Shifting Solutions

CHANGE OF PLAN!

Barry emailed me back and agreed that the extra tank will be a good idea. He sent me a new diagram (at left) and reminded me that the tempering valve will be on the existing hot water heater to prevent scalding.

So I’m off to Lowe’s today to pick up a 50 gallon tank. It will be much easier to pre-install the wand and all plumbing before sliding the tank into place in the closet. Then I can just re-plumb the feed lines once it is in place. This will make for a very neat installation.

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When I returned from Lowe’s with the 50 gallon tank that I found for $209.00 I immediately opened up the box to check the outlet port to be sure t hat it would fit the Solar Wand. Oops! It has a male thread (see left). Back to Lowe’s again to find a tank with a female opening. I took a s hort length of 3/4″ copper pipe which has the same OD ad the Wand so I could check the openings. I found a 40 Gallon Whirlpool tank with only one heating element init for $199.00. It has 3/4″ female connections, but it comes sealed with plugs (at right) that require a 1/2″ ratchet tool to remove. I’ll have to borrow a tool from a neighbor to open this up and see if the Wand will fit.

When I removed the plugs at the top of the tank, I still had the tank in it’s box, and did not notice the connection on the side. I also noticed that this tank does not have a dip tube for the top cold inlet so I called Whirlpool to ask about this. The helpful person explained that this tank is designed for a mobile home and that the cold inlet should be connected to the bottom inlet. This will make the plumbing a bit more annoying, but I’m committedto this tank at this point.

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When I opened up the box in my workshop I found that the Wand would not fit past the indented ring right below thethreads on the hot outlet. In the Solar Wand Installation Instructions it is noted that some tanks have this issue,and one can use a Dremel or round file to open up the hole. I used a diamond coated cutter, and it only tooka few minutes. I vacuumed out the hole, and used a wire brush to clean out any debris from the threads.

After studying Barry’s revised layout, I set to work building up some of the plumbing sub-assemblies. I had some parts laying around, and will go to the hardware store to get other parts once I have planned out all the plumbing. It will help to have the tank in place before I finalize the plumbing layout

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End of Day 7

Wow, Ok, end of day seven, we are cruise n right along. Any of you having fun yet?

I had made the decision to follow this plan as it’s outlined, because if was going to post this article, which I ended up doing, I wanted to present a clear option or choice for the consumer to build this thing completely without any feeling that I am overly pushing anything I might have to offer on my web site. But I want to nudge a little, as to give me purpose in existing. Buying the actual solar panels is definitely one way to go, for sure. But you’d be paying someone else a LOT of money to do what you can do easily and a whole lot cheaper yourself! Review the web site at http://www.shiftingsolutionsllc.com where you’ll find a lot of information on sustainable living as well as the information you need to learn how to build your own solar panels.

Click the link today!

Day 7 – planning plumbing

Jul 22, 2006. Time Invested today:
0:35 Walking through the job and considering options
0:45 Researching electric water heaters
2:00 Buying the wrong heater, going back and getting the right one

My neighbor John Rogers (the building contractor) and I took some time to plan the plumbing strategy. We decided that the plumbing penetration through the exterior wall could go right behind the collector inlet. When we measured inside, we foundthat the hole would come through right at the top corner of the dining room wall – perfect! The hole in the floor needs to come out along the wall a bit to line up with the drywall downstairs.

My wife approved this concept, so long as I box in the plumbing in wood to match the window frames. A simple job for me as an experienced woodcrafter.

Down in the basement the hole penetrates behind a joist above the electrical panel. By opening up the gap above the drywall a bit we can pull the umbilical up without too much trouble. Then the umbilicalcan be attached to the joists along the exposed ceiling about 12 feet to the water heater closet.

We decided not to try running holes through the joists for the umbilical, since it would stress the copper pipe too much and probably damage the insulation too much to pull it through all those holes. It can be strapped upwith U brackets, and boxed in if we ever finish the ceiling in the basement.

