Facility for the evaluation of solar thermal products

The laboratory features an integrated and accredited experimental infrastructure for the evaluation of energetic performance and reliability of solar thermal products. This infrastructure fully complies with the requirements of the relevant European and International Standards and constitutes a modern and high-metrological-quality facility for the provision of specialized scientific services for the optimization and characterization of the products of the respective industrial branch. This comprises :
• Two autonomous test rigs for the determination of the characteristic efficiency curves of solar thermal collectors, fully automated in terms of selecting and maintaining stable operating conditions (flow rate and temperature of the working fluid) and with automatic tracking capabilities of the sun orbit.
• Eight autonomous test rigs for the evaluation of the energetic performance of solar domestic hot-water systems, capable of implementing various measurement scenarios according to two internationally established methods (CSTG and DST)
• Automated facilities for the conditioning and controlled-temperature supply of water.
• Facilities for the investigation of parameters involved in the qualification of solar thermal collectors, such as thermal-shock resistance, impact, mechanical fatigue (positive and negative pressure), long-term exposure to solar radiation, internal pressure and rain penetration.
• Fully-automated, multiple-point data acquisition and recording systems, obtaining inputs from calibrated temperature sensors, flow-rate meters and solar-radiation measuring devices (total, diffuse and direct irradiation), as well as network for the central management of the measuring devices, using graphical programming tools and process- flow diagrams.
• High-precision devices for the calibration of thermometers, pyranometers and flow meters, by means of reference instruments and according to accredited, traceable calibration protocols.
• Specialized software for the performance analysis and design optimization of solar thermal products.