Plenary Lecture
Large Scale Solar Assisted Hot Water Heating Systems for Green Hospital
Professor Kamaruzzaman Sopian
Solar Energy Research Institute
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Malaysia
E-mail: ksopian@eng.ukm.my
Abstract: Concerns over the impact of the environment on the massive usage of fossil fuels, combined with soaring energy prices, triggered increased interest in the use of solar energy. One of the most attractive applications of solar energy is for hot water usage in the public and commercial sector. The available building surface for the residential, commercial and industrial sector is approximately 110,000,000 m2. Hence, the potential for solar heaters for Malaysia is 75 GW(thermal). There are over 100 hospitals and hotels throughout the nation that the existing hot water system can be converted to solar assisted system and hence increase the market of the solar energy systems. Hospitals and hotels utilized over 30 % of the total energy consumption for water heating. A case study of such facilities is the Hospital University Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM)) was presented. Presently, cold water enters the calorifiers directly, which are heated by LPG boilers. Larger amount of LPG is used and much amount of greenhouse gases is released. The hot water system for the hospital is provided by a boiler, total of eight calorifiers. The unit used to run 24 hours a day. The average solar radiation for Kuala Lumpur is 16.92 MJ / m² / day. The evacuated tube collectors with all the required controls system have been proposed and installed. Simple calculations on the energy output, savings on LPG and reduction of CO2 have been conducted. Preliminary results indicated that the saving on LPG based on proposed system was more than 20%. With a prospect of 100 hospitals and hotels throughout the nation, this project shall improve public awareness in energy conservation in the hot water production of their buildings and increase the market of the solar energy systems.
Brief Biography of the Speaker: Prof. Dr. Kamaruzzaman Bin Sopian obtained his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1985, MSc in Energy Resources from the University of Pittsburgh in 1989 and PhD. in Mechanical Engineering from the Dorgan Solar Laboratory, University of Miami in 1997. He is presently the Professor in Renewable Energy at the Department of Mechanical and Material Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Currently, he is the Director of the Solar Energy Research Institute, a center of excellence for the research and development in solar energy technology. He has been involved in the field of solar energy for more than twenty years. His main contributions are in solar radiation modeling, alternative material for solar absorber, solar water heating system with integrated storage system, solar desalination, solar cooling, daylighting using solar light pipes, solar assisted drying systems, grid-connected photovoltaic system, thin film silicon solar cells, combined photovoltaic thermal or hybrid collector and solar hydrogen production system. He has published over 400 research papers in journals and conferences. He has delivered keynotes speeches at national and international conferences on renewable energy. He is the founding member of the Malaysian Institute of Energy, member of the World Renewable Energy Network based in the United Kingdom and is an associate editor of the Renewable Energy and Sustainable Cities and Society published by Elsevier Ltd. He heads several national subcommittees on renewable energy by the Malaysian government to promote awareness, market enhancement, policy studies and the applications renewable energy.