In order to facilitate detailed solar system simulations and to make
such simulations readily available to solar engineers in their daily
practice of system dimensioning and performance calculations, user
friendly software for personal computers has been developed as a system
specific simulation program for a frequently installed group of water
based solar system types. The program package has been developed as part
of the OPSYS R&D-program of the Commission of the European Communities
and has been named EURSOL. The set of system configurations considered
includes different types of thermal solar systems for space heating and
hot water production. The simulations are based on validated physical
system models. The program offers complete freedom with regard to all
parameters describing the systems and includes on-line help, economic
evaluations and graphical output. This book describes the system
considered in EURSOL, the mathematical algorithm, the physical model of
each component used, the processing of solar radiation data and the
economic evaluation criteria. Although the book is mainly a manual for
the use of the simulation program, it is also a guide for the
development of simplified simulation models for solar systems.