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Solar thermal collectors with a ZERO electricity heat pump & energy storage for sustainable heating and cooling (SUNCOOL)
Start date: Jun 1, 2012, End date: Mar 1, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Background Buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption and 36% of EU CO2 emissions – by far the largest energy consumer in the EU. Heating and cooling technology account for approximately half of these figures and it has been estimated that they are responsible for some 25% of global energy comsumption, the equivalent of that used by transportation and industry. The demand for heating and cooling systems continues to grow in the developed countries, as well as in fast-growing economies such as China and India. Energy saving technology, which can be retrofitted at reasonable cost, is of particular value. The tenants of residential buildings and workers in office buildings should be able to look forward to a better indoor environment once new technology is implemented. Avoiding heat-overload during peak hours of the afternoon should lead to a reduction in the investment and running cost for air-conditioning. Additionally society does not need to expand the electricity network to cope with extreme air-conditioning use during peak hours, resulting in less need for investment in power plants and the electricity distribution network. SunCool is a device that works with an existing boiler or heat pump, thereby reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. The technology can be installed in existing buildings, so it has the potential to be used widely. It combines renewable energy, energy efficiency and the reduction of CO2 emissions. The SunCool technology has been developed and validated by ClimateWell since 2008. However, this technology needs to be demonstrated in a pilot installation. Objectives The overall objective of the 'SUNCOOL' project is to demonstrate the beneficiary's patented solar thermal collectors with a zero electricity heat pump and energy storage for sustainable heating and cooling. Specific objectives are to: Demonstrate in a pilot installation the energy effectiveness of the solar collectors. A complete and fully functional SunCool installation will be made at ICA’s warehouse in Helsingborg, Sweden. The system will provide the building with air-conditioning, heating and possibly also hot water; and Present and disseminate the project results in Europe and other areas. The project intends to show the fully functioning solar collectors to potential customers, partners, stakeholders, target groups and others. Interested parties will be invited to ClimateWells’s facilities in Stockholm and the demonstration installation at ICA’s Helsingborg warehouse to observe the functionality of the SunCool system, as well as to receive information about the project. Expected results: The SunCool installation will lead to the following primary quantitative key environmental results (compared to state-of-the-art heating and cooling technology): A 90% reduction of CO2 emissions (380 000 kg/yr); A 90% reduction of energy consumption (540 000 kWh/yr); A 50% reduction of investment cost (800 EUR/kW of thermal output); 500 000 kWh/yr of solar energy captured; 80 000 kWh/yr of air conditioning delivered; and 450 000 kWh/yr of heating and tap water delivered. The advantages of SunCool technology are substantial: 1. i) A 50% redution of costs (compared to using state-of-the-art boilers, air conditioners and solar thermal heating and cooling) thereby enabling solar cooling to be in every home; and ii) Improved temperature difference that allows for freezing temperatures (suitable even for retrofitting of existing buildings and new applications such as food cooling) and heating also in colder climates. The technology can be sold through existing market channels by trained installers.
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