Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The installation should have a regulation and control unit that guarantees that it
will operate correctly. Optimal system performance means obtaining maximum benefit
from the solar energy collected and only using the back-up system when absolutely
necessary. The control unit is composed of the following subsystems:
•
Subsystem to assure the smooth operation of the primary and secondary circuits;
•
Temperature control subsystems for the safe operation of the installation which
prevent it from overheating, freezing, etc.
The regulation and control unit assures that the system will not operate at tem-
peratures higher than can be supported by the materials, components and treatment
of the circuits. In installations with a surface area greater than 20 m
2
, a monitoring
system is installed that provides the values of a wide range of variables, such as the
incoming cold water temperature, outgoing water temperature of the solar tank, cold
water volume in the system, thermal solar energy stored, etc. The control unit should
guarantee that the working fluid temperature never falls below a temperature that is
three degrees higher than the freezing temperature of the fluid.
The installation also includes a series of elements designed to protect users and the
system itself from possible accidents. For this purpose, it has pressure-relief valves
that prevent the system from exceeding maximum operating pressures. Additionally,
there are also deaerators that eliminate the air in the circuits. The system also has
sensors that prevent it from freezing as well as overheating. To absorb the expansion
and contraction of the fluid in a closed circuit (e.g. primary circuit), there is also an
expansion tank. Measures are also taken in both the use and design of the system to
eliminate the risk of Legionnaires' disease.
20.5 THE SPANISHTECHNICAL BUILDING CODE AS A LEGAL
MEANS TO FOMENTTHE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES
IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
The
Código Técnico de la Edificación
[Technical Building Code] (see Section 20.3.3)
specifies the requirements in Spain for the design, construction, use, maintenance
and conservation of buildings. Compliance with this code foments building qual-
ity, guarantees the health and safety of occupants and protects the surrounding
environment.
In regards to the functionality and habitability of buildings, the Spanish Techni-
cal Building Code specifies basic requirements for each of the following: (i) structural
safety; (ii) fire safety; (iii) building use safety; (iv) hygiene, health and environmental
protection; (v) noise protection; and (vi) energy economy and heat retention. This
building code contains the following types of provision: objectives, requirements, ver-
ification methods and consensual solutions. The code is divided into two parts. The
first part concerns the general premises, objectives and regulations of the code, and
the second part focuses on its implementation documents.
Section one of the Technical Building Code establishes the general conditions in
which the code is applied. It also defines the project design characteristics required for
buildings. Compliance with these regulations guarantees that a building is suitable for
its designated use. Three of the six articles in the code focus on building safety, and the
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