Investigation and modelling of the centralized solar domestic hot water system in residential buildings

The solar domestic hot water system is currently widely applied as a building energy saving technique. Various forms of the system exist, which should be properly applied in practical engineering. It is significant to study the adaptability of the solar domestic hot water system as it accounts for the building energy consumption in a non-negligible proportion, which is still scarcely studied based on field measurements in current research. This study figured out the performance of the centralized solar domestic hot water system through field measurements, as well as built a sub-hourly simulation model, which has been validated with the field measurement. The model was used to analyse the influence of several factors on the energy consumption of the system, such as the water supply strategy, the use modes of occupants, the thermal insulation of pipes, and the forms of the system. The adaptability of the system was concluded.