[Greenbuilding] hotter water

[larencorie at axilar.net]

From: "Nick Pyner" <npyner at tig.com.au>

> I suppose there are situations where climatic conditions
> are such that trying to get all-solar is really a hopeless
> cause and a large tepid supply for pre-heating makes more sense.

Hi Nick;

That was the standard way that it was done in the US for decades.
On-demand water heaters have not changed that basic strategy of
Solar as a pre-heater. And, they are not always the best choice,
especially for an existing house with electric hot water. It is
not just about Winter temperatures.  It is also about overcast,
and cold ground water temperatures.  A good sizing for a Solar
water heating system is that it supplies all the hot water
during the easiest few months, and functions as a pre-heater
the rest of the year.

> This is a bit like some work I am on at the moment with ski
> lodges. I assumed that there were no gas heaters around because
> there is no reticulated gas.

Here in the US, we use a lot of propane.

> More to the point, I imagine a really large solar storage tank
> would make stratification worth pursuing.

Having two tanks is, in effect, a form of stratification.

 -Laren Corie-
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 and Consultation, Since 1975
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