The solar collectors on my house will not be parallel to the roof but will stand up at an angle of approximately 40 degrees.  With some of the recent wind storms around Edmonton and other places in Alberta I've been quite concerned about my house if one of those storms hits again after the collectors are up.  read more... »

I have to make connections in my attic for the 3/4" copper pipes that do the supply and return runs for my solar thermal collectors.  I'm NOT looking forward to soldering amoung the blown-in insulation.  Someone recommended SharkBite non-soldering connectors (http://www.sharkbite.com).  The appear to have a high enough ratings (certified to 200 PSI and 93 degrees C) but I'm concerned about how they will stand up given the extreme temperature changes in the attic.  Has anyone used these connectors?  Does anyone have any experience with SharkBite fittings and solar thermal systems?

Ken 

Unlike vehicles where it is easy to compare efficiency by comparing the mileage (expressed in either miles per gallon or litres per 100 km), comparing efficiency of two houses - or comparing efficiency before and after improvements to a house - is much more difficult.  If a homeowner makes an investment in improved energy efficiency it is difficult to compare the effect of the improvement from one month to the next due to seasonal changes.  Comparing a months worth of post-improvement energy consumption with the same month of the previous year or even the average of that month over the previous X years is an improvement but still doesn't really provide a direct “apples to apples” comparison as the month immediately following the improvement may have been warmer or colder than usual.  read more... »

I read an interesting article recently about how to calculate the size of an on-demand hot water heater.  OK, while not exactly what most people would consider light reading, what I thought was interesting was how much energy it takes to generate something we take for granted.  The article discussed how running a single shower would require the incoming water to absorb energy at a rate of about 75,000 BTUs per hour and that if the tankless water heater was 80% efficient, then the heater would need to have a rated input of 94,000 BTUs per hour.  If you want the ability to run two showers simultaneously, then the numbers double so that the tankless water heater would have a rating of 188,000 BTU.  (For reference, the boiler I have for heating my house and domestic hot water can modulate  read more... »

Here is a diagram from the IBC boiler installation manual showing the specifications for the venting.

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My previous post regarding the problems with Taylor Munro Energy Systems was very negative.  While the problems with TMES are still not resolved, I'd like to focus this posting on a part of my renovation that worked really well:  The high efficency boiler and the heating system.  

There are three main components to the system: 1) a source of heat: the boiler, 2) something to replace my furnace: a fan coil and 3) a domestic hot water (DHW) tank that runs off the boiler.  In addition, I've done a retrofit of radiant floor heating.  This step is optional and was done to allow zone heating of different areas of the house.

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As mentioned in my previous posts, I've signed a contract with Taylor Munro Energy Systems from BC for a solar thermal system to help provide space heat and domestic hot water.  My contract is for system design and
major component supply - it does not include installation.

I wonder if anyone familiar with the solar industry in Edmonton could put me in touch with local installers that could help me get my collectors installed on my house.  This is the proposed south elevation:

And the proposed east elevation:  read more... »

Well, since my first posting about doing a solar thermal retrofit to my house back on May 10th, I'm sorry to day it's been pretty much a nightmare.  When the collectors arrived on March 14th, they looked like they'd been shipped through a war zone.

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I've started a home renovation that will include the installation of solar thermal collectors to help provide domestic hot water and help heat my house. I thought there would be other people like myself who would be interested in my experience - both good and bad. Here goes . . .

Like many people, I'm interested in increasing the efficiency of my home and reducing my gas and power expenses and would love to live in something like the Riverdale Net Zero house. Also like many people, I don't have the means to built my own net zero house. Add to this is the fact that I really like the house I'm in now and love the location and we've got a recipe for a renovation.  read more... »