Solar Washington

Solar PV system

2011-10-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden I have almost more Solar Photovoltaic work than I can handle. On the books are two 6 kw systems using Westinghouse panels and Enphase micro inverters, three 2kw systems using Schuco made in the USA solar panels and a Kaco inverter.

And, I just finished installing a 3kw system on our own families home. 320 watt panels and a Kaco inverter.

Solar Thermal/Radiant Heat

2011-08-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

I'm finishing up the radiant heating system for Julie. A past Solar thermal customer Julie was tired of the dirty and inefficient forced air system she was living with. So we removed the old gas furnace, air handler, duct work and about a bushel of dust and replaced it with a TACO X-Block and associated hydronic piping, valves and manifolds.

While solar isn't expected to provide all the heat, it will at times be the sole source of heating energy and at other times serve to pre-heat the water.

The Solar/Gas water heater is rated 160F at its highest setting, and the hydronic system was designed to operate well in this climate at 150F.

Radiant Heating System

2011-07-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

For the past few days I've been installing the piping necessary to utilize the heat from the solar/gas water heater for not only domestic hot water, but also for the radiant hydronic heating system. Instead of the more common in floor radiant heat we see almost everywhere I prefer the European approach using panel radiators. Panel radiators and in floor radiant both offer comfortable radiant heat, but panel radiators also provide convective air flow heat. Panel radiators are low mass and respond quick. They also are often fitted with thermostatic heads which offer the home owner zoned temperature control.

All the radiators were over sized to provide for the anticipated lower-than-a-boiler temperature the solar thermal system will provide.

Two forms of radiant heat together.

Click on the picture below to see the panel radiator.

New Hydronic Heating System for Julie

2011-07-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

A former solar thermal customer wants a clean, efficient and comfortable heating system for her home. The original heating system was comprised of a gas furnace and sheet metal ducting throughout the house. The solar thermal system is comprised of a pair of Schuco Slim V panels and a 75 gallon solar tank with gas back-up as a heat source.

Task one was to remove the gas furnace and duct work. We always hear of the need to clean ducts, and to be honest I never give those ads much thought. I believe I'll start paying more attention. The duct work was unbelieveably dirty, dusty, filled with fuzz of some sort and quite a lot of animal hair. Keep in mind the client diligently replaced her filters as evidenced by good record keeping and a supply of new filters close at hand.

This is a small amount of the material found in the duct work.

The old style sheet metal ductwork actually came out pretty easily.

More to follow.

100 percent depreciation

2011-06-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

The Fed's have in place business tax advantages that make it very affordable to install solar this year.

Taken from the DSIRE Solar site:

The federal Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, enacted in February 2008, included a 50% first-year bonus depreciation (26 USC § 168(k)) provision for eligible renewable-energy systems acquired and placed in service in 2008. This provision was extended (retroactively for the entire 2009 tax year) under the same terms by The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, enacted in February 2009. Bonus depreciation was renewed again in September 2010 (retroactively for the entire 2010 tax year) by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297).

In December 2010 the provision for bonus depreciation was amended and extended yet again by The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4853). Under these amendments, eligible property placed in service after September 8, 2010 and before January 1, 2012 qualifies for 100% first-year bonus depreciation. For 2012, bonus depreciation is still available, but the allowable deduction reverts from 100% to 50% of the eligible basis.

ISH Energy Show Frankfurt

2011-03-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

Schuco has a new controller and pump station offering the very best, I-Phone type, graphical display. Various parameters of your solar thermal system can be viewed and system component performance can be monitored by Blairco/Red Ball Solar.

Fantastisch!

The other big innovation, seen in almost every home energy manufacturer's booth, was integration of Solar Thermal systems with heat pumps and condensing gas boiler systems.

I'll make a prediction that next year will see Solar Thermal cooling systems in abundance.

2011-03-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

Solar thermal combi-systems, hot water and space heating, can be best used with passive, ultra-insulated homes

Green Solar Homes

2011-02-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

Project: Hot Water

Completion: Aug 2010

Construction Cost: after rebates approx 4000.00

The clients wanted solar thermal to heat their hot water. The home is a super insulated ICF type home situated on beautiful Puget island, near Cathlamet.

Here is unsolicited feedback received on 2/24/2011 from the owner:

Hi Bob, just taking the snow-day to catch up on some emails.

