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Renewable energy sources are those that produce electricity or thermal energy (heat)
without depleting valuable natural resources. These sources include solar, micro-hydro,
and wind power generation. Solarcrest Innovations can assist you in reducing your fossil
fuel use and energy expenses by installing renewable energy systems.
We offer a full range of services including; consultation, estimation,
installation, equipment supply and maintenance for Solar Water Heating.
Energy prices are only getting higher. The BC Utilities commission reported
that since 1998 the price of natural gas has increased by nearly 400%.
(there is nothing natural about that!)
The monthly savings of a system will pay for the installation cost.
Compare the increasing cost of traditional energy to the "one time"
prepayment for energy that renewable systems provide and you will see that it is a wise investment.
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About Solar Electric Energy from Pacific Solar Smart
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Solar Water Heating Systems
There are three main types of solar water heating systems that we can provide.
Depending on the the temperature and volume demand we can help you decide
which application will be most beneficial for you.
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Unglazed Collector |
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The first and most common application uses black unglazed sheets of plastic
or rubber to trap the suns energy in water that is then circulated through
the pool, aquaculture, and other mid-temperature applications. We use Techno-Solis
panel systems.
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Glazed Flat Plate Collector |
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Metal absorber with a selective surface in an insulated frame with glass
covering. General purpose solar collector suitable for domestic hot water
and other 4 season, mid - high temperature applications. We use the CSA certified
system called the Enerworks Appliance. This system is the only CSA
approved solar water heating system in the world.
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Evacuated Tube Collector |
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Metal absorber in a vacuum tube. Good for very high temperature applications
and/or colder climates. These systems are functional year round and are the
most efficient. We use Apricus evacuated tube systems.
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There are also different types of systems that can be used with the collectors
above depending on the individual application. These methods can be
categorized into Active and Passive systems. These two systems can
then be used in open or closed loop operating methods.
Active systems use solar collectors to gather the sun's heat. These systems
also incorporate sensors that control the system's operation. When the solar
collectors in an active system reach a preset temperature, a sensor signals
an internal pump to circulate heat transfer fluid through the collectors.
The fluid collects the sun's heat and transfers it to the water through a
heat exchanger (stainless steel or copper construction coils or braised flat
plate type heat exchange usually located in or next to a separate solar storage
tank). When there is enough hot water in the storage tank, or if the outdoor
temperature drops to near freezing, the sensor signals the pump to stop and
the fluid in the collectors drains back to a small holding tank. This process,
called "drain back", protects the collectors from freezing. A closed
loop can also be set up so that the heat transfer fluid does not drain back,
in which case the fluid must have an anti-freeze protection added to it,
this type of system is simply called a 'closed loop'. Click on 'different
types of heat transfer fluids' to find out more.
Passive solar water heating systems use natural convection or municipal waterline
pressure to circulate the fluid through the collector to the storage tank.
They have no pumps or controllers, and are less expensive, more reliable,
and easier to maintain than active systems. Passive systems are used only
in very mild climates where the potable water pipes running to the system
will not freeze. Batch heaters (also known as "bread box" or integral
collector storage systems) and thermosiphon systems are the most common
types of passive systems for buildings. |
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