Compact, portable and affordable! Solar DHW?

Xringer · 02-26-13, 08:00 AM

portable solar water heater | Solaris Energy

I'm thinking the capture area is a bit smallish.. Comments?

Daox · 02-26-13, 08:12 AM

Agreed, collector looks very small. Perhaps not bad for 35 gallons... I think I recall the general rule of thumb is about 2 gallons of storage per square foot of collector. So you're only talking 17.5 square feet. Hot water general guidelines is roughly 40 square feet per person in your house for the first two peple, then 20 sqft for each after that. At least thats what I've heard.

Wonder what the price is?

Xringer · 02-26-13, 08:49 AM

Their spec says 14.5 sqft.. Is that about the same size as a 46"x46" box collector?

ecomodded · 02-26-13, 11:12 PM

I like the premise but feel a Thinner longer/wider rectangle shape would work faster/hotter better.

Thinking out loud here..
A homemade one made from Stainless steel or Aluminum.
Possible a ready made fuel tank designed for a power boat ,cut open then weld heat dissipating fins inside, welded back up and painted Flat Black.

A used tank (quite cheap)can be filled with water and cut open.

Mikesolar · 02-27-13, 05:08 AM

Those things are interesting but definitely made for southern climates or for 6 months of the year. The European rule of thumb is 1m2 for each person in the house gives 50% of the DHW annually...in europe. Since there is an aperture area of just over 1.3m2 (14ft2), I would suggest that this would be good for 1 average American for at most 1/2 the year.

None the less, if it is inexpensive, it may be worth it.

The idea of cutting a standard water heater in half won't fly because the it has a glass lining which will crack and corrode very quickly. Aluminum or stainless containers can be found in many scrap yards and would make a better tank, no need to cut them open, just paint them with black stove paint and insulate the bottom part. Lots of ways to do this....

Xringer · 02-27-13, 06:19 AM

Remove the Dish and roll up some water hose inside it?

Fordguy64 · 02-27-13, 09:31 AM

How much is it? I didn't see a price

Xringer · 02-27-13, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fordguy64

How much is it? I didn't see a price

Maybe it's too new to have a price?

But, it's on Super Sale right now..

Nanosol 35-Gallon Capacity Portable Solar Water Heating Unit

Piwoslaw · 02-27-13, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xringer

So what happens if you don't use hot water for a while? Does it just boil off? I see a problem with stagnation.

Xringer · 02-27-13, 02:05 PM

In cold weather, I see a lot of problems.. It would have to taken inside or drained each night, and on overcast days..

02-26-13, 08:00 AM	#1
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Compact, portable and affordable! Solar DHW? portable solar water heater \| Solaris Energy I'm thinking the capture area is a bit smallish.. Comments? __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

02-26-13, 08:12 AM	#2
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Agreed, collector looks very small. Perhaps not bad for 35 gallons... I think I recall the general rule of thumb is about 2 gallons of storage per square foot of collector. So you're only talking 17.5 square feet. Hot water general guidelines is roughly 40 square feet per person in your house for the first two peple, then 20 sqft for each after that. At least thats what I've heard. Wonder what the price is? __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

02-26-13, 08:49 AM	#3
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Their spec says 14.5 sqft.. Is that about the same size as a 46"x46" box collector? __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

02-27-13, 06:19 AM	#6
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Maybe just get an old RV TV Radome? Remove the Dish and roll up some water hose inside it? __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

02-27-13, 02:05 PM	#10
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	In cold weather, I see a lot of problems.. It would have to taken inside or drained each night, and on overcast days.. __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

02-26-13, 11:12 PM	#4
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	I like the premise but feel a Thinner longer/wider rectangle shape would work faster/hotter better. Thinking out loud here.. A homemade one made from Stainless steel or Aluminum. Possible a ready made fuel tank designed for a power boat ,cut open then weld heat dissipating fins inside, welded back up and painted Flat Black. A used tank (quite cheap)can be filled with water and cut open.

02-27-13, 05:08 AM	#5
Mikesolar Master EcoRenovator Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Toronto Posts: 958 Thanks: 40 Thanked 158 Times in 150 Posts	Those things are interesting but definitely made for southern climates or for 6 months of the year. The European rule of thumb is 1m2 for each person in the house gives 50% of the DHW annually...in europe. Since there is an aperture area of just over 1.3m2 (14ft2), I would suggest that this would be good for 1 average American for at most 1/2 the year. None the less, if it is inexpensive, it may be worth it. The idea of cutting a standard water heater in half won't fly because the it has a glass lining which will crack and corrode very quickly. Aluminum or stainless containers can be found in many scrap yards and would make a better tank, no need to cut them open, just paint them with black stove paint and insulate the bottom part. Lots of ways to do this....

02-27-13, 09:31 AM	#7
Fordguy64 Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cincinnati ohio Posts: 338 Thanks: 40 Thanked 35 Times in 31 Posts	How much is it? I didn't see a price