We may have had the electricity turned on to our water heater all of about 50 hours so far this winter. I noticed that with two hours of sun (on a cold day) the water temp jumps about 21 degrees, and since the normal maintenance temp seems to be about 65 to 70 degrees, all we need is two to three hours of sun in a day to take a shower. Very nice.

Along with the water, feedback like this warms my heart!

Use the sun first!

Homes with solar sell faster.

2011-01-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

In this market you need an advantage. All things equal, and in most subdivisions things are pretty much equal, wouldn't you rather buy a home equipped with a solar energy system?

http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/2011/01/13/new-homes-with-solar-energy-systems-selling-three-times-faster-than-competition/

New Homes with Solar Energy Systems Selling Three Times Faster than Competition

PVT Solar, Inc., in cooperation with Meritage Homes, the nation’s ninth largest homebuilder, announced today that homes which feature the Echo™ solar energy system were selling three times faster than competitor’s homes.

Meritage Homes launched the nation’s most energy efficient production home community with its Lyons Gate community in Gilbert, AZ and chose the revolutionary Echo solar system over basic solar electric (‘PV’) systems.

“Lyons Gate is the first ever energy efficient community in the United States where our standard home is approximately 80 percent more energy efficient than a normal home built to code, and still priced competitively to the market,” says C.R. Herro, Vice President of Environmental Affairs for the Top 10 builder. “We looked at everything from the ground up, and we did everything that made sense, starting with including Echo in each and every home. And it’s working – homes in Lyons Gate are selling over three times faster than our competition. We’ve provided our customers with extraordinary value and they’ve responded!”

On the strength of these impressive sales results, over the last three months Meritage Homes has rolled Echo out as an included feature in 12 communities across Arizona, from Phoenix to Tucson to Green Valley.

“We’re very pleased at the response from homebuyers,” said PVT Solar CEO Vikas Desai. “When homebuyers learn that Echo delivers more than twice as much energy as a basic solar electric system, and that it’s an included feature in every home, their typical reaction is: ‘At last!’”

“Behind the success of Meritage Homes and other leading builders, PVT Solar is accelerating its growth to meet strong demand for Echo solar systems,” noted Desai. “With a revolutionary product, a strong balance sheet and top tier investors, we’re excited about Echo’s ability to be a game changer, not only in the new home market but in the existing home market as well.”

Desai recently joined PVT Solar to spearhead the company’s continued growth. Prior to joining PVT Solar, he served as vice president and general manager of SunPower Corp.’s Residential and Light Commercial business unit (BU). Desai developed, initiated and led the business strategy for SunPower’s value-added reseller network channel, putting in place a world-class team and infrastructure, growing the BU to more than 1,000 channel partners, a global footprint across eight different countries and $1 billion in annualized revenues.

About PVT Solar, Inc.

PVT Solar is the creator of the Echo solar system, a revolutionary new solar energy system that delivers more than twice as much energy as a basic solar electric (PV) system. Echo supplements conventional solar electric PV panels with a unique thermal solar technology that captures the heat from the PV panels. Echo enables homeowners to generate more of their own energy and provides electricity to run appliances, hot water for washing and bathing, and thermal energy for home heating and home cooling. For more information, visit www.pvtsolar.com

About Meritage Homes Corporation

Meritage Homes Corporation is the 9th largest homebuilder in the U.S. based on homes closed. Meritage offers a variety of homes across the Southern and Western states designed to appeal to a wide range of home buyers, including first-time, move-up, luxury and active adult buyers, with base prices starting from under $100,000. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had 149 actively selling communities in 12 metropolitan areas including Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Tucson, Las Vegas, Denver, Orlando, and the East Bay/Central Valley and Inland Empire of California. Meritage Homes and its predecessor companies have delivered more than 65,000 homes since the Company was founded in 1985.

In 2010, Meritage is celebrating its 25th Anniversary, and is the only large national homebuilder to be 100% ENERGY STAR® qualified in every home started in 2010. The Company has launched a new Simply Smart Series™ and a 99-day guaranteed completion program in certain communities. Meritage has designed and built more than 65,000 homes in its 25-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction and positive customer experience. To find a Meritage community near you, go to www.meritagehomes.com.

Meritage Homes is listed on the NYSE under the symbol MTH.

For more information about the Company, visit http://investors.meritagehomes.com

Use the Sun First

2010-12-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

Pretty cool today and the sun is mostly out, but the solar thermal system on my own home is capturing a great deal of free energy.

