[Greenbuilding] single flat plate collector for household with 29gpd total indoor water use (faucets)

Reuben Deumling 9watts at gmail.com
Sun Jul 7 21:37:01 CDT 2013


My interpretation of this very helpful piece on sizing solar thermal DHW
systems: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/DIYsizing.htm
which takes us here:
http://www.azsolarcenter.org/tech-science/solar-for-consumers/solar-hot-water/solar-hot-water-a-primer.html
*
In the Northwest, use 1 square foot of collector per 0.75 gallon (2.8 l) of
tank capacity.*

is that we'd be fine with *one *4'x8' collector

32 square feet x 0.75gal = 24gal (storage)

This system will be for my house, and we are not counting on it to do much
of anything in the winter, when our solar insolation (here in Portland,
Oregon) is among the worst in the US. The woodstove will be relied on to
complement the solar collector in the winter.

I found two decommissioned 4'x8' collectors for cheap, but can't
rationalize using both for my system. Any thoughts or experience on real
world yield of one-collector systems?
The fellow I bought these two panels from also happened to mention that
they produced too much hot water. Without knowing anything about his and
his wife's hot water needs this seemed to confirm my suspicions.

Thanks very much.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20130707/1c1a4a84/attachment.html>


More information about the Greenbuilding mailing list