Start looking. I think I started working on this one about 5 years ago....

On a daily basis, check Craigs List for "Solar" in the title, not description, check image.

You'll have all the solar HW panels your little pickup can carry...

-AC_Hacker

I did some rough calculations and made up a spreadsheet that shows how much heat these panels could provide and how much gas use they could offset. Its looking quite nice! Over the past year I used ~680 therms of gas. The solar panels will likely provide about 270 therms or 40% of my heating requirements, so a sizable chunk of energy savings! As I continue improving the house, that % will noticeably increase.

To compare, according to the cost savings calculator on builditsolar, my interior storm windows for my 13 sunroom windows will save me about 90 therms a year which is still huge. The interior storm windows will be TONS cheaper and easier to do though.

This is the break down month per month of the solar panel collection and my energy use.

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1291897515


Until it starts getting warm out (and I can start working on this project) I think I'll start keeping an eye out for cheap parts that I can use for the system.

Any update on this project? Noticed it been awhile since you updated it... this might be something I'm interested in for my house...

Ken
Lime Light Renewable Energy

Last time I had stopped over at the Doax residence, I saw that the giant snowbank covering the pile of solar panels had finally melted off.....

Hahahhahaaa... very funny. Having the same story with our place up in CT. Ground snow is finally melted, but not the plowed pile-up at the end of the driveway (still about 2 feet). Curious to see exactly how late into the spring it'll last. I think we're running into a record here...

@bennelson - btw: like your 300mpg site... happy to hear about Kwik-Trip and their "charging stations".

Ken
Lime Light Renewable Energy

Haha, no no updates here... yet. I am planning on building the rack and tank this summer, well, at least the rack and get the lines run to my basement. I've started drawing up the rack in SolidWorks to help me know what lumber I'll need for the project. I don't have anything worth posting yet though.

Evaluating Used Solar Panels...
 

Speaking of free solar panels, here is a brief list of tips for evaluating used solar panels.

I think we could do a better job.

-AC_Hacker

What exactly are you planning on doing with the hot water these things are going to be generating? Heating the house as well as the DHW? How are you going to go about it?

S-F, yep, the plan for the panels is to heat the house through in-floor radiant heat as well as domestic hot water.

I told Daox that he might want to get a hot-tub as well. Seriously, I have read quite a few mentions of using solar "waste" heat in the summer that way, when you don't need it to heat the house with anyways!