The above left picture shows an evacuated tube array. Evacuated tube collectors offer the following features:
- Higher efficiency under colder, cloudier conditions. The higher altitude, and cloudier the conditions, the more it makes sense to consider evacuated tube collectors
- Easier transport than flat panels.
- Easier rooftop installation in most cases, as they can be transported up in pieces.
- Mature technology, proven durability
- Less expensive than evacuated tubes
- More robust construction; less vulnerable to vandalism on installations where access to array is uncontrolled
- More appropriate for installations in sunny, warmer locations
The above left hand photo shows a large residential Domestic Hot Water panel system. This small array has an aperture of 80 sft, and heats 140 gallons of hot water per day. The backup boiler rarely comes on to heat the DHW. The above center picture show a modulating/condensing boiler, which is used for backup on a large solar residential heating system. The above right hand photo shows a medium sized array on a well-insulated workshop, which provides all heat for the building (no boiler backup to date).
The above left photo shows floor pex laid out before the gypcrete pour. The above right photo shows a complete solar radiant system with boiler backup and control system. The control system allows separate comfort control for every room in the house. Programming includes vacation modes, night setback for each room individually, etc. Handoff between solar and boiler is automatic, and requires no homeowner intervention.
The above left photo shows a European-style panel radiator installed by CCE during a home renovation that included a heating system upgrade without using solar. Panel radiators can be used when radiant tubing can't be installed. When used with solar heat, panel radiators must be upsized to handle the lower temperatures available from solar. Radiators are "derated" for lower temperatures. The above right photo shows a smaller unit in the bathroom.
The above left photo shows shows how new pex tubing was run through the floor joists in an older home renovation. This house had both a heating system AND a plumbing upgrade. The pex runs serviced the new panel radiators, and the colored tubing is for the new plumbing runs to an upstairs bathroom. The above right photo shows the floor tubing space in the process of being covered. Since a new hardwood floor was installed, the new flooring covered the pex installation quite nicely.
The left hand photo shows a building integrated array (under construction). The right hand photo shows a buried tank for outdoor solar storage in the early stages of installation.
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