I took a picture of the thermometer in my car, and another of the solar thermal controller's solar panel, on the roof, temperature reading. That's a 71 degree ΔT (delta T) temperature difference!

The new tax deal

2010-12-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a quick explaination of what the new tax deal means for energy efficiency incentives.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/politics/blogs/what-the-tax-deal-means-for-your-home

Oh, by the way, the Clark PUD still offers incentives for Solar thermal installations, but the BPA ended their rebate. So for 2011, the Clark County PUD customer incentive for solar hot water systems, -with electrical back-up is 500.00. And, remember, the US federal tax credit remains a full 30% of the system cost, with no cap.

Energy Independence is Patriotic

2010-12-26T15:46:00.001-08:00

From the Los Angeles Times --I have to agree (even though I'm to the right of Rush Limbaugh on most things; there is nothing wrong with programs, incentives and even subsidies that compel us to use "the sun first". Think of how much money has poured into coal subsidies over the past 100 years.

Do they want China to 'eat our lunch'?

Op-EdDecember 24, 2010
By Michael Brune"As goes General Motors, so goes the nation." A year and a half ago, that old saying seemed ominous. GM was in bankruptcy, and our country was in the depths of the worst economic downturn since the 1930s.

But for a feel-good story, it's hard to top what's happened since: Federal investment helped General Motors get back on its feet and return to profitability, and GM has come out with a game-changing new car, the plug-in hybrid electric Chevy Volt. Motor Trend magazine named the Volt its 2011 Car of the Year. GM is investing $163 million in three plants (including one in hard-hit Flint, Mich.,) to help produce the car and is hiring 1,000 engineers to continue work on the Volt and develop other electric vehicles that will cut America's dependence on oil.

Who wouldn't be happy to witness the comeback of a major American industry, especially one that makes a down payment on American energy independence and produces new jobs?

Conservative columnist George Will for one: He sees it as an example of "meretricious accounting and deceptive marketing … foist[ing] state capitalism on an appalled country."

Radio host Rush Limbaugh derides the Volt as " Obama's new car," and labels it part of the electric car industry's "century-long history of failure."

This animosity toward modern technology is not limited to electric vehicles. The knives are also out for — of all things — energy-saving light bulbs. Fox News commentator Glenn Beck described Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton as "all socialist" for cosponsoring the 2007 energy bill (signed by then- President George W. Bush), which included tougher standards for light bulbs to limit wasted energy. Limbaugh chimed in too, deriding the moneysaving bulbs as "nannyism, statism, what have you." Stung, Upton said he would be "reexamining the light bulb issue" if he became chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

What other innovative technology has been turned into a political punching bag? There's high-speed rail, which Ohio Gov.-elect John Kasich called "one of the dumbest ideas" he's ever heard — although it's wildly popular in Japan, much of Western Europe, China and beyond.

Then there's wind power: Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander recently derided Cape Wind, the nation's first offshore wind farm — OKd to be built off the coast of Massachusetts — as a "taxpayer rip-off," although wind is the fastest-growing energy source in the country.

But even as many so-called conservatives are bending over backward to bash American ingenuity, some leaders are embracing the can-do attitude that will lead to both a greener future and a new prosperity. Unfortunately, many of them are in China.

"We will accelerate the development of a low-carbon economy and green economy so as to gain an advantageous position in the international industrial competition," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in a speech to the World Economic Forum last year. "We will make China a country of innovation."

It wasn't so long ago that innovation and industrial know-how were a source of bipartisan pride, an all-American value. Then President Obama made clean-energy jobs and technology centerpieces of his new administration, and suddenly a swath of the Republican Party concluded that saving energy and supporting the growth of green industries were indications of incipient socialism.

Fortunately, some conservatives don't buy this U-turn away from support of new technology and job growth. At a November House subcommittee hearing on climate change, Republican Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina, who was defeated by a "tea party" opponent, mocked his "free-enterprise colleagues, especially conservatives," for their absurd assertion that clean technology is "hooey." The Chinese don't see it that way, he said. "And they plan on eating our lunch in this next century."

Replacing dirty energy sources with solar and wind will rebuild America's manufacturing base and improve our economic competitiveness. Clean energy will cut air and water pollution, and help us to stabilize our climate. Energy independence is both patriotic and principled, and should be bipartisan once again. I have greater faith than ever in America's ability to forge a clean-energy future — and more cause than ever to wonder what Limbaugh is smoking in that cigar of his.

