solar panels

David Woycio

There are MANY ways to heat with solar. Out here in Colo. we like to use water filled stainless steel storage tanks to store btu's when the sun is shinning and distribute the stored heat when needed. These tanks are plumbed to the solar collectors and we wire in freeze protection and a differential temperature controller. This is a drain-back water system. Very simple and very efficient. Since you guys back east have about half the sunny days as we (just flew back this evening from PA and never saw the sun) systems need to be designed a little different. If you give me a heat loss calc. (btu/hr loss) I could give you an idea of size of system.
Solar electric is a little tougher to justify. The payback is quite long and the maintenance (usually batteries) is higher. We usually sell solar-electric to cabin and RVers.
We have a web site that is up and running ( not nearly complete). Go to the photo gallery and system types for a little info.
metro-solar.com
Hope this helps.

flange

i have received a request for solar panels to heat an addition. apparently the township will allow the addition with no increase in taxes if the room is self sufficient. customer would like to install solar panels for heat and possibly electric. anyone out there doing this? or is this a pipe dream?

Robert O'Connor_7

solar in nj

in jersey they can't charge permit fees for the addition of solar. i'm not sure about the taxes though. i think if you have living space, rest assured, the tax man a commith. any time you increase the square footage. thats a good question. if you like i could find out.. boc

Larry Weingarten

solar

Hello: Try looking at homepower.com. Home Power magazine is all about solar electric and solar thermal for the hands-on types.

flange

hey thanks guys. spoke to the customer last night, we have decided to go heating only no electric. he is finishing details with the gc about the size of the new space. his township in pa does not raise taxes if this is a stand alone system not extended from the original house. will post again when ready to design equipment.