consists of a photovoltaic hot panel, a 5 kWh thermal battery with a heat pump, and an electric water heater.
American solar thermal panel manufacturer Fafco has developed a photovoltaic heat pump solution for water and swimming pool heating.
“The solution utilizes an open-loop solar backwater system, which is coupled with Phoenix, and the system will be installed on the wall near the hot water storage tank,” Freeman Ford, the company’s founder, told Photovoltaic Magazine. “The simplicity of the system facilitates the quick understanding and installation of solar energy systems as well as integrated heat pumps, circulation modules and approximately 5kWh of additional heat storage.”
The Phoenix system consists of three parts: a CoolPV photovoltaic thermal (PVT) module manufactured by Fafco; a 5 kWh thermal battery, a heat pump, two braised heat exchangers, two pumps and multifunctional software; and unspecified by the State of California 50-gallon electric water heater provided by the manufacturer.
“The system is composed of a number of well-known and proven technologies, connected in a novel way with published and pending patents,” Ford further explained. “The system uses software for multiple purposes, including optimizing utility performance and load levels.”
According to Fafco, two circulating pumps with speed control are designed to achieve optimum efficiency. One supplies the solar circuit, and the other supplies hot water in and out of the hot water storage tank. These pumps are connected to the refrigerant circuit in the heat pump through two brazed plate heat exchangers specially designated, optimized and tested for this purpose.
According to the manufacturer, this system has several advantages compared to systems available on the market today. For example, the system is connected to 120Vac and does not need to be rewired to 220Va. It is said that its efficiency is 50% higher than that of currently sold air source systems. “In addition, it is designed for retrofitting existing systems, or different versions can be used for new house construction,” Ford said. “Phoenix systems will be interconnected and used by power companies to shift the load from peak demand to off-peak demand.”
The 60 monocrystalline PVT panels are made of photovoltaic modules provided by American manufacturer Silfab, which are modified by Fafco and equipped with its own collector system. Its photovoltaic power output ranges from 310 to 330 W, and its power conversion efficiency ranges from 18.2 to 19.4%. The open circuit voltage range is 36.69 to 40.50 V, and the short circuit current range is 10.22 to 10.42 A.
All CoolPV modules (including thermal units) have a size of 1,700 x 1,000 x 123 mm, a weight of 26 kg, and a roof load of 15.3 kg/m². The temperature coefficient of the power supply is -0.36%/degree Celsius, and the maximum system voltage is 1,000 V.
As for the heat dissipation panel, all three modules have the same wattage, its operating pressure is 20 pounds per square inch (psi), and the operating temperature range is between 15 and 38 degrees Celsius. Its stagnation temperature is 58 degrees Celsius. For the commercial swimming pool case study, the manufacturer recommends installing 40 CoolPV modules with a total capacity of more than 12 kW.
The California-based company plans to launch the Phoenix system next year. “Initially our sales will focus on new home construction, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and photovoltaic distributors,” Ford said. “We expect that the sale of Phoenix by the end of 2022 will increase exponentially in the next few years.”
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How does the extra cost compare to just buying more solar panels to power heating, which can then be used for cooling and/or powering the grid in warmer months?
Hi Troy, I don’t know how this equation is calculated, but the heat pump system has a very good system efficiency. Sanden reverse cycle hot water system (for example) usually uses 1kw of electricity to generate about 2.2kw of water heating by removing heat from the air. This Fafco thing sounds similar. Like you asked, is it cheaper to enforce tasks with more photovoltaic panels? Maybe, I don’t know. But I like their creativity!
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