Solar Field Chilling and Heating Opportunities in a Hospital Environment
- $147k Funded by ARENA
- $336k Total project cost
Summary
The primary objective of the project is to facilitate a case study, prepared by CSIRO, on the integration of solar thermal technology at the hospital.
In order to support the case study, the project will include installation of equipment to complete the existing Chromasun Micro-Concentrator (MCT) field, and installation of associated systems infrastructure, as well as hot water storage to meet around 80% of the water heating load for the site.
How the project works
To achieve the project outcomes, the Recipient will:
- Install an additional 23 MCT units and 4 controllers to increase the production capacity of the solar field from 285kW to 570kW;
- Install an approximately 14kL litre hot water tank to meet 80% of the hot water (70°C) load for the facility;
- Design and install instrumentation appropriate to gather and monitor the required information for CSIRO to prepare a case study for the site – as part of an associated project; and,
- Work with CSIRO to facilitate the case study for the facility.
Area of innovation
The Project will primarily investigate the commercial and economic case for the deployment of solar thermal at the Echuca Regional Hospital, and examine the challenges and opportunities for hybridisation with conventional cooling, heating and boiler systems.
Benefit
The Project aims to reduce or remove roadblocks to the uptake of renewables by providing useful information for industry stakeholders to assess the costs and benefits of deploying similar solar thermal systems, and by demonstrating the reliability of hybrid/integrated renewable energy systems.
Read more about concentrated solar thermal.