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Looking at the location of the 40 gallon water heater John observed that it looked small. It suddenly occurred to me that it might be much more efficient to install another 40 gallon tank (electric water heater) to the right of the propane heater and use the Solar Wand to pre-heat cold water entering this tank that would then feed the water heater. The higher Delta-T between the cold water and the collector would dramatically improve the Wand’s efficiency! A new tank would only cost about $200 or so and be very simple to install. I emailed Barry Butler asking his thoughts on this idea.

I took a drive down to Lowe’s and Sears to look at water heaters. I learned that 40 gallon units do sell for just under $200, and Lowe’s also have a 50 gal. unit for about $250, both are 20″ wide which will just fit in the closet. I have emailed Barry Butler at Butler Sun Solutions to see if he concurs with this plan before I go and buy a tank. It sure would simplify the plumbing layout and make for a neat system.

John also observed that I was lucky to have my (blue) well pressure tank in my heated basement where it pre-heats he incoming water somewhat. This had never occurred to me before, apparently many such tanks here in Maine are in the unheated basement where temperatures approach freezing in the winter.

There are some projects that are down right fun to accomplish. This is one of those, that not only was fun, but practical too. When I gathered this information and started this process I was rather trepidatious about it’s outcome. Well no more! The one thing here that I would do differently is build my own home solar system to use for this solar assisted water heating system. The how to build your own solar panel kits that I found is a great resource in learning how to find all the materials you need locally and cheaply, how to assemble them, install and connect the system to your power grid or project you are building. It’s fun, it’s easy and it’s cost affective. Click the link above to learn more on renewable energy systems!

Lifting it up and lining it up was relatively easy, except that the holes in the middle didn’t line up with the bolts in the middle rail. So we removed the lag screw at the bottom of that rail and moved it over until everything lined up.

The left and right ends attach to brackets on the rails with sheet metal screws into the side of the collector casing (see below right). I used stainless steel screws throughout.

So far it has taken the 4 of us about 45 minutes and the job looks really neat. The plumbing will connect at the right end and go

through the wall into the house at the bottom corner of the collectors. From there the umbilical will drop down the corner and into the basement. From there it’s another 12 feet across the ceiling to the water heater.

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The last thing to install is the PV panel that will power the circulation pump. I was able to hand it out the bedroom window and hold it in place while John and Tom secured it to the wall with long stainless steel screws. I decided on a low tilt angle that will optimize the winter sun.

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Thanks to the use of John’s staging the job was complete in an hour and no humans were hurt in the process! It’s great to have so many experienced and helpful friends and neighbors!

The final appearance is even more pleasing that we expected. The design integrates architecturally very nicely! The angled surfaces the black absorber plates inside the collectors even line up with the siding and look like a continued line.

See

For the curious – here’s how the collectors interconnect. The clever patented plumbing scheme allows them to interconnect

in a variety of ways and locate the inlet/outlet on one end.

After the guys left, I stapled the PV wire down and also added a ground wire to connect the frame of the PV to the collectors. I used a star washer under the electrical terminal to ensure good electrical connection.

Someone has since pointed out that I should secure the ground to the actual frame of the PV with a bolt that threads right into the frame – not just the mounting bracket. I’ll probably change that next time I’m up there. Since the copper pipe in the collectors will all be grounded to the house plumbing I was thinking that grounding the frames was secondary for the collectors anyway.

I will run a ground wire down to a ground rod below the PV later. I have learned the hard way that grounding is essential. I will also splice the PV wire to the orange power cable later. That wire will run all the way to the pump above the water heater.

At http://www.shiftingsolutionsllc.com you can explore books and related articles to this and other sustainable living ideas, helps and tips. Find books on sustainability and green construction and more along with solar garden lights, solar chargers and back packs and so much else at one easy site. find articles on grants and taxes, wind power generators and other fun to build projects.

Tomorrow We talk about Day 7

Day 6 – installing collectors

Jul 20, 2006. Time Invested today:
0:15 Site and tool preparation.
0:45 Installing collectors.
0:10 Installing PV panel.

