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Old 03-25-13, 03:30 PM   #1429
jeff5may
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Default Solar Insolation Lookup

Quote:
Originally Posted by AC_Hacker View Post
The solar idea is good. At some point you'll need to do a site analysis to see how much solar energy you can realistically expect during the heating season... And much more to the point, your earth work, the extent of your loop field which is a BIG DEAL will depend on your heating analysis.

Best,

-AC
I found a lookup tool that realistically finds your annual insolation by location:
Annual Insolation (U.S.)
This value is very accurate, using factual data all the way back to 1961. It measures insolation per square meter assuming zero shade. For hobby purposes, a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood has very close to 3 square meters of surface area.

another page has a chart of monthly insolation, but with fewer lookup points:
Solar Insolation Levels - Apricus Solar Water Heater

Happy hunting!
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