Solar panels for hot water: save gas by taking advantage of the Sun's energy

Solar panels for hot water: save gas by taking advantage of the Sun's energy

The solar panels to pre-heat hot water of a housing allow a considerable energy saving.

But the cost of buying them can pose a significant outlay; I will explain, summarize the process, how can harness the energy of the Sun with two different home systems that they already explained previously on the blog of different difficulty of construction and different performance, and it is not more remember.

Solar tubes and Polycarbonate cover panel

Can be found on the internet (on the website of Gary for example) many tutorials on how to make a solar panel simple and manageable with tubes of copper and very good performance, but I instead took a sheet metal roof directly as a collector.

I first placed the base of fine wood, and placed stainless steel tubes. soldiers (they can be normal steel or copper):

And to increase the transfer of heat to the pipe, prepare pieces of aluminum from 0,5 mm. thick molded to the shape of the tube to increase the contact surface.

We build the mould with some woods, leaving a hollow tube width:

Once we have the mould, we can proceed to mould aluminium blades.

Using a rule I have marked with a felt pen cuts along by every half meter; marking to turn those cuts Center (which will be where the blade is double).

I bought sheets of aluminum of 2.000 x 1 000 x 0, 5 mm. Alu-Stock thickness, to €2.72 /kg; about 40 euros incl. transport.

There is a distance of half a meter between the tubes which will be settled by what with every iron I have obtained 4 pieces of 1 mt. by 0.5 mt. width:

We put aluminium foil on a Board so that is centered, and the tube over, over the slot. As described on the website of Gary, we need to push the tube to aluminium take the shape of the tube; with a truncheon can help us, banging small from one side to another, gradually until the tube is inserted between the two tables:

We extract the tube and aluminum has been with the shape of the tube:

Put plates of aluminium on the pipes, laying a bead of silicone in the hole so that they are attached to the tube, and finally painted all black sensor:

The solar collector in the absence of the Polycarbonate cover.

Finally cover with alveolar polycarbonate (with camera) that is cheap, light and more resistant than glass, and which also insulates better. We will strive to close the sides to keep out lots of water or dirt (well with American or similar tape and silicone).

And the end result. I don't get great performance in winter because it hardly has degrees of inclination, but I compensated with a large catchment area:

Although water in polycarbonate is not big problem; high temperatures which catches the sensor washed and cleaned of verdines and viruses that can be developed.
This just add the necessary elements of plumbing (automatic bleeder air, circulating pump, thermostat, expansion tank and filling and emptying key) and the accumulation of hot water tank, and begin to save between 50 and 80% gas/light Bill.

Another simpler build option: use polyethylene pipe

If we are very difficult to manufacture a sensor as above, we can also manufacture something simpler, and although of reduced performance, it also gives result:

For lack of a better idea, to make a uniform surface without pipes mounted one over the other, I have attached plastic tube with ropes and flanges of electrician, gradually unwinding the tube at the same time that tied it in place. For this task the best thing is to help another person, since the tube to come already wrapped, can be tricky take you to their site without having to force you, so it is important to go by unwinding as it tied.

Final aspect of the 90 meters. pipe moored, already on the roof.

90. Mts in dia. tubing. 20 give us 2 mts. surface squares. The advantage with this system is that we can add meters and meters of way with little sun warms us quickly water, without danger that temperature raise too much to be in the air and cool down on its own.
When the summer will have to assess whether it is suitable to further isolate it with glass or better still, by placing one or two aerolitas of transparent fiberglass.
Thanks to the high coefficient of expansion of this type of pipe, avoid us having to place a deposit or glass of dilation, whose capacity would increase according to how many liters of water circuit.

Finally you cover with transparent plastic used in greenhouses, or with own 3 or 4 mm polycarbonate (much more durable), and will reduce heat losses, much increasing its performance.

Necessary accessories

For optimal operation of the installation will need an automatic bleeder, a check valve, another is security, a pressure gauge and fill key.

Automatic bleeder: place on vertical and higher than the rest of the installation to remove the air accumulated in the most efficient way possible.

Recommendation: If you don't mind to spend some more and is essential to get the best seal, it is recommended to use elements of brass joints, bushings, etc in the PE pipe.

Safety valve calibrated to 3 kg. of pressure. You can also empty the circuit by turning the Red cap (used a faulty boiler).

(Image sup.) Check valve: by placing 2, one on each side of the coil, to avoid the hot water tank to climb onto the roof in the cold days. It is important to check the direction in which move we pump water.(Image sup.) Pressure gauge with the reading of 1 Bar which is the installation (approx. 1.5 kgs)

(Image above). The engine and the reading of the thermostat the temperature of the pipe on the roof at 10:30 in the morning (without having powered pump at any time).

(Image sup.) The probe S1 of the thermostat the subject with a bolt-on flange of diam. 20-30 mm. to the tube so that it does not move.

I hope that you have enjoyed these ideas to save more with energy from the Sun.