Post by cye on Mar 19, 2011 2:40:00 GMT -5
PeteD (Galloway Scotland) has been using a brilliantly simple homebuilt flat panel system for 3 years. Ground level panels more or less thermosyphoning, i.e., unpumped, into his hot tank. See attached photos of his setup.
Thermosyphon is the simplest type of system because it does not rely on a pump or controller. Pete's system is a slight hybrid, being a mildly assisted thermosyphon - He has a long, almost horizontal, pipe run of 15mm pipe, and he has been using a central heating pump timed to come on a few minutes every hour to kick-start thermosyphoning.
Pete is now exploring whether he can use one of the 12v 7w pumps most of us here use, but this time powered directly by a PV panel to help out his thermosysphon instead of the CH pump.
Please PeteD keep us posted on how you get along. And anyone on the forum please feel free to help out Pete with any ideas or suggestions.
& I just love Pete's caravan, insulated from the outside with straw-bale. Presumably the dew point is outside the metal walls of the structure, same idea an an upside down roof but applied to the walls! Brilliantly simple, zen,..!
PeteD (Galloway Scotland) writes 18th March 2011
I've just got the system going again after the winter. This is the third year it's been going. Seems to work well as an alternative to heating water with a rayburn, though it only really gets fully effective in mid April.
I've boxed 4 radiators, initially covered with clear plastic, then some free double glazing units. There's a long, almost level, run under the porch and the width of a caravan, hence the potential for airlocks, and the need for the occasional kick start with a pump. At the moment I'm using a 240v CH pump, on a timer, coming on for a couple of minutes every hour 10am to 5pm, but was hoping that a pv pump would be effective and affordable, as it would be so neat! Pump comes on with the sun, just when the water needs some help to get the circulation going!
Thermosyphon is the simplest type of system because it does not rely on a pump or controller. Pete's system is a slight hybrid, being a mildly assisted thermosyphon - He has a long, almost horizontal, pipe run of 15mm pipe, and he has been using a central heating pump timed to come on a few minutes every hour to kick-start thermosyphoning.
Pete is now exploring whether he can use one of the 12v 7w pumps most of us here use, but this time powered directly by a PV panel to help out his thermosysphon instead of the CH pump.
Please PeteD keep us posted on how you get along. And anyone on the forum please feel free to help out Pete with any ideas or suggestions.
& I just love Pete's caravan, insulated from the outside with straw-bale. Presumably the dew point is outside the metal walls of the structure, same idea an an upside down roof but applied to the walls! Brilliantly simple, zen,..!
PeteD (Galloway Scotland) writes 18th March 2011
I've just got the system going again after the winter. This is the third year it's been going. Seems to work well as an alternative to heating water with a rayburn, though it only really gets fully effective in mid April.
I've boxed 4 radiators, initially covered with clear plastic, then some free double glazing units. There's a long, almost level, run under the porch and the width of a caravan, hence the potential for airlocks, and the need for the occasional kick start with a pump. At the moment I'm using a 240v CH pump, on a timer, coming on for a couple of minutes every hour 10am to 5pm, but was hoping that a pv pump would be effective and affordable, as it would be so neat! Pump comes on with the sun, just when the water needs some help to get the circulation going!
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