Performance Comparison and Analysis of Heating and Ventilation of Two Kinds of Roof Solar Collectors

Two roof solar collectors (RSCs), conventional single pass RSC and new double pass RSC, were compared. The new roof solar collector, which is formed by integrating a double pass solar air collector with the roof of the building, can be operated more efficiently for space heating in winter, and for natural ventilation in other seasons. To evaluate the performances of the two RSCs for both space heating and natural ventilation, a single traditional Chinese style house, on which the two RSCs will be mounted, was developed. The efficiency of solar energy conversion for the new RSC is higher than that of the single pass one by 10% on average, and the ventilation rate contributed by natural ventilation for the new RSC can be improved to a great extent for most cases, indicating that the new RSC is superior to the single pass one from the viewpoint of both space heating and natural ventilation. The new RSC is more potential for improving indoor thermal environment and energy saving of buildings.