At 4:30pm my neighbors all showed up for the “Solar Barn Raising”. We spent some time discussing the assembly and mounting sequence and strategy.

It seemed best to mount the top 2 collectors to the 3 vertical support rails first. The assembly sequence required some thought because there is an

interaction on the center support rail between the plumbing connection and the way the angle brackets on the solar collectors have to slip on

over the bolts sticking out from the rails (see right). It was simplest to connect the pipe, then insert the bolts and secure them with a washer and nut.

It was a relatively simple matter to pick up the whole rig and carry it up to the staging. We were a bit concerned about stressing the plumbing so we paid close attention to keeping everything lined up.

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Our first problem arose when the center rail would not go flat to the wall. We found that the black bracket at the left end of the ex p ansion tank was hitting the window sill. I marked it with a pencil, and cut a notch in the sill and a corner off the bracket. Lucky I had just bought a cordless reciprocating saw last week!

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Next we drilled starter holes for the 5/16″ stainless steel lag screws, and screwed them in tight with cordless drills t hat I had set up with all the right bits and sockets.

We put all 6 screws in — one at the top and bottom of each rail. That’s all that holds the solar collectors to the wall – 6 lag screws! They are only supporting about 90 lbs. (the kit provided galvanized 5/16 lag screws, but I chose to use /8″ stainless ones).

I thought I would demonstrate how light these 20lb collectors are as I brought out the 4th one from my workshop.

We connected the plumbing as before to make installation easier.

As I mentioned earlier, these panels are so light it required only 6 screws to hold them to the wall. As light as they were as I found out later they were just as easy to make myself. with the help of a DIY home solar kit found at this web site, I was able to find good prices locally and clear instructions with diagrtams and videos to guide me each step of the way. I highly recommend this kit, as it includes instructions on so much more to make your home sustainable and green. You will save many hundreds of dollars with a little effort over a weekend.

Click the link and find out more!

Day 6 hasn’t ended yet, but I need a break, so finish day 6 tomorrow.

Day 2, 3 and part of day 4 follow, this is broken down so you can see just how simple or difficult this installation was. It’s detailed with pictures so you can get a true feel for this project.

Jul 15-17, 2006. Time Invested today:
1:00 Painting, and modifying parts/ 0:45 Hardware store run for stainless screws.

3:00 Studying manual, and assembling overflow to collector.

Day 2

Looking at all the exposed sheet metal screws, I recalled how the mounting screws I used on my other solar collectors (at left) have rusted, so I decided to replace them with stainless steel. A box of100 screws was only about $6.00 – there are over 50 screws involved in the collector mounts and brackets and it only took a few minutes to replace them all.

I also decided that since the collector frames come in a nice brown color that I wouldpaint all the other exposed shiny metal parts. This includes the mounting rails and PV frame. I used Krylon brown primer which matches exactly.

Day 3

I had cconsidered making the PV panel mounts from wood, but decided against it as it would make installation difficult. So I made up some aluminum angle brackets that will support the panel at an angle. All the bolts and screws are stainless. I masked off the PV and sprayed the whole frame with brown primer to visually integrate it.

Day 4

After measuring the distance between the window frames on the house, I realized that I needed to cut down the mounting rail by 1.5″. I hadn’t noticed this issue until my neighbor John Rogers came by to asses the installation strategy. I’m grateful for his considerable experience as a home builder. It was at this point that he suggested that we install his staging rather than try and use 2 ladders.

That evening I pre-assembled the top right panel to it’s mounting rails in my workshop, and installed the overflow tank and plumbing along the top. This is a very impressive part of the system design which allows the water in the panels to boil over into the expansion tank in the same way that an automobile radiator does. In fact there is a standard radiator cap used for this purpose! This crucial piece of the design is what makes it maintenance free and very unlikely to fail due to excess temperature or pressure. I have come to really appreciate all the considerable thought that has gone into this design.

