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100% solar heat and HW??

hot_rod
hot_rod Member Posts: 21,975
If I had a dollar for every call I get from folks wanting to do this!

Sure with enough $$ and space.

I've followed a company www.jenni.ch for a few years now. Mainly a solar tank manufacturer.

I've watched as they built an 8 unit apt building with 100% solar fraction, in Switzerland. Completed in fall 2007.

Here are the specs if you want to bid one.

13,800 square feet building with 8 units inside.
3000 square feet of collector
205,000L of storage, if my math is correct that's 54,155 gallons!
5-6000L of fuel oil are saved by the solar

Jenni claims the tank was still at 80C in May
Somehow you can view the tank temperatures online

The building blocked the view of a neighbor, so they piped free heat to his home, according to a recent article in SWE mag.

That website has some wild video of how they build and deliver those massive tanks. On this job job they dragged the 205,000L tank through town with people power. Then stood it up and lowered it into the hole by hand. An animated clip, at the website shows how the used fulcrums to do that.

No mention on the installed cost. All those Swiss bank accounts :)

hr
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream

Comments

  • MIke_Jonas
    MIke_Jonas Member Posts: 209
    You too?

    "Whaddya mean, three panels won't heat my house?"

    I'm curious about what they use (or mandated) in this buidling for an indoor design temp.

    I have some customers that are very comfortable with an indoor temp of 60d F in the dead of winter. I have some elderly that keep the house at 76-78d F.

    I wonder what indoor temp the system will deliver on a design day, and if the residents have any say in this matter.

    100% solar!!! 100% off grid!!! 100% GREEN!!!

    Oh, by the way, if you want the t'stat at 70d F...ain't gonna happen.

    Possible?

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  • sure it's possible. R2000 homes in canada need to open windows in winter they are so good at holding the heat in. It just takes money, knowledge and effort!

    now, get all 3 together in one place at one time.
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,268
    Big if..

    IF you can use really low grade heat,(like 80*) to keep your building warm and if you have sufficient storage for those cloudy days, you can get nearly 100% solar space heating. DHW is actually harder as it must be a higher temperature.

    Yours, Larry

    ps. I'd better watch that human engineering!
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 21,975
    Right, Larry

    low heat loads, satisfied by low distribution temperature. Generating 140F DHW for 8 units on a year 'round basis is the load.

    Hope you are well in No. Cal. Plenty of water for the hot summer?

    hr
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Eric_6
    Eric_6 Member Posts: 25
    big storage/low grade heat

    We just commissioned an apartment bldg in Alamosa, Colorado that requires 105 deg. radiant temps at -20F.
    We have 42-46% solar fraction via TSOL Pro using 40 Buderus
    SKN 3.0 flat plates and 6000 gallon tank. We are banking the Btu's so at start of season Triangle Tube Solo 250 will stay off for first month or 2. Owner was committed by building this 14,000 sq. ft building tight, better windows,
    high R-value. He also got a Dept of Agriculture grant for 25% of solar thermal install plus 30% fed. tax credit. He opted out at this point on installing remote monitoring of the solar but we may re-visit that subject. Couple of iSolar Plus controllers handling most of the control logic. Also, 54 zones of non-electric zone valves modulating for us with flow via Wilo Stratos. Project started in Oct. 2008 and just fired solar 2 weeks ago.

    Regards,

    Eric


  • I dunno if that will work as advertised or not.... but it's getting me kind of hot... pun intended, but seriously... it does.

    please report on what that system does this winter!!!
  • EricAune
    EricAune Member Posts: 432
    I would like to talk to your sales person...

    I....We all need more customers like yours. Sounds like you guys really got it down. Please let us know how it works.

    Peace

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
    "If you don't like change, your going to like irrelevance even less"
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,268
    HR, not too wet here...

    .. we get 16 to 19 inches of rain yearly, but the well pump is down 400 feet and has good water. The local wildlife is appreciating the birdbaths these days :~)

    Yours, Larry
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  • Derheatmeister
    Derheatmeister Member Posts: 1,520


    Sounds like Low E design...Shall work..
This discussion has been closed.