A simple flat plate solar collector, which serves as a water heater and integrated to
thermoelectric modules, was put in place. The essence was to harness the same solar energy
that causes the bulk of heat gains to the building to heat water while at the same time the
unit acts as an air-conditioner and generator to drive air circulating fans. A space with six
occupants was considered for the study. A heat gain assessment was carried out to
determine the power required of the thermoelectric modules to match the space. A collector
size to power the modules, was then determined, constructed and the performance assessed.
With two glass covers, average maximum temperature of 1060C was recorded at mid clear
sky days on latitude 7°0'49" North, 6°30'14" East in the months of April to September.
Each of the thermoelectric element (TE) modules generated a voltage of 2V, enough to
power a fan and a number of light emitting diodes (LED). The performance of the system
was strongly dependent on the intensity of solar insolation and temperature difference of
hot and cold sides for the thermoelectric module. Integrated design suggested that all of the
device’s features and components were chosen to work in harmony with each other toward
the goal of creating a sustainable built environment. This encouraged attention to the
materials chosen so that they will age gracefully and require an appropriate amount of
maintenance over their lifetim