Photovoltaic /District- Heated and Desiccant-Cooled Solar Powered Community Using an Insulated Pond

In 1987 Arizona's governor announced a goal of constructing a solar powered community that would produce as much energy from the sun as it consumed. As a part of that program the use of a water cooled photovoltaic system evolved. The thermal energy would be utilized in homes with a district heating and desiccant cooling system. Thermal powered desiccant cooling was selected because it required water with relatively moderate temperatures, 140- 1600F, that could be easily transported in insulated low-cost plastic pipe. Three ASK Corp. desiccant cooling /heating units have been successfully operated in the Phoenix area on a 5000 sq ft solar-powered residence since October, 1985. There also are photovoltaic / water cooled intermediate concentrators commercially available that have been thoroughly tested through different Department of Energy programs. This study describes the use of a computer to design a hybrid photovoltaic /thermal system providing heat to a district heating and desiccant cooling system for a 24 home subdivision in the Phoenix area of Arizona. Excess thermal energy is stored in an insulated pond. The gunite coated foam cover of the pond served as a tracking base for the concentrating solar collectors