Now instead of buying the solar panels directly from the supplier as I did and paying the higher cost of that, I would suggest that you take a look at building your own solar panels. It would save you about thousand dollars and only cost a long weekend and and a few hundred bucks instead, since your investing the time to do all this other work, then this will pay off for you. You can buy kits on line ( see the link above ) for as little as $50.00 which explains in great detail where to find the best priced materials locally and how to assemble and install the solar panel systems you have built. the kit includes videos, diagrams and easy to read and follow directions.

There is more on day four, it was a busy day, but more on that Tomorrow.

The installation Manual and Owner’s Manual are both thick and extremely detailed

The boxes arrived with a lot of thoughtfulness in the packing, so well in fact to survive Fedex ground. Noticed all these little baggies of parts that were attached to each sub-assembly and the inclusion of the little things such as electrical tape, Teflon plumbing tape and ABS cement. NOW that’s thorough!

The installation Manual and Owner’s Manual are both thick and extremely detailed. You can pre-download the Installation Manual a few weeks ahead of time to read it through page by page. My impression then was that the installation job did not seem too daunting if taken carefully and slowly. But today looking at ALL these parts it feels overwhelming, but then that’s how I felt when I started on my solar heating system for my workshop!

I called Barry Butler to get some clarification about some of the parts that I didn’t recognize and to get a better idea about how the collectors mount. He spent nearly an hour talking with me about the system design theory and how it all goes together. Since he is in the process of revising the manual, I will be a beta tester for some new hardware and design revisions.

I realize now that I will need several strong friends to help me get these collectors mounted on the wall, and Barry helped me figure out the best strategy for assembling and mounting the collectors. It’s not that they weigh that much – the 4 solar collectors and mounting brackets are under 90 pounds total, it’s just getting them hoisted up there that will be tough. Most folks would be mounting these to a roof, which has it’s own challenges. I also would guess that most homeowners will contract a professional installer to do the work, but I’m a do-it-yourself kinda Guy!

We are on our way! As we progress through this series, you will definitely lose any inhibition you may feel about building your own solar panels or installing your own wager heater system powered by solar! One of the things AI would do over, is build my own solar panel system rather than have it included in the package. I could have saved another $700 – $800 dollars and would have just a few days at making them. The kits I found at the attached link here for HOME SOLAR ENERGY were very clear and informative, showing in detail where to find the cheapest material locally , how to assemble them and the install the units. Very fundamental dear Watson! The instruction are so clear and easy to follow that my 12 year old son could comprehend them. Just a thought if your into saving money.

Tomorrow part 4 of the this series.

My net cost will be around $1500

The total purchase price of the kit was around $3000 ($3500 as of October 2007). However my net cost will be around $1500 after the Maine state refund and federal tax break.

After placing the order for the solar kit in early July, I filed an application with the Maine State Energy Program for the 25% refund that they offer on small scale solar installations. The refund incentive was just voted in to law in 2006 and it has encouraged many people to “take the plunge”! I received my 25% refund check on October 10th 2006. This system is SRCC certified and is eligible for the 30% solar federal tax credit too.

I used RetScreen software to calculate my Return on Investment, which works out at 4.6 years based on the design and site of my specific installation. Click the graph below to see a detailed report. Allowing for inflation and increasing propane prices it shows that after 25 years I will have saved over $11,000 in offset heating costs! Pretty impressive.

OK, so now we know that the energy rebate program works. However, unlike some people I know, we can actually save a little more money then was is stated above. With the new for me knowledge I gained by getting and reading the build your own solar panel kit that is available, I can now make my own home solar power systems including the solar panels for home and save the cost of having to buy retail a completed solar panel. It’s fun and easier than you think and really doesn’t take up all that much time. I built one panel in a weekend following the video and instructions that came with the kit. This kit showed me wherew to find the best components at the cheapest prices, how to assemble them and hook them up to my power grid.

So if your interested in this project or any other that could use home solar panels, then check out the web site on the highlighted link. You will also find a lot of other valuable information and reading materials on sustainable energy, green construction and other exciting progects.

Tomorrow part 3 on this series.

