One tank or two, sir?
The efficiency of a solar thermal system increases as the temperature of the water flowing through the collectors decreases. This is just basic physics. We don’t want the solar water to be any warmer than necessary at any given time. Systems that are designed and operated with this principle in mind will generate energy more efficiently…
Variable Speed Pumps
“Dr. Ben, on the hospital that you were pumping up 5 floors to the 50 collectors; you did talk about the pump and control with out detail. Are you using a variable speed pump control to prevent short cycling and excess velocity?” – Rod
How To Avoid Over-sizing A Solar Thermal System
Properly sizing a commercial solar hot water system requires a simple understanding of a basic universal principal: the Law of Diminishing Returns. Let me explain. The term “Solar Fraction” is defined as the ratio between the solar energy output of a system over the total energy demand of a building served by that system.
“What’s wrong with using Rubatex to insulate solar thermal system piping?”
You may have heard me say before not to use any type of rubber when insulating the pipes of solar hot water systems. The picture to the right shows why. This rubber insulation was installed on a new A/C unit only some 4 years ago. The unit is in the shadow of a building and is as […]
What Is An “Immersion Vent”?
I had the opportunity to sit down recently with Alan Watts of Renewable Design Associates. To be such a young guy, Alan really seems to have a firm grasp of the basic fundamentals of solar hot water systems.
Inspecting the Solar Hot Water System at The Healing Place!
The solar thermal system at The Healing Place of Wake County is now up and running! So I decided to pay it a visit and see how it’s doing. I was pleased to see a fair amount of solar energy had been collected and stored over the past several days even though the weather had […]
Irregardless Cafe Goes Solar Thermal With Yes!
2012 is off to a shining start for Arthur Gordon, Chef Emeritus and Owner of the Irregardless Cafe here in Raleigh, NC. The Irregardless has joined the growing number of North Carolina businesses and organizations leading the charge for renewable energy. Arthur recently called Energy Specialist Dan Lezama of Yes! Solar Solutions to come out and […]
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 […]