Just an update on the system. It's been operating for 9 years or so without a hitch although there have been some changes made to it years ago. First, I closed off the space between the collector and the roof since pigeons liked roosting up there. Second, instead of heating the apartment, I rerouted the ducts so air is drawn from and dumped in the basement. The apartment was heating up too much, and since the whole house thermostat for the boiler is located in that apartment, it was throwing off the temperature for the other apartments. This way heating is more even and helps prevent pipe freezes down there.
In the next year or two I would like to replace the glazing with twinwall polycarbonate. It will give it better performance in colder weather and a more professional look. The corrugated suntuff glazing has held up great, but with the roofing screws it has a ghetto-steampunk vibe that the building could do without.
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