Installing Solar Hot Water Panels, Part 2 — Lab Note 1.07

Last year I built prototype solar panels and summarized the preliminary data gathered in some test runs (see this project’s archive here). Yesterday I provided the plans and schematics for this build. Today I’m going into some of the nitty gritty installation details. Burying the Supply and Return Lines The supply lines are buried 2 … More Installing Solar Hot Water Panels, Part 2 — Lab Note 1.07

Installing Solar Hot Water Panels, Part 1 — Lab Note 1.06

Last year I built prototype solar panels and summarized the preliminary data gathered in some test runs (see this project’s archive here). Here I will outline the plans drawn up to get a building permit from our local municipality. Schematic Plans These show the basic operation of the system. It is a schematic and not … More Installing Solar Hot Water Panels, Part 1 — Lab Note 1.06

Panel Analyses, Part 2 — Lab Note 1.05

Monday I summarized the preliminary data gathered from the solar panel prototypes (see Part 1 here). In this note, I will look at each panel and discuss its strengths, weaknesses, and performance. Manifold Collector In the manifold collector, water enters the bottom and is distributed into risers connected to a sheet of metal. This collector … More Panel Analyses, Part 2 — Lab Note 1.05