HI folks:

This next article will take me about 14 days to prepair. As always, I will post what I can get done in one day in 500 to 600 word increments. I found this a fun project and so I hope you will find it as interesting as I did. So over the next 14 or so days it will be all about ” Solar Assisted water heaters and how to install one.

The system is designed to add in to a hot water heater to reduce the energy.

Butler Sun Solutions sell a complete “Solar Wand” installation kit. The kit is unique in the solar industry in many ways – click the image at left for a complete system diagram. Most innovative is the solar wand heat exchanger that was designed and patented by Barry Butler. This device allows the most simple retrofit to an existing hot water heater – it simply drops into the tank, replacing the existing hot water outlet plumbing! The wand has about 2 square feet of surface area that contributes heat to the tank.

NOTE: I decided to install the wand in a separate 40 gallon storage tank that then feeds into the propane water heater, since this will improve the system efficiency due to the greater temperature difference between the incoming well water and the heated collector fluid.

The 4 solar collectors mount to the south side of my house, along with the 20 Watt solar panel that will power the circulation pump. This pump will be mounted above the water heater tank in the basement and will circulate solar heated water from the collectors, through an insulated umbilical of 3/8″ copper pipes to the Solar Wand in the tank.

Most solar collectors are mounted to a sloped roof that faces south to optimize performance, but my roof faces east/west. So my only option was the vertical south wall which is a slight compromise, so I added one extra collector to ensure good heat in the winter months. Solar panels and collectors need direct sun to work but collectors are more forgiving of off-axis sun light than solar electric panels.

There are many things about the design of this solar heating package that I really like:

• The Solar Wand simplifies the plumbing. It’s a “no sweat” plumbing job since no copper soldering is required. All connections are done with swage fittings and unions with nuts that tighten to make the connection.
• The automatic over temperature and pressure system is unique in the industry.
• The collector frames come in a variety of colors to match the building, the red/brown I selected matched our paint trim very closely.
• The simple structure for mounting the collectors consists of vertical mounting rails. It only took an hour to mount them – with the help of 4 friends and staging.
• The insulated umbilical that carries heated antifreeze fluid is made of flexible 3/8″ copper tubes. 2 additional wire cables are tied to that for signals and PV power.

That s it for today. Hope your enjoying your new year as I am. Lots of new intentions for me for this year, I’m batting for 3 out of 10 of them to really get done! You know how that is. However, one thing I have done already, is built my first home solar power system. I bought a kit i n the fall of ‘08 and with those easy to read diagrams, charts and videos guiding me all the way, I found it to be an fun project easily achievable over a weekend. My goal is to convert every part of my energy usage at my home in town to solar and wind. Once I get my home completed, I will begin the same at the ranch house, which will be a much bigger project! Click the link above, and find out how you too can build your own solar panels or wind generator to start reducing your share of the carbon footprint left behind by the major utilities.

Tomorrow we continue the series, check back .

On the Horizon

For the past eight years, Mike and Joanne have spent every winter island-hopping around the Caribbean. By living simply and relying on renewable energy, they keep their expenses down. They anchor at out-of-the-way places and catch their dinner most nights. One yellowfin tuna feeds the couple for days, and they trade what they can’t store for other goods. Though the couple only saves an estimated $15 per week by offsetting their diesel fuel use, every dollar helps perpetuate their cruising lifestyle.
For the rest of the year, the couple returns to their home in Springfield, Vermont. “We have the best of both worlds right now,” Joanne says. “When this all started, he had to drag me down here kicking and screaming, but now I love this lifestyle-seeing all the different places, meeting the local people, and hanging out with fellow cruisers. Living by the wind and the sun-I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Access

System Components:
East Penn Manufacturing Co. • www.eastpenn-deka.com • Deka batteries
Kiss Energy Systems •ï‚—www.kissenergy.com • Wind turbine
Morningstar • www.morningstarcorp.com • Controllers
SolarWorld • www.solarworld-usa.com • PV modules
Xantrex • www.xantrex.com • Inverter/charger

Normally I do not publish posts on Sunday… hey what can I say, I grew up with old mid western values!