Michael Brune is the executive director of the Sierra Club and the author of the recently updated "Coming Clean: Breaking America's Addiction to Coal and Oil."

Finished the large combi system

2010-12-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

I only use Blue Copper pipe and hi-temperature silver solder. No Pro-Press fittings and certainly no Wirsbo. Shown before pipe insulation insulation and after.

6 Schuco solar thermal panels, two 115 gallon solar electric back-up tanks, flat plate heat exchanger, thermal transfer pump between tanks, whole house recirculation and a passive assist to the families hydronic heating system.

System components, pumps, sensors, etc.

Finished up another solar thermal job

2010-12-13T20:28:00.000-08:00

This system, consisting of two Schuco panels, racked to the ideal angle for this area was set on a metal roof without any roof penetrations. I love metal roofs and respect their permanency. So I elected to utilize S5 clamps to mount the racking system and run the lineset over the roof and around the eave.

The back-up gas water heater is power vented using PVC pipe (white 90 degree fitting). What that tells you is most of the thermal energy in the gas water heater stays in the water heater. Atmospeheric venting water heaters utilize a cone shaped hat and metal piping, dependant on hot exhaust rising. The Schuco solar gas water heater uses a blower and PVC piping to vent the burner. Solar fluid circulates via stainless steel piping insulated with a UV resistant jacket.

Installed a new Schuco Gas Power Vent solar hot water heater.

2010-11-24T22:13:00.000-08:00

This water heater is super efficient. When the sun isn't shining the gas takes over. Being direct vent, the chimney pipe is made from standard PVC pipe. This is the same pipe material you would use for a homes water supply. What this tells you is the exhaust is very low temperature meaning most of the heat from the gas burner is retained in the hot water heater and not sent up the chimney like a standard atmospheric venting gas water heater.

Shown with the solar pump station partially installed.

Solar Power rocks Blog

2010-11-20T10:05:00.000-08:00

Good info on what your state offers, the solar climate in your state---weather, business climate, political climate.
http://solarpowerrocks.com/washington/

Write up in Contractor Mag

2010-11-09T22:38:00.000-08:00

http://contractormag.com/hydronics/solar-heating-system-2345/

Here's the link to a story on the pool/DHW/Hydronic solar system I've been describing the last few posts.

Oh, I forgot to mention I'm joining up with Vancouver's Blairco Heating this Jan 1. Blairco is know for quality work, components, service and customer service. I'm looking forward to our working together to bring energy innovation to SW Washington and Portland OR.

And here is the article:

THE INCREDIBLE, EXPANDABLE SOLAR HYDRONIC HEATING SYSTEM

Nov 8, 2010 11:28 AM, BY STEVE SPAULDING Of CONTRACTOR’s staff

Blairco Solar upsells a solar pool heating application into a flexible combination system

0digg

CAMAS, WASHINGTON — “For me, I love the scalability of these solar thermal systems,” said Bob Doyle of Blairco Solar, a new division of Blairco Heating & Cooling. “If you put in a two-panel system, a pump station and a tank, it’s not as if you bought a small car and all of a sudden it won’t fit your larger family. You can add on to it, and do different things to it.”

Doyle is talking about a recent solar application that began with the customer hoping for a cheaper way to heat his pool, and expanded into a combination domestic hot water/radiant heating system — but the flexibility of the technology has been part of its appeal since he first became interested in hydronic heating.

Doyle began his work in hydronics after a 27-year career in the airline industry. “Six years ago,” Doyle said, “I built a home for my parents choosing hydronic heating because of its efficiency, even temperatures and most importantly its cleanliness.” Doyle’s father, a retired Chicago firefighter, had some breathing difficulties, so a ductless system that wouldn’t be blowing dust or other particulates around was definitely the way to go.

After that, Doyle went on to found his own solar thermal companies, finally partnering up with Blairco as the head of the Vancouver-based company’s solar division. Doyle himself remains headquartered in Camas, about 20 minutes from Portland,Ore., but on the Washington side of the river.

And before anyone starts making jokes about solar power in the cloudy Pacific Northwest making about as much sense as hydroelectric in the Sahara, Doyle thinks they should get their facts straight.

