Renewable Energy Integration in Buildings A Case Study in Portugal

Abstract

This paper aims at the presentation of a proposal

for the integration of solar thermal technology in buildings,

particularised for the Portuguese context through a case study, a

new sport public building in Coimbra, which consists of two

swimming pools, gym, jacuzzi and sanitary facilities. This

proposal has been developed in the framework of a Master

dissertation currently under development, which the main

objective is the selection of the most appropriate technological

solution for the integration of renewable energy in buildings. In

this paper we propose the selection of the most appropriate

technological solution for the integration of three thermal solar

systems in the new building. Two systems are used for heating

the swimming pools and the third one is dedicated to domestic

hot water. The selection of the best solution will take into

account the constructive aspects of the building, the building's

energy needs and the local availability of renewable resources

and market technologies. For each solar thermal system, the

general scheme of the proposed technical solution is presented.

Investment costs and economic viability of the selected

solutions are also presented.