There’s a new passively pumped solar water heating system
that greatly simplifies the typical cold climate domestic hot water (DHW)
installation. http://www.sunnovations.com/
For me, the holy grail of solar DHW is a system with almost
everything missing:
1. No pumps
2. No controller
3. No sensors
4. No electricity required
5. No valves
6. No stagnation or overheating problems
7. No chance of freeze damage (freeze tolerant, at least)
8. PEX allowed
9. No heat exchanger
10. No antifreeze
11. Can use a storage tank purchased at Home Depot
This system provides 1-8, but it does have an in-tank heat exchanger and propylene glycol. I’m not on my knees, but this is not bad!
It operates by resurrecting the Copper Cricket style geyser pump. They solved overheating with a steamback-like method, and can use anyone’s harp style collector.
Prices are taboo on the company's website.
The CEO, Matt Carlson, explains that "the installed cost varies by region. It is influenced by the cost of labor, competition, shipping cost, configuration of the home, permitting costs, and distributor pricing, etc."
Ballpark prices can be obtained through direct contact, though:
http://www.sunnovations.com/forms/contact-us
Here’s another discussion of how the Copper Cricket worked:
http://tinyurl.com/popsci89
And why it fizzled: http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/133419/Steam-Pumping
The patent can be viewed at http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=f0LWAAAAEBAJ&dq=7798140
that greatly simplifies the typical cold climate domestic hot water (DHW)
installation. http://www.sunnovations.com/
For me, the holy grail of solar DHW is a system with almost
everything missing:
1. No pumps
2. No controller
3. No sensors
4. No electricity required
5. No valves
6. No stagnation or overheating problems
7. No chance of freeze damage (freeze tolerant, at least)
8. PEX allowed
9. No heat exchanger
10. No antifreeze
11. Can use a storage tank purchased at Home Depot
This system provides 1-8, but it does have an in-tank heat exchanger and propylene glycol. I’m not on my knees, but this is not bad!
It operates by resurrecting the Copper Cricket style geyser pump. They solved overheating with a steamback-like method, and can use anyone’s harp style collector.
Prices are taboo on the company's website.
The CEO, Matt Carlson, explains that "the installed cost varies by region. It is influenced by the cost of labor, competition, shipping cost, configuration of the home, permitting costs, and distributor pricing, etc."
Ballpark prices can be obtained through direct contact, though:
http://www.sunnovations.com/forms/contact-us
Here’s another discussion of how the Copper Cricket worked:
http://tinyurl.com/popsci89
And why it fizzled: http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/133419/Steam-Pumping
The patent can be viewed at http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=f0LWAAAAEBAJ&dq=7798140