“On the wet side of the Cascades, the Western sides, which is where our operating area is, we get 25% more sun than Germanyas a whole,” Doyle said. “Germany has led the world in solar installs. Another way to look at it is we get 75% of the sun LAX gets.” During the time of our interview, mid-afternoon in early October, his own solar collectors were hitting above 140 degrees.

Doyle was called in to the job the way many solar installers are — after a homeowner finally got one too many high heating bills. In this particular case, the main reason for those high bills was an inefficient propane-powered pool heating system.

“I’m on the proven solar installer list with the local utility,” Doyle said. “There’s only a few other names on there and apparently they’d gotten bids from other contractors. But I think they found my bid not only attractive in a monetary sense, but also from the standpoint of the system design and components.”

What Doyle was able to convince his customer to do was to expand a simple pool heating system into a full-fledged solar thermal combination system. His main points were:

· Pool heating systems are not typically year-round. They need to be drained.

· Pool heating systems don’t qualify for a 30% federal tax credit — a combi system would.

· A combi system would also qualify for a $1,000 rebate from the local utility (another advantage Doyle had from being on that proven installer list).

· The home had an existing in-slab radiant floor heating system; between that, the pool and the domestic hot water, the bulk of the house’s energy requirement was being carried by water, so why not get as much of that energy as possible for free?

Doyle designed the system with help from engineers at Schuco, the manufacturer of his solar panels and storage tanks. Savings analysis came from Schuco using a program called T-Sol, and Doyle’s use of a program called RetScreen that performed heat-loss calculations. Yet another software package allowed Doyle to estimate what the sun’s progress against a given patch of sky would be during the course of a year in order to optimally place the solar collectors.

After completing the permit process, Doyle spent three weeks in July and August of this year completing the installation with the help of craftsmen from local plumbing and roofing companies — four technicians altogether. “I’m a general contractor,” Doyle explained, “so I partner with a select group of subs who are well-acquainted with the technology.”

Blairco installed six Schuco Slim V Plus solar panels selected for their performance as well as appearance. Each weighed just 88 pounds, so the roof installation did not require expensive engineering.

Doyle and his subs also installed two, 115-gal. Schuco Solar electric back-up storage tanks, a solar pump station, a differential controller, a total of five temperature sensors, two pumps, a motorized valve pass-through, and a Zimlet 20 kW flat plate heat exchanger.

The homeowner’s new solar system was tied into the pre-existing Burnham water heater. Almost all the home’s mechanical systems were already located in the garage and the additional system components were located there without much loss of storage space.

“I elected to do all the piping in copper hard pipe,” Doyle said, “because with fixed panels I had to do reverse return plumbing to keep the head loss down. Also, I got very good at using the higher temperature silver solder. I didn’t want to use typical solder, and I didn’t want to use any joints or connectors with EPDM gaskets in them.”

The reason for such a robust system is the extremely high temperatures a solar system can generate if something goes wrong. If the pumps shut down for too long on a very sunny day, the glycol-based thermal collection fluid can reach temperatures approaching 400°F, high enough to destroy most typical domestic piping systems.

Blairco charge $20,000 for its work, and the family has already begun to see a payoff. They estimate that in just the few months the system has been in operation, it has saved $1,000 on pool heating alone. More and greater savings are expected from the domestic hot water and radiant heating systems, particularly once the winter months come to Washington. Doyle’s best estimates have the system paying for itself in four to five years.

And Doyle will be around for at least the next year or so to see how the system works out. “It isn’t a system you can turn on and walk away from like a simple domestic hot water system,” Doyle said. “Part of the sale includes follow-up at different times of the year, during different seasons, to tweak the system here and there.

“And it depends on the customer’s goals too. If, during the winter, the solar panels are only putting out enough energy to satisfy domestic hot water or come close to it, and they still want to spend some time in the pool, it calls for more intervention.”

Piping to and from the pool

2010-09-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Piping to and from the pool is accomplished with simple valving. 10' to and from the flat plate heat exchanger is hard copper pipe necessary due to the high (100-190F) solar temperatures. The high volume of water to and from the pool means the pool water's temperature gain is gradual.

20kw Flat Plate heat exchangers - I used one on this job.

SDC 306 Controller

2010-09-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

A large complicated system requires a more capable controller. Schuco's SDC 306 controller is pre-programed to work with 19 different piping/solar plans. We utilized the closest scenario then adjusted a few parameters to bump up efficiencies. 5 temperature sensors, 2 pumps, motorized valve and flow switch all flow into and out of the controller.

