DIY Solar advice

Dobber

I have a customer that owns a metal fabricating shop. The shop is around 3000 sq ft. The shop is currently heated by in-floor heating with an outdoor wood furnace as a heat source.

 He contacted me about using solar as his principal heat source. He is located in Central Ontario which under normal conditions would not be practical. His plan is to build a buried ICF (Insulated concrete foundation) block storage tank approximately 3000 gal. Larger if needed. With that sort of storage I think he would have a real shot at storing enough heat in the summer to heat the shop in the winter.

 He is willing  to purchase his collectors but I think he would be better off building his own. Does anyone know of any sources that would assist him with this project. I know he would be willing to post updates on the job.



Thanks

Dobber

hot_rod

possible but $$$?

This company in Switzerland specialized in 100% SF installations. Their website has some good info and installation pics. www.jenni.ch



Also Contact Randy at SolarSkies and Rod at Solar Spectrum. They are building underground insulated tanks for drainback ground mount systems. the tank has a chamber to install trhe pumps down at the bottom.



I think Randy ran this winter on one in Minnesota for his brooder barns.



I'd start with a heat load calc, then spend $$ on getting the building as efficient as possible. Any passive solar potential?



Warm air solar collectors are another option, fairly easy to build. There is a Canadian company that offers warm air collectors for commercial applications.

hot_rod

Solar air collector company

http://www.enerconcept.com/en/the-lubi-solar-hot-air-collector-is-now-officially-patented-in-canada/

Harvey Ramer

Pellets?

Bob, A couple years ago I read an article about a couple German scientists who figured out how to lock thermal energy in some kind of pellets. The pellets would absorb heat from steam or hot water and release it when you ran cooler water through it. The pellets would contain the heat almost infinitely with no insulation whatsoever. Some kind of chemical reaction.



I'm not just talking funny. I know for sure that I read it.



Harvey

SWEI

Basic math

The lower the distribution water design temp for the system, the larger the solar fraction can be.  The lower the specific energy consumption (BTUs per degree-day per square foot) the lower the cap cost for collectors and storage.

Gordan

Having a hard time understanding this

So the "magic" of these collectors is that they cool the glazing by "ingesting" outside air. But where does the heated air go, then? It must displace some other heated air that then gets discharged somewhere, along with any heat it carries...

Harvey Ramer

Here it is!

http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/june/compact-and-flexible-thermal-storage.html



Can you imagine the possibilities coupled with solar thermal!



Harvey

hot_rod

Another new storage

Is a vacuum sealed tank. Several vacuum insulated tanks are mentioned in the current edition of SWE magazine for above or underground application