Why Residential Wind Turbines And Solar Cooling And Solar Heating Go Well Together

The latest generation of solar air conditioners and residential wind turbines are both necessary to create energy neutral residences; one conserves energy and the other generates electricity. Obviously the residences must be very well insulated to reach the goal that is so necessary: Energy neutral residences will not just save the house owner money, but also are a significant contribution to reduce global warming and fossil fuel dependency.

Home wind turbines have been controversial because of aesthetics while often building permits are necessary, and the price was also too high. A new generation of home wind turbines is forthcoming to address these concerns. In the General Electric ECOmagination competition, which closes March 15, 2011, several promising designs were entered.

Solar air conditioning consists of solar heating, solar space cooling and solar dehumidification. At this time systems offered as solar air conditioning typically comprise a solar PV panel (generating electricity) and a traditional (compressor based) air conditioner. This is definitely not the most effective approach as they convert thermal energy to electricity and then back to thermal energy.

The most efficient method is to work with solar water heating and store hot water in tanks. To be efficient this should be at least 200 Gallon (760 liter). For solar space cooling, absorption cooling is the proven technology of choice. Solar dehumidification is possible by sending moist air (preferably via a heat recovery ventilator for efficiency) to a desiccant. In a subsequent cycle the desiccant is regenerated (heated by exposing to hot air, produced by passing hot water through a tube next to the desiccant).

The efficiency of solar air conditioning is improved by adding seasonal water storage. During the summer, excess capacity is used to produce hot water for use in winter. Before the heating season starts, the excess capacity is still used to uphold the water temperature in the seasonal storage tank. After the seasonal water tank temperature comes under a useful level (in winter), the water can be cooled by heat exchange with outside. During the cooling season the water is used to cool the house by pumping it to floor or wall radiators or air conditioning air handlers or by integration in a duct based air conditioning system.

The GE ECOmagination Challenge is about "Powering Your Home", which not just implies electricity generation, but also energy conservation. As new technologies emerge zero energy homes come closer to affordable reality.


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James Post is a Dutch national living in the Caribbean island Grenada. A strong conceptual designer, he is now a top contender at the General Electric technology competition and welcomes votes & comments. Links to the Ecomagination website (signup is necessary): http://tinyurl.com/smartsolar and http://tinyurl.com/smartwind He personally answers all questions.