Using “Forensic Physics” to Determine the Hot Water Load

I had the good pleasure of paying a visit to Matt Thompson of Yes! Solar Solutions in Cary this morning. Matt is working on a solar water heating system design for a prospective client who owns a retirement home in Raleigh. First of all, senior living facilities are an ideal match for solar hot water! All the primary activities involving domestic hot water (DHW) such as meal preparation, dish washing, laundry, and bathing are performed on a daily basis. So we know the hot water demand for this client is good. But how do we determine with any level of accuracy what the hot water demand actually is?

Well, followers of my blog will know that our preferred method for determining the hot water demand is to install our ultra-sonic flow meter in the hot water line for at least a week. Unfortunately, this isn’t always an option. Many “boiler rooms” are so crammed and criss-crossed with piping that it is impossible to find a viable location to install the meter. So what then? We must resort to what I like to call ‘forensic physics’. Just like a crime scene investigator, we carefully piece together all the clues to come up with our best possible estimate.

Of course I can’t give away all my tricks here but check out the video below for more details… and leave us a comment!

Dr. Ben