What Is The SRCC OG-300 Solar Thermal System Certification?
Your TitanPlus Flat Plate Collectors Are Now Covered For A Full 20 Years!
This answer depends on what you are trying to accomplish. For simple Domestic Hot Water systems you should try and position you collectors at the same angle as your latitude. For systems that are tied into the home heating system, as in a combisystem, you should position you collectors 15 degrees higher than your latitude. [...]
Solar Thermal Systems Components FAQs
How do I properly size my storage tank for the collector area?
The rule of thumb of 1-3 gallons of storage per ft2 of collector will only get you so far, so it is best to try being creative with your storage. As your load increases in the winter and production decreases, you should adjust your storage capacity accordingly. Even slight changes from day to day in [...]
What is more important, postioning the collectors for maximum aesthetic appeal or maximum solar gain?
Do you want to make this system perform to its highest ability or should it look nice and fit the architecture of the house? We have all seen those albatrosses on the roof that are cantilevered at a compound angle to get a few extra BTU’s at the cost of aesthetic appeal. Here are some [...]
Is it possible to melt snow off of my collectors?
Yes it is. Depending on your type of collector, you can program your controller to manually activate the circulator which will bring heat from your storage vessel and into the collectors, which will radiate that heat back out thus melting the snow. This method only works for FLAT PLATES however and will usually take as [...]
How do I know which type of storage tank that I need?
Well, there are really two main options here; pressurized tank or non-pressure tank. The pressure tank will come with heat exchange coils on the inside (2 or 3 depending on style) that will be tied into a closed solar loop and open DHW loop. The additional coil (s) can be used for space heating or auxiliary heating. [...]
How do I know which size of storage tank I need?
There are many answers to this question but it really boils down to this…you need the one that best suits your application, your solar collector field, your budget and your available space. If you use a Heliomaxx kits from Sunmaxx, we have sized the storage vessels relative to the size of the collector field. For [...]
Do I have to run the piping through the roof?
No, you do not have to. You can, and should, use flexible stainless steel piping which allows you to direct the piping anywhere you want with very little trouble. Many installers will choose to send the piping the ;ong way around just to avoid a roof penetration. While this works well for ensuring that there [...]
How do I decide between Flat plate and Evacuated tube?
This will be a debate well in to the future. For an more in-depth review please watch this Click here to watch this 1/2 hour webinar. Your decision should be based primarily on the following considerations: 1- Temperature demand- What is you existing application? EVT’s will outperform FP’s at higher temp load. 2- Climate location- [...]
How do I attach solar panels to my shingle roof without causing leaks?
Our ConnectMaxx roof hooks are designed for any roof. We suggest that each be attached directly into a rafter using two Simpson Strong-Drive screws. Roof caulk can be used to seal these penetrations. (One installer we know used butyl rubber.) Our concave X-mount flashing then fits securely over the roof hook and under the shingles [...]
How well will my collectors perform if they are not positioned perfectly?
Fortunately, solar thermal collectors are not nearly as sensitive to light conditions as PV collectors. As for performance, you have roughly a 60 degree window of opportunity to mount the collectors toward south before you begin losing a small bit of total production. In other words, your house can be situated 30 to the east [...]
Setting your solar thermal system differential temperature setpoint.
Q:What is the most appropriate differential temperature for my solar thermal system? A: The factory setting on our controllers is 12 Degrees. This will work fine but for northern climates it is better to have a delta T of 17 Degrees. This will allow the collector to heat up sufficiently so as to not turn [...]
How do I determine the most appropriate solar thermal storage size?
Q: How to determine the best solar thermal storage size. A: Choosing your storage tank size is dependent on three things. 1- the number of ft2 of collector- for example we typically recommend any where from 1-3 gallons of storage per ft2 of collector, 2- the daily load profile (usage pattern) for example if [...]
What is the most appropriate delta T for Northern climates?
Question: What is the most appropriate delta T for Northern climates? Answer: 17
