Active Solar Heating Systems

4/15/2019 ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
21.3. ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
Active solar systems are modified systems that use fans, blowers, and pumps to control the heating process and
distribution of the heat once it is collected. Active systems currently use the following six units to collect,
control, and distribute solar heat.
Unit Function
1. Solar collector Intercepts solar radiation and

converts it to heat for transfer to a
thermal storage unit or to the
heating load
2. Thermal storage unit Can be either an air or liquid unit;

if more heat than needed is
collected, it is stored in this unit
for later use; can be either liquid,
rock, or a phase-change unit
3. Auxiliary heat source Used as a backup unit when there

is not enough solar heat to do the
job
4. Heat-distribution system Depending on the systems

selected, could be the same as
those used for cooling or
auxiliary heating
5. Cooling-distribution system Usually a blower and duct

distribution capable of using air
or liquid directly from either the
solar collector or the thermal
storage unit
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21.3.1. Operation of Solar Heating Systems
It would take a book in itself to examine all the possibilities and maybe a couple of volumes more to present
details of what has been done to date. Therefore, it is best to take a look at a system that is available
commercially from a reputable firm that has been making heating and cooling systems for years (Fig. 21-7).
Figure 21-7. Components of a liquid-to-air solar heating system. (Lennox Furnace Co.)
21.3.2. Domestic Water-Heating System
The domestic water-heating system uses water heated with solar energy. It is more economically viable than
whole-house space heating because hot water is required all year round. The opportunity to obtain a return on
the initial investment in the system every day of the year is a distinct economic advantage. Only moderate
collector temperatures are required to cause the system to function effectively. Thus domestic water can be
heated during less than ideal weather conditions.
21.3.3. Indirect Heating/Circulating Systems
Indirect heating systems circulate antifreeze solution or a special heat-transfer fluid through the collectors. This
is done primarily to overcome the problem of draining liquid collectors during periods of subfreezing weather
(Fig. 21-8). Air collectors also can be used. As a result, there is no danger of freezing and no need to drain the
system.
Figure 21-8. Collectors on the roof heat water that is circulated throughout the house.
Circulating a solution of ethylene glycol and water through the collector and a heat exchanger is one means of
eliminating the problem of freezing (Fig. 21-9). Note that this system requires a heat exchanger and an
additional pump. The heat exchanger permits the heat in the liquid circulating through the collector to be
transferred to the water in the storage tank. The extra pump is needed to circulate water from the storage tank
through the heat exchanger.
Figure 21-9. Indirect solar water heating system.
The extra pump can be eliminated if:
The heat exchanger is located below the storage tank.
The pipe sizes and heat-exchanger design permit thermosiphon action to circulate the water.
A heat exchanger is used that actually wraps around and contacts the storage tank and transfers heat directly
through the tank wall.
Safety is another consideration in the operation of this type of system. Two major problems might develop with
liquid solar water heaters:
1. Excessive water may enter the domestic water service line.
2. High temperature and high pressure may damage collectors and the storage unit (Fig. 21-10).
Figure 21-10. A. Liquid collector. B. Air collector.
If you want to prevent the first problem, you can add a mixing valve between the solar storage tank and the
conventional water heater (Fig. 21-11).
Figure 21-11. Schematic of the auxiliary heating equipment.
Cold water is blended with hot water in the proper proportion to avoid excessive supply temperatures. The
mixing valve is sometimes referred to as a tempering valve. Figure 21-12 shows the details of a typical
connection for a tempering valve.
Figure 21-12. A typical tempering valve.
You can avoid excessive pressure in the collector loop carrying the antifreeze or heat-transfer solution by
installing a pressure-relief valve in the loop. Set the valve to discharge at anything above 50 pounds per square
foot. The temperature of the liquid may hit 200°F (93.3°C), so make sure that the relief valve is connected to an
open drain. The fluid is unsafe and contaminated, so keep that in mind when disposing of it.
A temperature and pressure-relief valve is usually installed on the storage tank to protect it. Whenever water in
the tank exceeds 210°F (98.9°C), the valve opens and purges the hot water in the tank. Cold water
automatically enters the storage tank and provides a heating load for the collector loop. This cools down the
system. Figure 21-13 gives examples of both safety devices installed in the system.
Figure 21-13. Note the locations of the safety valves on the heater tank and the expansion tank.
The collector-loop expansion tank (Fig. 21-13) is required to absorb the expansion and contraction of the
circulating fluid as it is heated and cooled. Any loop not vented to the atmosphere must be fitted with an
expansion tank.
The heat exchanger acts as an interface between the toxic collector fluid and the potable (drinkable) water. The
heat exchanger must be double-walled to prevent contamination of the drinking water if there is a leak in the
heat exchanger. The shell and tube type (Fig. 21-14) often does not meet the local code or the health department
requirements.
Figure 21-14. Heat-exchanger designs.
21.3.4. Air Transfer
Air-heating collectors can be used to heat domestic water (Fig. 21-15). The operation of this type of system is
similar to that of the indirect liquid circulation system. The basic difference is that a blower or fan is used to
circulate the air through the collector and heat exchanger rather than a pump to circulate a liquid.
Figure 21-15. Schematic of air-transfer-medium solar water-heating system.
The air-transfer method has advantages:
It is not subject to damage owing to liquid leakage in the collector loop.
It does not have to be concerned with boiling fluid or freezing in the winter.
It does not run the risk of losing the expensive fluid in the system.
It does have some disadvantages over the liquid type of system:
It requires larger piping between the collector and heat exchanger.
It requires more energy to operate the circulating fan than it does for the water pump.
It needs a slightly larger collector.
21.3.5. Cycle Operation

