Showing 1 - 10 of 39 Postings (
summary)
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Benjamin Brink 06:13 AM, Sunday
Although not specifically solar related, here's some links that may be helpful on solar related projects:
Created by Benjamin Brink, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Jan 2012, at 11:31 PM
background
On average, 17% of a US home's energy and heating bill is spent heating water[1].
Conventional sources of heating, including heating water, are main contributors to a household's utility bill and green-house-gas (GHG) emissions[2].
Solar water-heating systems use freely available energy from the Sun to reduce the amount of utility-power consumed from heating water.
Solar powered water heaters offset GHG emissions and save water heating costs. The more that water is heated by the sun, the less energy from conventional sources is used to heat water.
system designs 
Heating water by the sun can be as simple as painting a bucket black and leaving it in the sun.
Solar water heating systems work on the same basic principle and consist primarily of these designs:
There are many variants that accomplish the same result. Some variations use parabolic troughs, concentrating mirrors, freon or oils as a heat transfer fluid, and vacuum tubes etc.
The majority of solar hot water heating systems installed in the United States are highlighted above. They are popular because they are cost effective and their performance has been proven over decades of use.
1 - according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data (with normal range of 13% to 26%).
2 - extrapolated from EIA data with GHG and co2e equivalents from The Climate Trust.
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 07 Jan 2012, at 06:33 PM
Inline thermometers with brass wells install into a copper tee in the following sequence:
- Confirm that all 3 Pentair inline thermometer parts are on-hand.
- brass well
- plastic collar that fits in brass well
- dial thermometer with extension rod that fits into plastic collar
- Separate parts from each other. If the plastic collar is in the brass well, carefully remove it so as to not damage it.
- Solder the tee fitting in line with the copper piping if it has not already been done.
- Solder the brass well into the tee fitting with the well's hole facing outward. Have about 1/4inch of the well extending out of the fitting so as to not get any solder into the well's hole.
- Let cool.
- Check for leaks. If necessary, repeat soldering and cooling.
- Insert plastic collar into brass well.
- Insert thermometer's rod into collar.
example images:
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 06 Jan 2012, at 10:05 AM
6 Jan 2012: We've started to add more support pages to our product selections. For example, see our new page that highlights using Maid-O-Mist vents: http://dekkasupply.com/stores/maidomist-vent-examples cheers!
25 Jan 2011: Are you looking for ways to show your solar spirit? How about wearing a t-shirt with an inspiring solar motif! Taking action in a solar world: http://www.cafepress.com/dekkasupply
1 Nov 2010: DekkaSupply switched to using the PayPal shopping basket to help control the increasing costs of electronic financial transactions. All credit cards continue to be welcome, and are handled by the PayPal branded shopping basket. You no longer need to login to DekkaSupply.com to complete an order. We welcome your feedback with this service.
22 Aug 2010: Our feed of current images of the Sun has changed from SOHO/EIT ( http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/eit/ ) to SDO/NASA ( http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ), because EIT reduced it's current image publishing services (after 14 years). It's taken a few weeks of playing around with colors and styles and the available imaging services from SDO/NASA before we arrived at the current website style. It's strong colors boldly display the current Sun without adversely affecting the readability of this websites content. Preliminary feedback is positive. Let us know what you think!
12 May 2010: Added images to messages below for quick ref
5 May 2010: You told us that this vulture and cobra logo didn't fit our website. 
Hence, we created a dedicated solar logo, and added a current image of the sun in the background. What do you think? Your feedback is welcome.
10 March 2010: Although our new logo resembles the Two Ladies hieroglyph ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Ladies ), we do not place any significance in the rumor that one of our directors looks like Pharaoh Hatshepsut.
24 Feb. 2010: For 15 years, the iconic, outline, bolded "X" of our original logo served us well. 
The new logo is forged from the same spirit and shaped by our years of experience. The white Egyptian vulture is an icon of sustainability and full circle cycles. The spitting cobra is an embodiment of the nature of business.
23 Feb. 2010: Dekka engages in corporate Aikido ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido ) with a supplier network resulting in an online catalog more focused on our core offerings.
Thank you for visiting DekkaSupply.com!
Contact us if you have any questions.
Should you encounter any problems, please Contact Us.
We welcome your feedback.
--webmaster@DekkaSupply
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 20 Aug 2011, at 04:26 AM
Tim Dawson, Dawson's Home Specialties, Inc (Salem) http://www.dhssolar.com (CCB: 185341)
Ray Pokorny, Solar Interior Design (Beaverton)
http://www.solarinteriordesign.com/ (CCB: 114088 )
Other solar contractors lists:
EnergyTrust of Oregon: http://energytrust.org/library/find-a-contractor/
Find Solar: http://www.findsolar.com/Directory/oregon-solar..