Hard Pipe - old school plumbing - I don't trust PEX or Copper Press fittings. And I only use high temperature silver solder for my joints.

2010-09-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

After a long day of cutting and soldering copper pipe, the end results look good. You can see the solar pump station, solar storage tanks with heat exchangers, and flat plate heat exchanger. Super Strut on the walls ensures pipe runs are neat and level.

Pump Station and Tank Placement

2010-09-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Two 115 gallon solar storage tanks with heat exchangers and electric back-up as well as the pump station are installed.

Piping the panels

2010-09-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

Up and back from the Pump Station.

3/4" copper to the end panel, then 1/2" to the first back of panels, and 1/2" return to the second back. The return is piped the same way. Balanced flow is the goal.

I usually utilize factory made piping, jacketed corrugated stainless steel to plumb the panels to the pump station. Utilizing 6 panels meant pump resistance would be too high, so separating the 6 panels into two banks of 3 and using reverse return piping was necessary. The piping lengths had to be equal on the supply and return and 3/4" and 1/2" copper was used.

Plan is approved by an engineer friend of mine - whose experience comes from working for Siemens as a power plant designer in Europe.

2010-09-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

Once the plan was determined I utilized help from Vancouver's Master Roofing to set and mount the panels on the roof.

Solar Thermal Combi System

2010-09-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

Just finished up a 6 panel, two tank, one heat exchanger system that will provide domestic hot water -priority one, heat pool water -priority two, and suppliment hydronic heating in a passive way.

Define and refine a piping plan. First one was good, but not ideal.

The second design (top) was simplier than the first and will provide lower temperature water to the infloor hydronic heating system via a throttling valve and the heat exchanger in storage tank two. Thermal recirculation between the tanks ensures that the abundance of solar energy produced by the 6 Schuco solar panels has a place to go. If storage is too small, then efficiencies are lost.

First - after the customer defines their goals for their solar thermal system an analysis to determine if there is an adequate solar resource at the site. This solar resource looks better than I first imagined. In fact it's very good.

Silicon Energy releases the made in Washington Aurora inverter!

2010-05-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

Silicon Energy of Arlington WA has released their own inverter.

This is really exciting news. Let me explain:

Solar PV installations in Washington State qualify for a 15 cent per kwh production incentive.

Solar PV installations in Washington State using Washington State produced solar panels from Silicon Energy qualify for 36 cents per kwh.

Silicon Energy or SiE systems that include a Washington manufactured inverter qualify for 54 cents per kwh.

The bottom line is for a 4kw solar PV system the difference in potential incentives and savings ranges from

906.00 to 1746.00 to 2466.00 per year. This is huge!

Northwest Solar Expo April 18-20 In Oregon Giranda Energy Red Ball Solar Thermal System SALE SPECIAL

2010-04-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

As a follow on to the Northwest Solar Expo I am offering special pricing on a top of the industry Solar Thermal System from Schuco. It is comprised of 2 Schuco Slim V Collectors, Stainless Steel lineset, Schuco Pump Station, Controller and all the other bits and pieces. This system includes Schuco's new leading edge Solar tank which features a double wall heat exchanger submerged in the tank.

First generation double wall heat exchanger solar tanks have the heat exchanger outside of the tank which is less effective at heat transfer.

It's a great system that looks as good as it performs.

Washington State Residents --I'll pay the sales tax!

Washington's own

2010-03-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Solar Panels from Arlington Washington's Silicon Energy SiE. I'm happy to say I'm one of the first factory trained installers for this high quality product. Since Silicon Energy panels are made in Washington they qualify for between 36 and 54 cents per kwh production incentive. Return on Investment is as attractive as the Silicon Energy panels. Much, much more than the typical 15 cents per kwh all other solar PV systems earn. And, of course customers qualify for the full 30% Federal Tax Credit.

Made of two pieces of tempered glass they look super, can and should be utilized as a sun awning as well as typical roof mounting. At the factory the instructor encouraged us to jump up and down on the panel proving they are built better than the rest.

http://silicon-energy.com/Silicon_Energy/Welcome_to_SiE.html

LaCenter Home

2010-02-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

The super energy efficient, very attractive "Sing Log" home I was honored to work on is nearing completion.

