An innovative system for heating and cooling a gymnasium using integrated photovoltaic-thermal solar collectors

The paper describes a new solar energy based system to heat and cool a gymnasium and to generate electricity in the city of Palermo, Italy. The gymnasium will be built in 1996 as part of the structures that will host the ''Universiadi'' Games in 1997. Main objectives of the project are: a. to grant better environmental conditions in the area occupied by the public, with limited use of fossil energy; b. to reduce the temperature of the photovoltaic elements, thus increasing their efficiency. The system consists of an array of 203 m(2) integrated photovoltaic-thermal solar air collectors. In the winter mode of operation, the heated air is passed through the concrete benches where the public is seated. In the summer mode of operation outside air is evaporatively cooled, passed through the benches, then exhausted to the outside after passing through the collectors. The paper presents some of the results obtained by simulating the system at the design stage for winter conditions.