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Old 12-04-10, 01:37 AM   #10
osolemio
Hong Kong
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Hong Kong
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Quote:
Originally Posted by strider3700 View Post
OK I can see your point now that you've explained it.

We have different goals with our systems. You want to extract every possible BTU and have it available for later usage. I simply want 100% of the cold water entering my hotwater tank to have been heated to 110F or hotter.

So for me having more energy then I can use is just fine and I will "waste" it by stagnating the panels. You on the other hand will always be wanting more.
The reason I need this is because I need space heating also. Don't know about your needs in this regard? But one of the significant limitations of solar heating in places with significant season changes are that you obviously have a lot of excess heat available in summer, when you don't need it. And in winter, when you really need a lot, there is close to nothing.

The second significant limitation of solar heating is unpredictability. Sure, the sun will shine, but when, and how much? It is pretty much the same problem as electric cars are facing.

Storage.

We need more capacity, to cover one or more cloudy days, from sunny ones, or in this case, to even cover the winter, as much of it, from long term summer heat stored.

This is really practical if 1) your heat storage is high-mass, low temp and 2) your heating system is OK with a lower temperature (large heating surface, like underfloor heating, even combined with wall heating, or other means of heating as much of the house as possible.)

This is some of the main ideas in my project, but as mentioned before and other places, there's even more to it.
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Space heating/cooling and water heating by solar, Annual Geo Solar, drainwater heat recovery, Solar PV (to grid), rainwater recovery and more ...
Installing all this in a house from 1980, Copenhagen, Denmark. Living in Hong Kong. Main goal: Developing "Diffuse Light Concentration" technology for solar thermal.
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