Rick Hurt

Advanced Parabolic Trough Field Testing: Real-Time Data Collection, Archiving, and Analysis for the Solargenix Advanced Parabolic Trough

Solargenix Energy is currently constructing a 64-MWe parabolic trough solar plant in Eldorado Valley, Nevada, just south of Las Vegas. As part of the preparation for construction and operation of the new utility-scale solar plant, Solargenix has collaborated with UNLV and NREL to build a collector test row. The test row is serving as a platform for field testing advanced parabolic trough components before their large-scale deployment. The test row consists of two Solargenix Solar Collector Assemblies (SCAs); each SCA has 12 collector modules (space frames and mirrors). This facility has been used to field test new Solargenix designs for first and second generation collector space frames, advanced reflectors, advanced local controllers (AdLoCs), a hydraulic-based drive system, receiver support arms, low-cost injection-molded bearings, ball joints and collector support pylons. The test-row facility also has equipment for monitoring the following weather data: direct normal irradiance, dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and precipitation. Data logging equipment is used to record and track weather data as well as SCA parameters. Site instrumentation is solar-powered (photovoltaics) and uses cellular technology to transmit data to a web-based data collection system. This paper describes construction of this facility, the installation of the data-collection system and some data collected to date.Copyright

Monitoring of a Zero-Energy-House

A comparative study is being conducted to measure the actual performance of a Zero Energy House design. Ideally, a zero energy house produces as much energy as it consumes in a year’s time. Two identically-sized houses (1610 sq ft), constructed side-by-side in southwest Las Vegas, Nevada, are equipped with a network of sensors that measure every aspect of energy usage in each home. One house is used as a baseline (standard comparison) house and was built using conventional construction techniques. The other house, the Zero Energy House, employs many energy saving features, solar power generation, and supplemental solar water heating. Both houses are utilized as model homes in an actual housing development, so it is reasonable to believe that both will experience similar and consistent usage. The data logged onsite are automatically collected every day (in an almost real-time basis) and sent via telephone connection to the Center for Energy Research at UNLV for analysis. Results are posted on the web. This paper describes the differences in construction details between the two houses. It also gives a summary of the ways the performance data are being acquired and processed. Finally, the methods used to represent the data are outlined.Copyright

Performance of 3-Sun Mirror Modules on Sun Tracking Carousels on Flat Roof Buildings

Commercial buildings represent a near term market for cost competitive solar electric power provided installation costs and solar photovoltaic module costs can be reduced. JX Crystals has developed a carousel sun tracker that is prefabricated and can easily be deployed on building flat roof tops without roof penetration. JX Crystals is also developing 3-sun PV mirror modules where less expensive mirrors are substituted for two-thirds of the expensive single crystal silicon solar cell surface area. Carousels each with four 3-sun modules have been set up at two sites, specifically at Oak Ridge National Lab and at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. The test results for these systems are presented.

Evaluation of a Fuel Cell for Powering the Electrical Load of ICE Vehicles

This paper describes the implementation and testing of a fuel cell system for powering the on-board electrical load of a pick-up truck that is being converted to a hydrogen-internal combustion engine. The fuel cell is assisted by a supercapacitor bank during engine starting which requires a much larger current. The sizing of the system components is determined from actual current demand of various loads. This new power source will replace the 12 Volt battery and alternator found in the conventional vehicle. Laboratory tests including supercapacitor charging, engine starting, and load switching are presented.

The 2013 University of Nevada Las Vegas Solar Decathlon House: Strategy, Design, Simulation and Results

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has posed the challenge to the homebuilding industry to make available cost-effective net-zero energy homes for all Americans by 2030. University of Nevada Las Vegas’s DesertSol was the 2nd place winner in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013. This paper identifies the implementation of integrative design during the planning and programming phases of the project, and the ways such practice benefited the team and the contractors. This paper also describes the unique approaches and simulation methods for the whole building design. The team designed a high performance whole building system that dramatically reduced the overall energy loads through careful detailing of the entire building envelope, efficient equipment and lighting, and onsite renewable generation with both solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal systems. Building Information Management (BIM) software was used collaboratively and iteratively among the multi-discipline team throughout the 2 year research, design and build phases. Furthermore, this paper also discusses the optimization of project cost and affordability versus building performance criteria. Each individual system was modeled using specific software or developed codes. NREL’s BEopt was used for identifying the cost-optimal packages for the whole building energy analysis, by inputting discrete parametric options, reflecting realistic construction materials and practices. Data collected during the Solar Decathlon event was a validation that the systems were functional and performed as simulated. Continuing data monitoring of the home at its permanent Las Vegas location will validate the modeled long-term performance of this house.Copyright

