Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Into The Potential Use Of Windbreaks To Improve Solar Collector Performance, Michael Watts

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The global demand for energy is ever increasing; however, the world has a limited number of fossil fuels available. Therefore, alternative renewable energy sources must be utilized. For this reason, solar thermal collectors have become an increasingly popular method for providing hot water or space heating. However, solar thermal collectors are most commonly used in areas that experience warm climates throughout the year. In areas that experience seasonal climates, the cold temperatures and harsh climate conditions significantly reduce the performance of solar thermal collectors during the winter months. This thesis examined the potential that the implementation of a windbreak could …