Natural Energy Autonomous House with Underground Water Reservoir

抄録

A natural energy autonomous system with an underground water reservoir utilizing solar thermal energy, natural coolness, and sky radiation cooling is presented. The proposed system has two operational modes: i.e. (i) long-term thermal energy storage mode from September to early December, in which solar energy is collected and stored in the underground reservoir and (ii) long-term cool storage mode from April to late June, in which the water temperature of the underground reservoir is cooled by using a sky radiation cooling device, thereby meeting almost all the heating, cooling, and domestic hot water needs in a standard Japanese house. This system is also designed to save domestic water by utilizing rain water. It is especially noted that sky radiation cooling is effectively introduced in the present system, defying the notion that utilization of sky radiation is impossible in the Japanese climate.