Solar versus wood boiler DHW?

Kevin O. Pulver

We are installing a Tarm SP60 gasifier with 960 gallon heat storage tank in a large shop with in floor radiant.
Customer would like to run DHW coil from HX tank to his house to supply the DHW there and also to heat his radiant garage floor. The problems I see are that the house is 300 feet from the shop requiring 600 feet of insulated buried supply/return and additional HX in house. (not cheap.) ALSO, he will need hotter tank temps to make DHW and won't be able to "pull the tank down" so far as if it was solely for the radiant shop. I told him he might get better use out of his tank by leaving it dedicated to the shop floor and spending his money on solar equipment for the house.
What do you guys think? I haven't done any solar, it's all theory so far to me. Who should I go to for price/ availability etc...? Is Hot Rod my guy?
Thanks in advance, Kevin

hot_rod

solar heating systems

are certainly do-able. i'd look first for a low temperature distribution method, plan on about a 20- 30% solar portion, unless they have money to burn.

Solar DHW pre-heat makes more sense. Or dual coil tanks for solar input and radiant take off are another option. a 3 way zone valves shuttles between solar and back up source based on delta T.

It's a challange pulling a lot of solar heat from a cold, often cloudy winter sky, be realalistic with your expectation.

F-chart, or the free ret screen downloadable softwares would be a good place to start playing "what if" designs

The wood may still be the better bang for the buck, it produces heat day or night, sunny or cloudy.

300 feet is not un-realistic if they pay attention to insulation.

Really, budget would be the best place to start. 15 grand is probably a "starting" point for a full on wood, storage, insulated piping buffered system. 30K or more is not un-likely

If they are still standing after you present a price range like that, get your pad and pencil. You really, REALLY need to pre-qualify wood heat shoppers. it's a pretty involved process to do it safely and correctly.

Even s, it will be a very intensive owner/ operator system.

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