Energy-Environmental One-Year Dynamic Simulation and Ranking Analysis of Using Flat Plate Solar Water Heater to Supply the Heating Demand of an Apartment in the USA: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Nowadays, owing to the increasing demand for water heating, solar water heaters (SWHs) are an appropriate alternative to heating based on fossil or electric fuels. Solar heating has received a lot of attention due to its reduction of environmental pollution and ensuring future energy security. Moreover, it is cost-effective in the long run. Given the importance of the above, there is a lack of a comprehensive review of the potential for heat supply at the residential scale in different US states. In addition, finding the most suitable place to use SWHs has not been studied so far. Therefore, in the present work, for the first time, the energy-environmental assessment of 50 US state centers during a one-year period has been done using TSOL commercial software. Furthermore, using step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) and weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) computational methods, the weighting of criteria and ranking of studied stations were performed, respectively. The results indicated that of the eight parameters studied, the parameters “total solar fraction” and “solar contribution to domestic hot water” have the highest and lowest final normalized weight, respectively. Moreover, the WASPAS method using the decision matrix showed that Phoenix, Santa Fe, and Tallahassee stations are the top 3 stations in terms of using SWHs, respectively, and Juneau, Olympia, and Montpelier stations are three inappropriate stations in this regard, respectively. The VIekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje (VIKOR), intelligent transportation system deployment analysis system (IDAS), and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methods also validated the results of the present work, which were completely consistent. The results of the economic analysis revealed that the Santa Fe station with the price of each kW of energy produced at $0.021 has the cheapest solar heat generation.