An Autonomous Controller for Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pumps, Residential Solar Thermal Collection, and Hydronic Floor Heating

A unique autonomous control system was developed to manage the HVAC components of a residence built specifically for an ultra-efficient home competition. Some of the home’s HVAC components that contribute to its ultra-efficiency (and necessitate such an autonomous controller) include multiple ductless mini-split heat pumps, multiple hydronic heated floor loops, multiple circulating ceiling fans, and a closed-loop solar thermal collection and storage system that not only provides hot water to the hydronic heated floors, but also supplies the home with domestic hot water.The autonomous controller integrates all this equipment with a mixture of technology that includes power-line communications, both wired and wireless TCP/IP network signals, low-voltage wiring, and infrared signals. By utilizing these many different methods to communicate with equipment around the home, the controller is able to simultaneously regulate components and systems that are often considered “stand alone” or impractical to implement in residential buildings due to their need for constant manual operation. The result is an HVAC system that consumes very little energy while still providing an expected level of comfort.Copyright

Performance of the Southern Nevada Water Authority of Amonix’s High Concentration Multi-Junction System

The Southern Nevada Water Authority contracted with Amonix, Inc. in 2008 to procure 220 kWdc of their latest generation multi-junction cell High Concentration Photovoltaic systems (HCPV). This paper discusses the performance of the six HCPV systems that started operating in mid 2009. Data sets included show: a. Daily power performance; b. Power performance compared to the specified performance; c. Effect of field shading upon the daily power performance. What is demonstrated is the system power performance has not degraded during this initial period of operation and continues to meet or exceed the specified performance levels.© 2011 ASME

Installation and Operation of Southern Nevada Water Authority High Concentration Amonix Multi-Junction System

The Southern Nevada Water Authority contracted with Amonix, Inc. in 2008 to procure 220 kWdc of their latest generation multi-junction cell High Concentration Photovoltaic system. This paper describes the installation of the six HCPV systems including the design layout of the field, installation of the foundations, the PV modules, and tracking control systems. In addition, the basic operation and features of the Amonix HCPV system are discussed, along with data showing the performance of each system since the start of operation.Copyright

Home Energy Conservation in the Las Vegas Valley

Pulte Homes, a production home builder and community developer partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America program, has collaborated with the Center for Energy Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and NV Energy, the local electric utility, on an energy conservation project in the Las Vegas Valley. This study entails four model homes at a new development named Villa Trieste, located in the Summerlin community of Las Vegas. The models, ranging in floor plan area from 1,487 to 1,777 square feet, have been constructed under the Environments for Living program and have been platinum certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes. According to the Home Energy Rating System Index, all four models are over 50% more efficient than homes of equal size built to 2006 International Energy Conservation Code standards. The study focuses on the cost benefit of installing additional efficiency upgrades in future homes at the development. Though all proposed upgrades offer reductions in energy use, many offer little improvement relative to their installation costs. Higher-efficiency windows, heat recovery ventilators, and R-36 spray foam attic insulation have been deemed appropriate measures for future homes. All homes are to be equipped with photovoltaic arrays; increasing the size of the arrays will cost-effectively reduce net energy consumption.Copyright

Modeling Solar Impacts on Hydrogen Production From Electrolysis

A model is presented to simulate the energy production from a solar photovoltaic (PV) array in Southern Nevada and its energy produced for hydrogen production at a hydrogen filling station. A solar PV array composed of four single axis tracking units provides power to a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, which produces hydrogen that is stored on site for use in hydrogen converted vehicles. The model provides the ability to predict possible hydrogen production at the site, as well as the amount of hydrogen required to sustain a prescribed level of vehicle usage. Together, these results made it possible to determine the energy required to produce sufficient hydrogen to sustain the vehicles, and the percentage of that energy generated by the solar PV array. For an average year in Las Vegas and a travel requirement of 57 miles/day, this percentage was found to be 33 percent. This simulation has the potential to be modified for different locations, array size, amount of storage, or usage requirement.Copyright