Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If so, Id love to hear an overview of your System as im in the design and planning stage to install a Direct/Open type system for my home in Florida . I will be first installing a system to meet 100% of my potable hot water needs (I live alone) , then as a future project I will be installing a system to meet at least 50% of my winter space heating needs. Fortunately , ive been in the HVAC business all my adult life , but have experience doing solar. I have my potable solar system layed out and id like to discuss it with someone who is very familiar with Solar ; sadly and i guess understandably Solar Contractors,Manufacturers, Suppliers...arent interested in hearing what you have planned . I have seen all the posts on YouTube and have read thru alot of other online info.
If youve designed and installed yours, please share what type of system it is, post pics if you like, and lets have an interesting conversation . Thanks, David.
No, we used a package (from Heliodyne) because it had the certification required by the state we live in - at least if we wanted to be eligible for state energy credits.
Our system to do the domestic hot water and some of the radiant heating ran about $5,400, as completely installed by us, and the state tax credits were about $1,500 and the Feds were another $1,900. So even though the spouse is an EE and an ME, we couldn't save enough by designing our own. We saved probably $1,500-$2000 installing everything ourselves and that was good enough.
No, we used a package (from Heliodyne) because it had the certification required by the state we live in - at least if we wanted to be eligible for state energy credits.
Our system to do the domestic hot water and some of the radiant heating ran about $5,400, as completely installed by us, and the state tax credits were about $1,500 and the Feds were another $1,900. So even though the spouse is an EE and an ME, we couldn't save enough by designing our own. We saved probably $1,500-$2000 installing everything ourselves and that was good enough.
Wow...you got a very good deal with the tax credits. Im wanting to design and install my own however, for the challenge and personal reward. Thanks for the site.
When I was in the Dominican Republic we did solar hot water, but it wasn't exactly high tech.
It involved a huge black plastic tank on the flat roof. It wasn't exactly "hot" water, but a heckuva lot better than cold well water when you're taking a shower!
When I was in the Dominican Republic we did solar hot water, but it wasn't exactly high tech.
It involved a huge black plastic tank on the flat roof. It wasn't exactly "hot" water, but a heckuva lot better than cold well water when you're taking a shower!
My husband's grandfather lived just outside of Miami and had a similar set-up, starting from about 1935 or so. It supplied all of the hot water for his house for about 50 years.
My husband's grandfather lived just outside of Miami and had a similar set-up, starting from about 1935 or so. It supplied all of the hot water for his house for about 50 years.
It probably should be called a "warm water" system, not hot water. But I'll tell ya what, if it's a choice of that or well water for your shower, you know what I'm voting for!
Beyond that, any water used for cooking or drinking gets boiled on the stove, so that's a different system.
It probably should be called a "warm water" system, not hot water. But I'll tell ya what, if it's a choice of that or well water for your shower, you know what I'm voting for!
Beyond that, any water used for cooking or drinking gets boiled on the stove, so that's a different system.
We have three 4x8 flat plate collectors - on a sunny day in January, we get 120 gallons of 160 deg F water. The surprising thing is that all it takes is a couple of hours of sun, or even several hours of part sun or haze to get hot water (not 160 degrees, but 100 degrees). Unlike PV systems, it doesn't take full sun or even direct sun. Based on some 80 deg days earlier this month, we may end up having to cover parts of the panels in high summer.
We do have an electric water heater and a boiler back-up for the radiant floors, but so far we're really pleased with the system.
We have three 4x8 flat plate collectors - on a sunny day in January, we get 120 gallons of 160 deg F water. The surprising thing is that all it takes is a couple of hours of sun, or even several hours of part sun or haze to get hot water (not 160 degrees, but 100 degrees). Unlike PV systems, it doesn't take full sun or even direct sun. Based on some 80 deg days earlier this month, we may end up having to cover parts of the panels in high summer.
We do have an electric water heater and a boiler back-up for the radiant floors, but so far we're really pleased with the system.
If you feel so led, Id be very interested to know the entrance and exit pipe temp for the Collector(s) , the distance in height from your Solar Storage Tank to the Collectors, and the specs on the circulating pump (taken right off of the pump itself) . This would assist me in my design. Thanks alot.
If you feel so led, Id be very interested to know the entrance and exit pipe temp for the Collector(s) , the distance in height from your Solar Storage Tank to the Collectors, and the specs on the circulating pump (taken right off of the pump itself) . This would assist me in my design. Thanks alot.
This is a closed loop glycol system (we live - high desert Oregon - where the record low is around zero and we get snow and ice every winter), so the water never circulates through the panel. The panels sit about 3' above the storage tanks and the total copper piping loop is about 90' of pipe (our house is built into a hill, so the panels hang off the second floor deck and the storage tank, water heater and radiant floor manifold are on the first floor).
Since the system is closed loop, the inlet temp is whatever the temp of the water in the (highly insulated) storage tank is. There is some heat loss between the collector outlet and the storage tank, but it's not high. We used a special pipe insulation from Johns Manville for all of the piping. The gycol system is pressurized to about 35 psi. The pump switches on when the temp in the collector (differential temp controller) is 15 degrees or more hotter than the temp in the tank - otherwise you'd cool the water in the storage tank on a cloudy cold day.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thanks, David.
