INTEGRATED DESIGN BETWEEN ENERGY-SAVING SOLAR WATER HEATERS IN HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS: A CASE STUDY ON CHANGCHUN, NORTHEAST CHINA

Solar water heater is a mature and popular tool to utilise solar energy. If installed on high-rise residential buildings, solar water heaters could promote the energy efficiency and protect the environment in and near the buildings. This paper aims to propose an integrated design between solar water heaters and high-rise residential buildings. Focusing on a representative community in Changchun, Northeast China, the authors fully analysed the environment, climate, geography, and residential development of the city, and carefully designed heat storage equipment, water storage equipment, and pipelines for heater-building integration. The economic and environmental benefits of the proposed design were examined in great details. The research results promote the application of solar energy in building industry, and offer an alternative to traditional coal-fired gas heating systems.