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about installSHW.com
Solar Hot Water (SHW for short)
operates on the same idea as a black tube of water that gets hot in the sun
and is put into storage as it heats up. The panels are a serpentine or grid
of small copper tubing welded to an engineered "selective surface".
The storage tank and piping is highly insulated. Controllers only allow water
to go to storage if it is warmer than the water already in storage. In our
climate on the 42nd parallel, freezing can be avoided by use of antifreeze or
by a system called drainback in which cold water drains from the panels into
another tank. The antifreeze does not come
into contact with the potable water because a tube of it runs indirect
through or around the tank or piping.
Our specialized team of
technical plumbers will deliver to you a Solar Hot Water (SHW) system
customized for your hot water demands with the highest level of efficiency.
We are committed to suiting your own lifestyle and business needs. We can
install pre-fit packages or assemble high quality components allowing for
future alterations and do so for the same price. Whichever your choice our concern
is for the highest level of performance and efficiency with the lowest level
of required maintenance, using the most proven and durable equipment
available. All our plumbing work is permitted in accordance with the law.
The average hot water use per person in the U.S. is estimated at 20 gallons per day. The average system size is two-panel with a 100-gallon storage tank which will deliver 150,000 BTUs a day on peak. Because we take special care with our installation and our customers, most jobs take 5 days. A two flat panel on up to a four storey building feeding into your existing hot water unit (see the System Types Section) will cost $12,999. This is roughly what you would pay to change, add storage and/or improve efficiency on your hot water system by other methods as well. In the case of Solar Hot Water that cost is reduced substantially by the 30% no-cap Federal tax rebate and a 15% -$1,500 residential or 50%-$100,000 commercial and multi-family rebate from the National Grid program. Also low interest loans and mortgages through Energy Star. (DSIREUSA.org). If that isn’t enough to point you in the right direction think of the savings on your monthly fuel bills @ 60-75%. The system pays for itself within 7 years -- but if money is not your concern think about the carbon footprint of 10 tons of CO2 per year emitted by standard hot water heating. We invite you to do the math or have your accountant review it. We have rebate specialists on our team who can give you guidance as well.
Your SHW system will last for a minimum of 25 years before needing repairs. Evacuated tube collectors have been on the market for 10 years and are so far holding up fine. Call our representatives to discuss the pros and cons of these two collector types. The heat transfer fluid and
anti-freeze agent in the solar loop is propylene glycol which reaches
temperatures up to 250. By 5 years time, it becomes more acidic and hastens
deterioration of the piping. It should be rejuvenated with a high quality
product such as Dow Frost HD propylene glycol every 5 years and at that time
the anode in the storage tank should also be replaced. (The anode is a
mineral-attracting component in steel tanks which ensures the integrity of
the metal.) So maintenance is recommended once every 5 years.
Yes, Solar Hot Water can certainly be used for space heating and can be configured to pre feed into any hot water based space heat system especially radiant flooring. It can also feed forced air heating. Solar is great when you are storing hot water and meets 60-75% of domestic needs at the usual sizing. There is a product called Solar Sheat which is a wall mounted hot air heater that also qualifies for tax rebates/credits and I hear it works wonderfully. You can make your system as large as your roof, yard, basement and budget allows to meet more and more of your demands. We can also design your system to adapt for future enlargement. A very popular and scientifically efficient use for Solar Hot Water is for heating swimming pools. Pool systems are inexpensive and it costs a lot in fuel to keep pools warm. If you have a swimming pool, Solar pool heating is highly recommended.
There are some tricks to plumbing design that reduce component malfunctions, reduce circulator voltage consumption, keep flow rates level and minimize BTU losses. The most obvious one is insulation. We meticulously insulate all our piping and more with high quality elastomeric insulation and use durable UV protection on all exterior piping. Each BTU rescued from oblivion= money in your pocket. We only install collectors that are SRCC certified and use Energy Star qualified products wherever possible.
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ETAOIN
March 19, 2009