Today a friend from Womack plumbing (Jason) and myself piped the solar tank to the back-up hot water tank hard soldering all the joints, designing in 8"-10" heat traps to eliminate hot water losses through convection.

Note the 2 Schuco solar thermal collectors on the roof.

Filling the Solar Fluid Fill Station with long lasting Schuco Solar Fluid.

Running a Air Pressure leak test, followed by 2 high pressure checks with using solar fluid.

Installed, filled, computer differential controller wired to the sensors, the system is turned on.

Almost immediately 140 F temperatures were reached at the collector --on February 19th!, and hot solar fluid was circulating in the solar storage water tank heat exchanger. You can't ignore that kind of free energy.

Pipes Insulated valves labeled, the system delivers! Note the 3 way mix valve above. Necessary because Solar Thermal systems can deliver very hot water.

Wall Street Journal article on Solar Thermal

2010-01-29T07:37:00.000-08:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703906204575027012258855730.html

Solar Hot Water, Boiled Down

Will it work at my house?
As a rule of thumb, you need a portion of southern-facing roof or other spot on the property with minimal shading from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Two to three collectors (i.e. panels) typically suffice for most single-family homes. Your installer should use a tool, such as the Solar Pathfinder --(I use the Wiley Asset tool), to measure the amount of daily energy your collectors will get from the sun year-round.

Where can I learn about different types of systems?
Depending on your climate and home, there are multiple designs of solar hot water systems ranging in cost from about $2,000 to $10,000. A basic description of each can be found at the U.S. Department of Energy's Web site.

Are there financial incentives to help cover costs?
Most systems can qualify for a 30% federal tax credit, so long as the collectors are certified for performance and durability by the not-for-profitSolar Rating and Certification Corp. There also are state tax and rebate incentives, which may have additional requirements. Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency at dsireusa.org.

What about warranties?
While it varies, most well-established manufacturers warranty panels and other components from defects for a minimum of five years to 10 years, and water tanks for at least six, with some caveats. Your installers should warranty their work too. As a rule of thumb, a solar hot water system is designed to last for around 25 to 30 years.

Does it matter what kind of hot water storage tank I use?
Ideally, your tank(s) will be as well-insulated as possible to retain heat. Look for "standby-loss" figures from manufacturers to compare. A stainless steel tank lasts longer but is pricier than the more commonly-used glass or enamel-coated steel tanks. Homepower.comoffers good comparisons of tanks and other information. In most climates, you'll need a backup heat source connected to your tank – such as your existing furnace, a second tank or a separate on-demand water heater.

What about aesthetics?
There are a few types of collector designs, such as panels or tubes. Each have their pros and cons. Cosmetically, some people prefer panels for rooftop applications because if well-installed they can resemble skylights. Make sure installers have a plan to inconspicuously route piping from collectors to your hot water tank. An attic can keep them hidden, but attic-less vaulted-ceiling architecture may make it trickier. I've seen gruesome layouts where fat tubes snake across roofs and down exterior walls. My team drilled lines through a roof overhang, tucked them alongside the house and then boxed them in with wood to match the home's exterior.

Solar Pool Panels

2009-12-17T16:06:00.000-08:00

This boiler brings to mind Mark Twains comment on the old woodstoves of his day compared to Masonary Heators he viewed in Europe, "its like feeding a volcano."

A solar accessment was done and the trees at the right side had to go. Fortunately however, there must be 10,000 trees on the owners land.

When sizing a solar array for pool heat and using traditional solar pool panels ideally you would want the total square footage of the pool surface made up in solar pool panels. While that wasn't possible in this situation, we still wanted more than the south facing roof could hold. So a custom rack system was constructed for a second row of solar collectors.

Collectors are placed on the roof and the new rack system, connected and secured.

When it was complete, the pool house looked better, the propane consumption was way down and the home owners are very happy with the 2 year payback.

The computer controller, sensors in the pool pipe and on the roof control the motorized valve ensuring when it's cool, like at night, warm pool water isn't sent to the collectors to radiate into the night atmosphere. Conversely, when the collectors are warm, filtered pool water is sent to the solar array to be warmed by the sun.

My Truck

2009-12-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

I have a fuel efficient Isuzu NPR truck selected because it is the right size, the 4 cylinder turbo diesel offers good economy, it turns on a dime, and in general is a hoot to drive.

