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Serving the Pacific Northwest for more than 16 years |
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Solar Heating is using the sun’s energy to heat space or liquid.
There are two types of 'Solar Heating':
Active and
Passive. |
Active Solar Heating uses pumps to move air into a structure or a liquid into a heat transfer system. |
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Passive Solar Heating does not require a mechanical method to move the air or liquid thru the system. |
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| Space Heating |
Solar Heating of Space is commonly done with solar tube collection system on the roof of a home or business. A thermostat will activate a fan to move the solar tube’s heated air throughout the structure. The cooler return air is redirected back to the solar tubes.
A two panel solar collector system can be installed on a solar suited home in less than a day by a 2 man crew and is virtually maintenance free. A two panel collector system will provide enough solar heat for a 1,200 sq. ft. home. Premium solar collectors can reduce your annual primary heating costs 20 - 60%. Payback time, on average, is 3 to 5 years.
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| Water Heating |
| Solar Heating of Water is also accomplished by using a solar tube collection system on the roof of a home or business. The water is heated by the sun and is moved, by pump, to the structure’s hot water tank(s) or a well insulated holding tank. |
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Hot Water Tank |
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When a hot water tank starts with warm or hot water it has to work considerably less to bring that water up to the desired temperature. Often, the hot water tank doesn’t even have to turn on. This can save a home owner 40-70% on hot water costs annually. |
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Holding Tank or WaterStove and Hydronics |
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Solar heated Water can be used to heat a structure by Hydronics (see our Hydronics page). In a Hydronics system hot water is run through PEX tubes in the floor. This will effectively heat the floor which in turn heats the room. Using Solar heated Water with a Hydronics systems means much less conventional energy is needed to heat the structure. This type of system is thermostatically controlled and, in most cases, runs seamlessly behind the scenes. |
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| Passive Solar Heat |
| Passive Solar Heat is accomplished by integrating a structure’s southern exposure with windows and interior coatings to collect, store and release heat. Green architects can design for Passive Solar Heat which can save the owner huge amounts of conventional energy costs over the life of the building. |
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Northwest Alternitive Energy
is a certified Apricus dealer.
We can help you with:
Sales, Service, Installation
and Parts |
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Apricus manufactures highly efficient
Evacuated Tube Solar Collection Systems |
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Evacuated Tube solar water heaters are made up of rows of parallel, glass tubes.
The Glass-Glass tube design consists of two glass tubes which are fused together at one end. The inner tube is coated with a selective surface that absorbs solar energy well but inhibits radiative heat loss. The air is withdrawn ("evacuated") from the space between the two glass tubes to form a vacuum, which eliminates conductive and convective heat loss. These tubes perform very well in overcast conditions as well as low temperatures. Because the tube is 100% glass, the problem with loss of vacuum due to a broken seal is greatly minimized. Glass-glass solar tubes may be used in a number of different ways, including direct flow, heat pipe, or U pipe configuration. Apricus uses a high efficiency heat pipe and heat transfer fin design to conduct the heat from within the evacuated tube up to the header. |
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The operation of the solar collector is very simple.
1. Solar Absorption: Solar radiation is absorbed by the evacuated tubes and converted into heat.
2. Solar Heat Transfer: Heat pipes conduct the heat from within the solar tube up to the header.
3. Solar Energy Storage: Water is ciruclated through the header, via intermittent pump cycling. Each time the water circulates through the header the temperatures is raised by 5-10C / 9-18F. Throughout the day, the water in the storage tank is gradually heated. |
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The SEIA website offers extensive photos,
videos, research and backgorund
information on the Solar Energy industry.
Simply click the SEIA logo on the left. |
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Northwest Alternative Energy works with several top of the line manufacturers of Solar Heating products. We will recommend the best solution for your specific situation. Give us a call to discuss your details. |
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This site is in a constant state of evolution. Please check back often for new and valuable industry information. |
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