Convegni ATI - Accesso riservato soci CTI

Autore: L. Marletta, G. Evola, F. Sicurella

Collana: CA - 61 - Perugia 2006

Note:
When dealing with energy conversion, the most efficient systems usually require a higher energy supply for their production process. As a consequence, it is interesting to investigate whether their extra embodied energy content is balanced by their higher energy efficiency.
In this paper such an investigation is focused on the most widespread technologies for air cooling and dehumidification; a comparison is made between conventional systems based on cooling coils connected to vapour compression chillers, and systems based on the use of solar assisted adsorption wheels.
Based on experimental and literature data concerning materials inventory and energy costs of basic materials, the embodied energy is defined for each system, as well as the environmental impact related to their production, according to the Ecoindicator 99 method. Furthermore, the energy consumption of both systems for a specific application is defined. The comparison is made on the basis of a new index, the compensation time, defined as the time required by the most efficient technologies to compensate their extra embodied energy, thanks to their higher energy efficiency.
The results will take into account different possible values of the solar fraction F.