Ours is unique in that it also has a 3 cylinder Kubota diesel electric generator on board, a/c in the rear (but not in the cab!), an industrial air compressor, workbench, 120v outlets and florescent lighting. We really can put solar into remote, off the grid areas. For safety it includes a back-up camera for the driver.

Schuco's new tank

2009-12-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

Schuco, my preferred equipment vendor just released a new solar storage tank. Made in the USA, it includes a double wall OG300 heat exchanger and 2 electric back-up elements which offers as good a response as a traditional electric hot water heater. In general, the first generation solar tanks only included one back-up element, and as such when the sun wasn't shining, that single element offered poor hot water rebound or response. Also the new tank, I'm sure you will agree, looks great.

2009-12-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Cathlamet is a lovely town, I enjoyed every minute I was there and I'm anxious to return to fill the solar pool panel system in the spring. The Cathlamet pool panel site also enjoys very good solar exposure as evidenced by the solar evaluation I ran.

Revised the valve piping to do away with as many 90 degree fittings as possible --flows much better now.
Michael and Cathlamet's Mr. Vik pictured.

The finished product will work well and looks great. The anticipated propane savings means this investment will pay the city back in just a few years.

The top of the panels connected to the strut channel and the bottoms are held down by L brackets, UV resistent strapping and a composite nut.

The city had a requirement that no roof penetrations be made, so I constructed racking that laid on the roof and connected to the structure thru the eaves.

The appropriate pool heating panels panels, offering performace and quality, are from the FAFCO company of Chico California. Here is the first one up on the roof.

City of Cathlamet asked for help in mitigating their very expensive pool heater propane bill. We proposed to cover their pool house in solar pool panels to lower their cost.

A nice install is what the utility inspector said.

2009-12-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

The second home Red Ball Solar worked on was my own. A 2.5 bath home with 3 full time residents and one part time, my college attending daughter. The system is comprised of Schuco products ranging from 2 Premium Slim V collectors, Caleffi stainless steel lineset, (the insulated piping from the collectors to the pump station), Schuco computer controller and a Rheem Solar tank.

The Schuco Premium Slim V collector looks great, is mounted close to the roof, is light weight which means roof truss load engineering is not a requirement in Clark County WA, and performs extremely well.

I pride myself on not only the watertight but also the neat appearance of the connections from the lineset to the collectors. Note the tight turn from the flashing to the collector and painting the flashing black makes for a much nicer look.

Schuco Solar Thermal Collectors are made up of a serpentine copper pipe soldered to a copper plate coated in a high tech selective coating that actually has a blue hue to it. This blue color actually absorbs solar energy better than a black coating.

Next step is running the lineset or piping from the collector to the pump station.

After running the lineset through the attic, my daughters closet (covered the linest with white vinyl gutter so it blends in), into the area above the garage, its time to connect the pump station. I really like the European designed equipment as every btu is not only expensive, but also worth saving. All materials used in transferring solar energy from the collectors to your nice warm shower are carefully insulated. Notice the pump stations foam backing and foam cover and how the insulated lineset connects.

The gauge on the left shows the temperature of the solar fluid coming down from the collectors, the one in the center, the temperature of the fluid going back up and the one on the right, the system pressure.

Next, connect the solar tank to the back-up water heater, usually the pre-existing water heater. The piping must include a heat trap strategy to mitigate a warm flow from the solar heated water when its not required. In other words a convective flow, from warm to cool. As the out of the box Watts type heat traps won't hold up to solar collector temperatures, a well constructed solar thermal system will include heat traps that are soldered hard pipe 8 inch risers.

Solar thermal panels are very good at collecting thermal energy from the sun. So, this piping also includes a 3 way mixing valve to temper the hot water from a potential 180 degrees to your normal 120 or so degree water.

Next add valves to isolate the solar side from the pre existing domestic hot water side. I assembled the manifold to orientate the valves in an intuitive manner. All handles up for solar all handles down for bypass. This would enable work to be done on the solar thermal system while keeping the back-up hot water heater in operation.

Insulate all the pipes using closed cell high temperature pipe insulation, hook up the thermostatic sensors to the computer controller, fill the system with Schuco's long lasting solar fluid turn it on and forget about it.

My summer electric bills went down by 30% after I installed the solar thermal system.

You can't afford to ignore this amount of free solar energy. The temperature in the panel that day, at that moment, was 167F. On a normal summer day the panel registers 185F or more degrees. This is the temperature fed to the heat exchanger in the solar tank.