The indirect and direct water-heating systems need some type of control. A differential temperature controller
is used to measure the temperature difference between the collector and the storage. This controls pump
operation.
The pump starts when there is more than a 10°F difference between the storage and collector temperatures. It
stops when the differential drops to less than 3°F.
You can use two-speed or multispeed pumps in a system of this type to change the amount of water being
circulated. As solar radiation increases, the pump is speeded up. This type of unit also improves the efficiency
of the system.
21.3.6. Designing the Domestic Water-Heating System
Any heating job requires that you know the number of British thermal units (Btus) needed to heat a space. The
type of heating system we are designing is no exception.
Table 21-1 shows minimum property standards for solar systems as designated by the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development. Note that the minimum daily hot water requirements for various residences
and apartment occupancies are listed. For example, a two-bedroom home with three occupants should be
provided with equipment that can provide 55 gallons per day of hot water. Many designers simply assume 20
gallons per day per person, which results in slightly higher requirements than those listed in the table.
Table 21-1. Daily Hot Water Usage (140°F) for Solar System Design
Another important consideration in sizing the solar domestic hot water system is the required change in
temperature of incoming water. The water supplied by a public water system usually varies from 40 to 75°F
(4.4 to 23.9°C) depending on location and season of the year. A telephone call to your local water utility will
provide the water supply temperature in your area. Generally, the desired supply hot water temperature is from
140 to 160°F (60 to 71.1°C). Knowing these two temperatures and the volume of water required enables you to
calculate the British thermal unit requirement for domestic hot water. Figure 21-16 shows how to calculate the
British thermal unit requirements for heating domestic hot water.
Figure 21-16. Circulating British thermal unit requirements.
To find the required collector area needed to provide some portion of the British thermal unit load, you can use
a number of methods. Figure 21-17 shows the location of an add-on collector. One rule of thumb is that the
amount of solar energy available at midaltitude in the continental United States is approximately equal to 2,000
British thermal units per square foot per day. Assuming a collector efficiency of 40 percent, 800 British thermal
units per square foot per day can be collected with a properly installed collector. Using the example in Fig. 21-
17, the collector should contain approximately 137 square feet. This is found by 109,956 British thermal units
per day divided by 800, which equals 137. The higher summer radiation levels and warmer temperatures would
cause an excess capacity most of the time. A more practical approach is to provide nearly 100 percent solar hot
water in July, which then might average out to 70 percent contribution for the year. Thus a collector area of 0.7
× 137, or about 96 square feet, might be a more realistic installation (Fig. 21-18).
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Figure 21-17. Collector placement for remodeling jobs.
Figure 21-18. Collector roof configurations. (National Association of Home Builders.)
The rule of thumb sizing procedures used here assume that the collector is installed facing due south and
inclined at an angle equal to the local latitude plus 10 degrees. Modification of these optimal collector
installation procedures will reduce the effectiveness of the collector. In case the ideal installation cannot be
achieved, it will be necessary to increase the size of the collector to compensate for the loss in effectiveness.
21.3.7. Other Components
4/15/2019
The components for solar domestic water-heatingACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
systems are available in kits prepackaged with instructions
(Fig. 21-19). These eliminate the need to size the storage tank, expansion tank, and pump. If you wish to select
individual components, it will be necessary to make the same types of calculations for whole-house heating to
determine the sizes of such components. Tank storage typically would be based on one day's supply of energy,
which is based on the daily British thermal unit load. Figure 21-20 illustrates a typical piping and wiring
arrangement for a solar water-heating system.
Figure 21-19. Prepackaged solar-assisted domestic hot water unit.
Figure 21-20. Piping and wiring diagram for solar water-heating system.
Citation
EXPORT
Mark R. Miller; Rex Miller: Carpentry and Construction, Sixth Edition. ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS, Chapter
(McGraw-Hill Professional, 2016), AccessEngineering
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved.

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This product incorporates part of the open source Protégé system. Protégé is available at IET Inspec
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4/15/2019 ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS

ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS

21.3. ACTIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS

1. Solar collector Intercepts solar radiation and

2. Thermal storage unit Can be either an air or liquid unit;

3. Auxiliary heat source Used as a backup unit when there

4. Heat-distribution system Depending on the systems

5. Cooling-distribution system Usually a blower and duct

21.3.1. Operation of Solar Heating Systems

21.3.2. Domestic Water-Heating System

21.3.3. Indirect Heating/Circulating Systems

Figure 21-9. Indirect solar water heating system.

The extra pump can be eliminated if:

The heat exchanger is located below the storage tank.

1. Excessive water may enter the domestic water service line.

Figure 21-10. A. Liquid collector. B. Air collector.

Figure 21-11. Schematic of the auxiliary heating equipment.

Figure 21-14. Heat-exchanger designs.

21.3.4. Air Transfer

Figure 21-15. Schematic of air-transfer-medium solar water-heating system.

The air-transfer method has advantages:

It is not subject to damage owing to liquid leakage in the collector loop.

It does have some disadvantages over the liquid type of system:

It requires larger piping between the collector and heat exchanger.

It needs a slightly larger collector.

21.3.5. Cycle Operation

21.3.6. Designing the Domestic Water-Heating System

Figure 21-16. Circulating British thermal unit requirements.

Figure 21-17. Collector placement for remodeling jobs.

Figure 21-18. Collector roof configurations. (National Association of Home Builders.)

21.3.7. Other Components

Figure 21-19. Prepackaged solar-assisted domestic hot water unit.

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved.

For further information about this site, contact us.

Designed and built using Scolaris by Semantico.

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