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Jun 2011, at 06:25 AM
Show your solar spirit!
Take action in a solar world.
Get solar power t-shirts at: http://www.cafepress.com/dekkasupply or http://www.zazzle.com/tekbasse
The tekbasse store at Zazzle is operated by our creative IS director, Benjamin Brink
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Mar 2011, at 07:35 PM
Remote bidding via remote viewing.. no psychic or guessing from third party descriptions needed!
http://pictosun.com
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 16 Nov 2010, at 02:16 AM
about solar water heating systems
Categories
Showing 1 - 10 of 38 Postings (
full)
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Benjamin Brink 06:13 AM, Sunday
Created by Benjamin Brink, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Jan 2012, at 11:31 PM
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 07 Jan 2012, at 06:33 PM
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 06 Jan 2012, at 10:05 AM
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 20 Aug 2011, at 04:26 AM
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Jun 2011, at 06:25 AM
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Mar 2011, at 07:35 PM
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 28 Aug 2010, at 09:29 PM
Created by Benjamin Brink, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Aug 2010, at 09:06 PM
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Aug 2010, at 09:01 PM
Created by Torben Brosten, last modified by Torben Brosten 28 Aug 2010, at 09:29 PM
Pitt: NOLA eco-friendly homes 'exceeded my expectations' by Tom Foreman, CNN 28 Aug 2010
In New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, where Katrina did much damage, Brad Pitt's Make It Right nonprofit build eco-friendly homes.
"The actor targeted this area some years ago with his Make It Right Foundation -- an ambitious plan to build up the shattered neighborhood with new, ecologically friendly, affordable houses, and then fill them with residents who had been driven out by Katrina..."
"These houses here have exceeded my expectations," he says, looking across the neighborhood. "The goal here was how do you build affordable housing that's high-performance, and that is going to be strong enough to withstand the kind of weather that we're seeing down here. Things that drive the price up, we've got to get down."
..Mindful of how such plans often go, I [Tom] say, "I'm guessing your first units here cost a lot more than your later ones."
[Pitt:] "Sure, but now we're down to dollar-for-dollar what it costs to build anything else here," Pitt says.
When asked how he did that, Pitt replies, "We had to start over. We thought we could do it better. We thought we could build a house with light and high-performance technology, that we could bring bills down and give the families who live here a better life, and we wanted to prove it at the low income level..."
"..And now every house you see here, last month, every one but one was producing more energy than it was consuming. That's big news. That's a game-changer. And there is no reason to build any other way now," Pitt says.
--Brad Pitt
complete interview and video at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/08/27/katrina.pitt.interview/index.html
Make It Right NOLA project at: http://www.makeitrightnola.org/
Created by Benjamin Brink, last modified by Torben Brosten 22 Aug 2010, at 09:06 PM
A drainback system is a hybrid that combines the best of open and closed loop designs. The part resembling a closed-loop system exists between the solar thermal collector and drainback tank, which is used to preheat water. The part of the drainback system between the preheat tank and the regular water tank resembles an open-loop system.
Drainback systems consist primarily of:
- a water tank,
- a smaller tank that stores heat-transfer fluid,
- a solar panel array that collects heat from the Sun, and
- a heat transfer system that transfers heat to the water tank.
A heat-transfer fluid only circulates through the system when the panels are collecting a usable amount of heat from the sun's rays. The heat transfer loop is only filled with the transfer fluid when the pump operates. At other times such as at night, the pipe loop is full of air. When working properly, this configuration prevents the freezing of the heat transfer fluid.
strengths
Drainback systems can run years without owner intervention or maintenance. They "just work". Drainback systems are less likely to cause significant damage than open-loop draindown systems, if the system fails to protect against freezing weather. Drainbacks can be turned off during high-heat days (such as when one goes on vacation) without damaging the system or causing it to lose expensive heat-transfer fluid. Also, if a heat-transfer fluid is used, it needs changed less frequently than in a standard closed-loop system; about every seven to ten years instead of every 3 to 5 years.
weaknesses
Drainback systems require the feed and return pipes between the drainback tank and collectors to be installed so that the water will completely drain out when the pump turns off; Usually an incline of 0.25inch per horizontal foot is sufficient. Furthermore, the pipes need to be mounted so there are no dips or sagging points. Drainbacks heat water slightly less efficiently than direct open-loop systems (and better than closed-loop systems that use anti-freezing solutions as heat-transfer fluid).
Drainback water heating systems in the catalog
DekkaSupply.com > Solar and Radiant Hydronic Heating > Drainback systems and modules
