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Solar Heating Site Assessment
Something Every Solar Newbie Needs to Know
Here is your solar heating site assessment checklist. A complete site assessment is the single most important task in selecting a solar heating system. This site analysis ensures that your investment in a solar heating system perform efficiently and effectively.
After all, you are planning to invest in a solar heating system that meets your heating needs for many years.
A solar professional typically performs the site assessment and planning. You should insist on conducting site assessment before the purchase of a solar heating system.
The solar heating site assessment covers the following topics:
Solar Radiation
Shading from trees and buildings
Solar site analysis tools
Solar panel orientation and tilt
Building condition
Site Assessment Overview
Solar Radiation
Solar energy is the sunshine or solar radiation comes from the Sun. Solar heating happens wherever the Sun shines.
The World Solar Potential gives you an idea the areas where solar energy potential is the greatest. The north and south pole regions receive the least amount of sunlight. The equator receives the most sunshine.
In order for solar heating panels to operate efficiently they need to capture the maximum amount of solar energy as possible. Shade from trees positioned to shade a building is an ideal passive design but detrimental to solar heating.
Unique site characteristics like adjacent building, trees and weather conditions can shade the site. This result means less solar energy reaching the solar panels.
Shade from another building and trees limit solar energy from reaching the solar heating panels. The result is diminished performance of the solar water heater system.
Understanding the impact of shading solar professionals use a solar site analysis tool. A site assessment tool predicts how much solar energy actually reaches your site throughout the year. Go to
Solar Site Analysis Tools.
The next step in solar heating site assessment considers solar heating panels orientation and tilt.
Orientation and Tilt
The orientation and tilt of solar panels significantly affect how much solar energy reaches the panels. A solar heating site assessment shows the optimum orientation and tilt for solar heating panel performance.
Siting solar panels orientation and tilt to receive the maximum sunshine. They can vary as much as 15 degrees from true south and still perform adequately. Avoid to having obstructions like trees, buildings or chimneys block sunshine reaching solar panels.
The generally accepted practice is to install solar heating panels in the direct Sun and no shading from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Solar panel orientation can deviate from the ideal orientation and tilt and still perform satisfactorily. If true south is not an option, it is likely that at least one aspect of your homes receives adequate sunshine for solar heating.
An alternative solution is to place the solar panels on the ground to obtain the ideal orientation and tilt.
The existing building condition must be part of the solar heating site assessment when planning installing a solar heating system.
Roof
Let's start with the roof. The roof must be able to support solar panels.
They can weigh as much as 80 to 150 pounds.
The shingles where the solar panels are mounted should be in excellent condition. The expense of temporally removing panels later to re-roof is an expensive proposition.
Seriously consider the need of roofing repair or replacement before going solar. You may want to consider the advice from a professional roofer.
Existing Conventional Water Heater
Your existing conventional water heater may need replacement. In many solar water heating systems, the conventional water heater is used as a storage tank for the solar system.
The solar water heating system is designed to heat 50 to 80 percent of your hot water needs. So… the conventional water heater is needed as a backup source of hot water and a storage tank for the solar water heating system.
When selecting a new conventional water heater consider an ENERGY STAR rated water heaters. These water heaters are more efficient and have additional insulation.
Electrical & Plumbing
If an electric water heater is used are there any electrical problem. If you are going to a larger water heater capacity is the circuit breaker adequate.
Evaluate the condition of the plumbing piping, valves faucets and water pressure.
Solar Access
Regardless is the solar panel installation is on a building or on the ground consider what obstructions may occur in the future. If trees were planted today or a building constructed next door how will they impact the availability of sunshine being capture by your solar panels.
Related Topics to Solar Heating Site Assessment
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