This is the beginning of not just a new year, but a whole new decade! With that, it’s also time to make fresh new plans for how your going to save that little bit extra on your home expenses to cover that around the world trip your planning to surprise your partner with. Now I can tell you just how to go about that and SAVE money too! You know energy costs are climbing, pretty steadily and have been for a few years now. Wouldn’t it be nice to reduce your utility bill or even eliminate it entirely? The Government is will to help by offering tax credits and grants to get your house in GREEN shape. One of those benefits covers the use and implementation of renewable energy systems, such as WIND POWER ENERGY and home solar power!

Find out at the link above, about those tax rebates and government grants and the form you need to fill out, as well as the DIY kits on residential wind power applications and home solar systems. Fun, Easy and quick to build withy the great simple and easy to follow instructions provided. Everything you need to know and more as a bonus!

The time for waiting is over, the time for action is now!

Tomorrow, the last of this series part 7

Off-Grid Self Sufficiency

“When traveling in remote places, you are forced to become a jack of all trades-an electrician, plumber, diesel mechanic, and handyman, all in one,” Mike says. “My best defense is to be prepared for anything. I’ve done my research, and I can handle most repairs that arise. So far, so good.”
Mindful of the elements, Mike took extra care when wiring both the wind- and solar-electric systems-twisting, taping, and heat-shrinking all connections. “The salt air can be brutal on mechanical systems of any kind,” he says. “So long as the wire connections are sealed properly, then you have very few problems and the systems are easy-virtually maintenance free.”
Well, almost…”There are a lot of seagulls, and we have to clean the droppings off the modules. If we’re lucky enough to have fresh water, then we just hose off the modules now and again,” he says. “But it’s not so bad. I’ll take bird droppings in the Caribbean over Vermont’s snow and ice any day.”
Thanks to their wind- and solar-electric systems, Mike and Joanne enjoy all the comforts and conveniences of home with cleaner, quieter power sources. “Solar does great in the daytime,” Mike says, “but at night, when energy needs are much higher, the wind takes over.” The sun is fairly consistent, but when there is not adequate wind, Mike and Joanne still must offset energy usage by running the engine to charge the batteries. On its own, the solar-electric system produces about 55 amp-hours (AH) per day on average-shy of their 70-AH usage. “One more PV module, and we’d be perfect,” Mike says. “I just need to make room for it.”

Currently, the 12-gallon hot water tank is fitted with a heat exchanger that uses waste heat from the diesel engine to heat water for domestic use. When Mike and Joanne need to replenish the hot water, they run the engine, usually every third day for about an hour. Though the engine only burns about a half gallon of fuel-about 45 cents’ worth-in that hour, that’s one hour and one half gallon too much for Mike. He has devised a plan to add a custom solar hot water system off the stern. Tapping into the existing plumbing will be fairly easy, he says, but coordinating the shipping of the unit to the islands will require some patience. “This,” he says, “is the last piece. Then we’ll be totally independent.”

Normally I do not publish posts on Sunday… hey what can I say, I grew up with old mid western values!

This is the beginning of not just a new year, but a whole new decade! With that, it’s also time to make fresh new plans for how your going to save that little bit extra on your home expenses to cover that around the world trip your planning to surprise your partner with. Now I can tell you just how to go about that and SAVE money too! You know energy costs are climbing, pretty steadily and have been for a few years now. Wouldn’t it be nice to reduce your utility bill or even eliminate it entirely? The Government is will to help by offering tax credits and grants to get your house in GREEN shape. One of those benefits covers the use and implementation of renewable energy systems, such as WIND POWER ENERGY and home solar power!

Find out at the link above, about those tax rebates and government grants and the form you need to fill out, as well as the DIY kits on residential wind power applications and home solar systems. Fun, Easy and quick to build with the great simple and easy to follow instructions provided. Everything you need to know and more as a bonus!

The time for waiting is over, the time for action is now!

Tomorrow, the last of this series part 7