The Science Channel: “How It’s Made!” – Solar Water Heaters
I’m not sure how many of you out there watch the Science Channel but you may have heard of a show called “How It’s Made”. Well, last Thursday night (12/29) they included a segment on solar water heaters. Our friends at AET were highlighted in this episode so be sure to check it out whenever they […]
Pitt County Solar Thermal Storage Tank Hits The Road!
Watch this video to see how a 1750 gallon solar thermal storage tank headed for the Pitt County Jail gets loaded for shipping. Today we helped our most recently completed Fluid Handling System roll of the lot as part of a new solar hot water system in Greenville, NC.
New Solar Hot Water System Complete @ Murphey School!
This video is a must watch! We have completed our installation of a drainback solar hot water system comprised of 15 AET solar thermal collectors and a 500 gallon Fluid Handling System for the Murphey School apartments. Take a look and get the whole tour!
Optimal System Thermodynamics
In this blog post, I’d like to share some information about the Fluid Handling System design, especially relating to the immersion vent and the function of the cavity. Let me give you a little background into the origins of the Fluid Handling System design that dates back to 1978. At that time I undertook a […]
Is ASHRAE Getting It Right With Solar Thermal System Design?
I was interested in taking a gander at the ‘official’ ASHRAE solar thermal design manual since I see so many commercial specification packages done poorly. I know many PEs refer to the ASHRAE literature when a client asks them to put solar hot water system on a building project. The engineers do the only thing […]
Solar Hot Water Systems Design Class is a Success!
Thanks go out to all those who participated in today’s commercial solar hot water systems design class! It was a huge success. We were very pleased with the turn out of a capacity crowd. The conversations back and forth were extremely valuable. Hopefully this is just the beginning of the discussion as we continue to work […]
The Importance of Duty Cycle in Solar Thermal Systems
In a recent letter from Kevin about single tank vs two tank solar hot water systems, he brings up a very important concept that we didn’t cover in the previous discussion. It is known as “duty cycle”, or the load vs time. To start this off, let’s go back to Kevin’s comments about single tank […]
Solar Thermal Design Class Reminder
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkJZzLS0T5M Hey Everybody! I’d just like to send out a reminder about the class for designing and engineering commercial-grade solar hot water systems that is coming up in about two and a half weeks. Here are the details… “Designing Durable, Low-Maintenance Commercial Solar Thermal Systems” Friday, September 9, 2011 8:30am – 5:00pm Holiday Inn Express at […]
Solar Hot Water Systems – Embedding FHS Controls
In this video, we’re putting the finishing touches on three Fluid Handling Systems that are soon to be delivered to the Fayetteville VA Medical Center as part of the solar hot water systems being installed there by our friends at Southern Energy Management. Sam and David are installing the controls and auto-fill valve… httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX0l8PXFhyA&feature=channel_video_title
Pump Selection for Solar Hot Water Systems
I’ve been having some conversations with a few engineers about how to properly select pumps for large solar hot water systems. The pumps used in our Fluid Handling Systems are selected from major manufacturers, such as TACO and Bell & Gossett. Each pump is chosen for the particular characteristics needed for solar thermal collector operation. […]