Frequently Asked Questions: Solar Thermal
It could be that the program has a problem to read the TSOL Pro.ini or TSOL Expert.ini file properly.
Please try the following steps:
1. Close the program
2. Depending on your operating system you will find the TSOL Pro.ini or TSOL Expert.ini in the following folder:
- Windows XP: C:\documents and settings\<USER>\personal folder\Valentin EnergieSoftware\TSOL...
- Windows Vista / Windows 7: C:\Users\<USER>\Documents\Valentin EnergieSoftware\TSOL...
3. Delete the TSOL Pro.ini or TSOL Expert.ini and restart the program. It initializes new and creates a new *.ini file.
The Microsoft .Net Framework is missing. At least version 2.0 Service Pack 1 is required to use T*SOL Pro 5.0. You can use the Windows update function to install the latest .Net Framework version for your Windows. During the update procedure you have to select it in the optional updates section. Alternatively, you can use the following link to download the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0 SP1 and then install it:
In T*SOL you can select from a number of systems, including company systems. Systems with and without space heating are available. Further systems are included in the additional program modules for swimming pool, large-scale systems and district heating (only available in T*SOL Expert). It is not possible to create user-defined systems in addition to the systems included in T*SOL.
First you need to open the dialog for the right collector type in the menu "Database" - "Components" - "Collectors". In the dialog, click on “Select” and choose a collector to use as a basis to create a new collector. Enter all of the data required, as per the datasheet or test report, overwriting the existing data. Make sure that you enter a new reference for the collector type, so that you can distinguish it from other collectors, and then save your entries with a click on “Save”.
You have now added a new collector to the T*SOL database. You can amend your entries as follows: select the collector to be changed – overwrite the data – save changes with a click on “Save”.In T * SOL 5.0 you open the collector database by choosing "Database" - "Components" - "Collectors". Select any collector as a template and click on the "Edit Collector" button. After creating a copy, you can now edit the collector data and "Save" your changes.
It might be due to the model change in respect of the calculation of heat gains, particularly for the irradiation onto the window areas facing north. In T*SOL 4.5 the percentage of diffuse solar radiation onto the north side is taken into account more strongly. This means that changes in the heat requirement occur and therefore also in the results.
These systems are no longer required because it is now possible to have either one or two collector arrays with systems A1.x, A2.x, A5.x, A 10, A 12 and A 16. Please open the variant dialog by using "System Definition" - "Variant" (in T*SOL Expert and T*SOL Pro 4.5 "Parameters " - "Variant"). Click on the “Components” tab and select the “Two Collector Loops” option.
Yes, this is possible for the systems A1.x, A2.x, A5.x, A 10, A 12 and A 16. Please open the variant dialog by using "System Definition" - "Variant" (in T*SOL Expert and T*SOL Pro 4.5 "Parameters " - "Variant"). Click on the “Components” tab and select the “Two Collector Loops” option. You can now size both collector loops separately.
The fuel saving is the energetic saving divided by the fuel heating value Hi (lower heating value) or Hs (higher heating value), depending on which of these values has been set for the boiler (auxiliary heating) efficiency. The energetic saving is not the same as the amount of energy transferred to the system (e.g. to the storage tank), but is calculated for each step of the simulation from solar energy in relation to the boiler efficiency. (NB: If the solar system would not be present, the boiler would have to deliver the calculated amount of solar energy at the corresponding efficiency.) The boiler efficiency values are given in the boiler dialog. If you carry out a calculation without space heating the software uses the efficiency for domestic hot water supply.
The help facility in the programme has the following definition for fuel savings: The available solar energy is converted, using the respective auxiliary heating efficiency, to give the corresponding primary energy equivalent.For systems with hot water and heating support (except swimming pool systems) the solar fractions for DHW and heating are only shown separately in the project report or detailed project report if a division in energy values for DHW and heating is possible. As soon as secondary circulation is included in the system, this is only still the case for System A5.2. In addition to the value for the total solar fraction, the solar fractions for DHW and heating can be included in the results for the following T*SOL systems: A3, A3.1, A3.2, A4, A4.1, A5 and A5.2. Separate solar fraction values cannot be shown for the following systems: A5 with circulation, A5.4, A5.5, A6, A12, company-specific combination systems, Buderus SAT systems, Paradigma systems and C4. If separate values are not possible, only the total solar fraction will be shown.
