Questions tagged [solar-thermal]
The solar-thermal tag has no usage guidance.
18
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0answers
17 views
Lukewarm water from solar cyclinder heating system
I have a dimplex solar heating system with a water cylinder. Been fine for 5 years but in recent weeks even with hot weather I'm getting 15 seconds of hot water in the kitchen and then lukewarm water ...
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2answers
45 views
Should solar thermal collectors always be cycling fluid at maximum speed?
I've been reading about DIY solar thermal collectors, and the various ways their performance is influenced. One of the things I learned about solar water heaters for a pool is that it's recommended to ...
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1answer
36 views
Fixing a roof solar heater
At the end of the season last September the highlighted joint in the roof solar heater was gushing a fair bit of water whenever the pump was turned on.
The joint is now still dry. Is it reasonable to ...
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2answers
33 views
Thermostatic mixing valve that holds water temperature at 120°F / 50°C
I've recently installed solar hot water and as expected it gets extremely hot. I would like to keep the tank as hot as possible (>180°F) and simply mix down the water to 120°F / 50°C as it's used so ...
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29 views
Solar water heating for spa - how to / pump / etc
Dear "home improvers" I would like to create my own solar heating system for spa (intex 28456, pure spa jet & bubble octagon deluxe). This spa has its own heating system together with salt water ...
16
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6answers
6k views
Is Electric Central Heating worth it if using Solar Panels?
I understand that electric heating is less efficient and comparatively more expensive than gas heating (propane or natural gas), but considering I live in Texas (a lot of sunlight) and I intend to ...
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2answers
98 views
What's the best method of insulating windows against solar heat?
(TL;DR at the end ;) )
I live in Western New York, and while it's pretty uncommon to reach temperatures over 95-100, it still gets pretty hot here, and we typically have 70-90% humidity on top of it. ...
0
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1answer
209 views
Solar powered thermal ballast - is it feasible?
My living room gets plenty of sun from big, west facing windows. As the cold weather is approaching, I wanted to make a device that leveraged this exposure to sunlight to store some energy and slowly ...
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2answers
100 views
How does a roof replacement impact recommended timing of solar panel installation?
I just found out that I should replace my (currently asphalt shingle) roof in the next year. I am also interested in evaluating the feasibility of installing photovoltaic and/or solar hot water panels....
2
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0answers
48 views
Combining a solar collector with photovoltaics
Our house has 10 solar collector panels, each 1 by 2 meters, installed around 20 years ago. By now their polycarbonate covers are breaking down due to the elements, and we've thought about the ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I add thermal mass to my house?
We're part of a real-time pricing program with our electric utility company, and a good strategy for offsetting electricity use during peak demand times is to pre-cool the house. The more thermal ...
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3answers
116 views
Can I put a PV panel on my roof and run wires into a room to a power resistor to generate heat?
Maybe a dumb idea, but can I just put a PV panel on my roof and run wires into a room to a power resistor to generate heat? I have just one room that I was thinking of adding this additional heat to. ...
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1answer
58 views
Using solar to heat water
I am designing a compact home on a high elevation in Colorado. There will be a finished basement apartment on a concrete slab and I was thinking of spiraling PVC pipe through the slab to heat it. ...
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2answers
255 views
Is it feasible to store adequate thermal solar heat overnight?
I'm considering a passive solar radiant heating installation in the Chicago area and was wondering if it would be feasible to store enough water/energy to support heating for most of the night. The ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
What factors should I experiment with to improve the performance of a DIY solar hot water system?
Background:
Late in the summer last year I finally commissioned a DIY solar hot water pre-heat project. Very simple, drain back, open (vented) tank, PEX coil for a heat exchanger,
PEX plumbing ...
4
votes
1answer
112 views
Does a larger solar water heater equate to better water pressure?
Please excuse my ignorance - we want to buy a typical slanted rooftop solar water heater for our home. We thought 200L would be an acceptable capacity, but the vendor we visited today said that we ...
6
votes
5answers
388 views
Is it possible to make my own solar water heater?
After blowing (what I consider) a lot of money on 2 residential solar water heaters, over the last 6 years, dealing with 3 set of rather expensive inner-tank replacements, evacuation pipe changes I am ...
2
votes
1answer
111 views
Where can I find good resources on solar thermal backup options?
The 'what if the sun don't shine' problem is the difficult issue in solar thermal. Where can I find good solid test-based resources on the options for backup and their downsides? For example:
...
