Solar energy heating system for high Andean communities

Heating system to improve thermal comfort for High Andean communities of Peru by using solar panels in order to reduce respiratory deseases and improve life quality.

The high Andean areas of our country, together with the Amazon areas, are the most forgotten and those that receive less benefits from the central government; not only this, but they are also the areas where people have fewer economic resources . In addition, many times basic services are not available, such as are drinking water, drainage and electricity, making the habitants have a low life quality .
One area in particular is the town of Caylloma, Arequipa, located at 3800 meters above sea level, where the population is dedicated mainly to livestock and agriculture,place in where not all the population has electricity, nor drainage systems. In addition, it is affected by low temperatures in the months of June, July and August.
During this period, temperatures drop considerably at night, around -10ºC, and sometimes at lower temperatures such as -15ºC, generating serious problems in children and the elderly as it could cause death.
To face this problem, many people adopt certain measures to fight against low temperatures, one of which is sleeping near the stove; this creates a serious problem because the residents would be breathing exhaust gases combustion, which are harmful to health. This could generate in the future respiratory problems, could cause suffocation or in the worst case could generate cancer.

The solution is use "Radiant Floor", a system that is very little known in our

country, because heating system installations are not made, but it is very known in Europe. In this type of facility, hot water is passed through some pipes that are under the floor, thus managing to increase room temperature. the water will heat up with therm and panels solar of 150wp doing the thermal comfort of the people who are inside the enclosure.
This technology presents a series of advantages such as, for example, an ideal temperature, energy saving, aesthetics, among other things. The  disadvantages are that they have a greater thermal inertia, that is, first you have to heat the floor to then heat the environment, and also has a higher installation cost,but if it is taken into account that this technology has a lifetime of approximately 10 years, then, it begins to be attractive to users.

This thesis seeks to adapt this system to the reality of Caylloma, that is why solar energy will be used as thermal input since in said locality it does not have electricity to use radiators and using a boiler would be complicated by the cost of obtaining fossil fuels.

In Peru, the regions with the highest values of solar radiation are Arequipa, Puno and Cuzco; which, paradoxically, are regions affected by low temperatures in the months of June, July and August.

In addition, Cuzco and Areauipa are part of the poorest regions of Peru with 57.4% and 67.2% of poverty (according to the survey carried out by the INEI in 2019). These reasons are important to be taken actions such as taking advantage of the resources that are available in the area, in In this case,take advantage of the available solar energy in order to reduce the effects of the low temperatures.
It has been observed that specifically in the Arequipa region, Caylloma district, the residents upon arrival from their working day (approximately 5pm) go into their kitchens to warm up with the heat that dissipates of the kitchen with the combustion gases that are generated in them. before bliss problematic, several organizations have carried out projects to combat the  cold in this area

Yes, our teqm hqve the skills reauired to achieve the goal to improve the health of this persons by impleneting the system.

This Team is composed of one developper, a mechanical engineer, a dctor and a management engineer, all of us we have the experience in each area to be able to implement the solution.

Yes we have done research with potencial users, we volunter with "Operacion Regalo" an organization that creates campaigns to help poor people and give them help in winter, like that we have the oppotunity to talk with th habitants and know that there are facing a big issue.

We did a research to look for solutions that could solve this issue, in Arequipa we have a system to warm water with solar panels, so we started doing the calcules and metrics to assure the Radiant Floor system will succeed.

This technology presents a series of advantages such as, for example, a ideal temperature, energy saving, aesthetics, among other things. The disadvantages are that they have a greater thermal inertia, that is, first you have to heat the floor to then heat the environment, and also has a higher installation cost, but if it is taken into account that this technology has a lifetime of approximately 10 years, then, it begins to be attractive to users.

Underfloor heating is the common way of talking about heating and cooling installations in which a surface area of the occupied space is used as a heat exchange element. Radiant floors, therefore, use the floor as a heating (and cooling) element, and are part of the so-called radiant systems in general, and which can be used in addition to the floor, the walls and the ceiling. Anything goes to reduce energy consumption.

The word "radiant" is relevant, and this is because a radiant floor exchanges a large part of the heat by radiation, helping to generate an excellent sensation of enveloping comfort, without stratification and without forced air movements.
In this way, we seek to create a simple system with an energy that we have in Arequipa, which is solar energy, and thus be able to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants, such as reducing respiratory diseases that are due to the lack of heating and alternative uses such as campfires to obtain heat. 

The development is based on the methodology learned in the courses
of design. Being more specific, it will be done as follows:

1. Characterization of the place where the thesis is going to be applied, conditions geographical, climatic and social.
2. Search for information on the types of existing underfloor heating, the
   constructive forms, materials and elements that they use for the construction of each type of underfloor heating.
3. Realization of the structure of functions, to identify the different processes involved in the development of the project.
4.  Elaboration of the morphological matrix.
5. Sketch of solution concepts, taking into account the structures of functions and morphological matrix, to then go on to select the one that best suits adapted to the stated needs.
6. Sketch of preliminary projects, taking into account the concept of selected solution, to carry out the corresponding weighting and select the "OPTIMUM PRELIMINARY PROJECT"
7. Having the "OPTIMAL PRELIMINARY PROJECT", the calculations will be made preliminary to know, in a general way, the dimension of the project.
8. At the end of the preliminary calculations, the calculations will be carried out final to be able to have the elements, materials and devices that are going to be use to start making the plans, both assembly and exploded view

The water is heated throughout the day by means of a flat collector, that is stored in a thermally insulated tank. The water is used in the hours cold (night) and circulates through the pipe thanks to the action of a pump.

It is expected  to serve 10000 with the implementation

• Getting to the place is difficult
• no state support
• Lack of investment in sustainable energy

There is no organization working as partner in this solution.

1. Key Partnerships
   1. Universities of Arequipa
   2. Catholic University of Santa Maria
   3. Saint Paul Catholic University
2. Key Activities
   1. Perform system analysis
   2. Perform usage calculations
   3. Investigate metrics of the place in winter, temperature, thermal comfort
   4. Prototyping
   5. Run tests
3. Key resources
   1. computers
   2. solar panels
   3. solar thermal
   4. water pumps
4. Value proposal
   1. Increase the quality of life of the high Andean communities with the radiant floor system
5. Relationship with customers
   1. Intimate and lasting relationship since being a simple system this will be replicable consequently other communities can obtain it
6. Channels
   1. social media
   2. newspapers
7. Market segments
   1. Colca Community, Caylloma, Arequipa, Peru
8. Sources of income
   1. project investors
   2. The state
   3. If wewin the contest we will have help

With donations and grants, selling products or services with the organization "Operacion regalo"  , invest by univerisites in order to share this improvement with young students.