Building integration of concentrating solar systems for heating applications

A new solar collection system integrated on the facade of a building is investigated for Dutch climate conditions. The solar collection system includes a solar facade, a receiver tube and 10 Fresnel lenses. The Fresnel lenses considered were linear, non-imaging, line - focused with a system tracking the position of the sun that ensures vertical incidence of the direct solar radiation on the lenses. For the heating system a double-effect absorption heat pump, which requires high temperature of the heating fluid, was used, working with water and lithium-bromide as refrigerant and solution respectively. The Fresnel lens system is connected with the absorption heat pump through a thermal energy storage tank which accumulates the heat from the Fresnel lens system to provide it to the high pressure generator of the absorption heat pump. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.