A Solar Hot Water Primer - Ken Olson
©2001 Ken OlsonThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Go to Sidebar 1, Maintain Temperature Stratification in Your Tank Go to Sidebar 2, Rust Never Sleeps: Open Loop vs. Closed Loop Hot water represents the second largest energy consumer in American households. An investment in a solar water heating system will beat the stock market any day, any decade, risk free. In this article I'm going to cover the most common options for solar water heating, basic principles of operation, and some historical perspective on what has worked and what has not. Below: A Typical Solar Flat Plate Water Heater. A Checkered Past, A Bright Future Solar thermal's past is a good example of why everyone should be skeptical of government involvement in energy. The intention was to stimulate sales for solar thermal systems. The solar thermal industry has been purged of the tax credit telemarketers and overnight experts. Turn the thermostat down. Caution!
Plans For Various Passive Solar Heaters
The Do It Yourself Passive Solar Window Heater How To Make A Passive Solar Heater. This is a very simple and inexpensive project. There are many passive solar heating projects out there, but we must admit, we were very sceptical at first. In the cold November mornings, what help can a simple bit of styrofoam and aluminum foil really provide? So we decided to make one and see how well it works. How this works: When the sun shines, the black painted area will absorb the heat from the suns rays. Make your own passive solar window heater Paint your solar heater black Homemade passive solar window heater in action In the photos above you can see the homemade passive solar window heater. First choose a south facing window and measure the window frame and decide if you want to cover the window completely or not with your solar heater. Cover the backing with aluminum foil on one side. Take the whole thing outside on a warm day and spray paint it all black. Pros and cons of this design.
7 Solar Water Heating System Designs by Michael Hackleman
(Rob Harlan is a general and solar contractor with 25 years of experience with solar water heating systems in Mendocino County, California. Rob primarily designs and installs photovoltaic systems today.) MH: Rob, will you give a brief history of the last 30 years of solar-water heating system design and implementation? Rob: Solar-water heating systems got a real boost in the 1970s when tax credits were offered by state and federal programs to help folks make the investment. These systems were intended primarily for domestic hot water, i.e., showers, dishwashing, cooking, and clotheswashing. They were also popular for heating the water in pools and hot tubs. MH: As I recall, a lot of manufacturers also disappeared when the tax credits went away. Rob: Some designs were indeed flawed—poorly implemented, overly complex, or incorporating untested ideas. Rob: And—on active systems, a controller turns a pump on and off as solar heat is available. Rob: Freezing protection. Rob: True. 1. 2. 3.
Radiant Floor Heating - Radiant Floor Heating, Underfloor Heating, Radiant Ceiling Heating, In Slab Heating - CBS Radiant Heating Systems
Radiant Floor Heating: Safe-t-FLEX Heating Foil Safe-t-FLEX cabron film heating roll Safe-t-FLEX: The ultimate radiant floor heating solution and underfloor heating technology. Radiant Floor Heating is the new, easy, way to install comfortable underfloor heating. Safe-t-FLEX is a new type of thin electric heating foil - just 0.3 mm - with a unique design that makes it very easy to install. The radiant floor heating foil is dispatched in a roll ready for "on site cutting to size", slim crimp connectors are used for attaching the wires. Safe-t-FLEX radiant floor heating: A good choice for your home Safe-t-FLEX is a reliable product that heats well over two million square metres of flooring around Europe. Ideal for new buildings and renovation Safe-t-FLEX is ideal for new buildings as the radiant floor heating foil can be laid directly on the floor surface or preferably on 3-6mm foam underlay. Ideal for installing under timber floors Wiring up the power to the Safe-t-FLEX carbon film
Heat recovery ventilation
Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) are closely related, however ERVs also transfer the humidity level of the exhaust air to the intake air. Benefits[edit] As building efficiency is improved with insulation and weather stripping, buildings are intentionally made more airtight, and consequently less well ventilated. Since all buildings require a source of fresh air, the need for HRVs has become obvious. While opening a window does provide ventilation, the building's heat and humidity will then be lost in the winter and gained in the summer, both of which are undesirable for the indoor climate and for energy efficiency, since the building's HVAC systems must compensate. HRV introduces fresh air to a building and improves climate control, whilst promoting efficient energy use. UK building regulations require one air change every two hours (0.5 ACH). Technology[edit] HRVs and ERVs can be stand-alone devices that operate independently, or they can be built-in, or added to existing HVAC systems.
How to Maintain Hot Water Heating Systems
Hot water heating systems need a little maintenance, like venting the radiators and draining the boiler, to keep things running efficiently. Gravity and hot water furnaces are not often installed in new homes today, but similar systems with the old cast-iron radiators throughout the house were fixtures in homes built around 1900, and some of them are still working. Clanking, popping, and gurgling as they swing into action whenever the thermostat detects room temperatures dropping, they provide a relatively steady flow of heat without the drafts you get in forced-air furnaces. Hot water systems are closed, meaning that the water constantly circulates through the pipes and into the boiler. To maintain a system, you should lubricate the circulating pump motor. In the fall and throughout the heating season, you also need to vent or purge radiators that don’t have an automatic purge system. Open the valves on radiators and convectors to let out air.
