This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 4:40 pm and is filed under Home Energy, Home Solar Power, Renewable Energy, Solar assisted water heating. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Documentation
I have documented the increased performance of the new external Heat Exchanger.
Below are 2 graphs, one from October 25, 2006 right after I had gotten the system dialed in, and the other from September 11, 2008. The biggest difference is the heat gain as measured at the top of the tank:
2006 went from 82 to 105 = 23F temp rise
2008 went from 68 to 112 = 44F temp rise. A 21F improvement!
The difference is that I have gone from 2sq.ft. of heat exchanger surface area to more than 8 sq.ft. Clearly this improves heat transfer efficiency
OK, this is my last post on this topic, it was fun to do and more fun to share with ya all. Remember, this is all fairly easy stuff do do, with the right tools, but even more importantly the right directions and guides. This article helps. There are many other projects one can have fun with that even easier, such as learning to build your own solar panels for your for your own complete renewable energy system that would provide the home solar energy required to displace your Utility company and save on those monthly bills. Learning to have and make a sustainable living lifestyle is not only fun but practical as well. Adding a wind power generator to your house is a choice for those in less sunny climates. Either way you choose to do it, you become that much more independent from the larger companies, and that a good thing.
End of show
