Solar radiant Heat
- Thread starter philbuilt
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Tig
Veteran Member
Hi Phil. I've been following this thread with much interest. I would like to incorporate this technology in the home that I'll be building next summer. How are your temperatures these days? It's been quite a cold snap around here.
Steve
Steve
Tig,
On sunny days we are seeing temps up to 170 deg. That was this week and the outside temp was 2
We are now running the radiant floor in the main part of the house. It did take some adjusting but we like it. The house stay at 68 d. Floor temp is 71 + - Today we turned on the second zone. Hopefully next weekend we will finish the insulation and turn on the last zone. The solar panels do keep up with the floors so far during the day when its sunny out.
Phil
On sunny days we are seeing temps up to 170 deg. That was this week and the outside temp was 2
We are now running the radiant floor in the main part of the house. It did take some adjusting but we like it. The house stay at 68 d. Floor temp is 71 + - Today we turned on the second zone. Hopefully next weekend we will finish the insulation and turn on the last zone. The solar panels do keep up with the floors so far during the day when its sunny out.
Phil
The job is now complete all insulation in place. The solar panels have been keeping up with the full 1200 sf floor on. Thats when the sun is shinning. It been about a week now and the temperature shift in the house is very minimal. I do like the radiant floors. BTW outside temps have been 0 to 31degs.
Phil
Thats when the sun is shinning. It been about a week now and the temperature shift in the house is very minimal. I do like the radiant floors. BTW outside temps have been 0 to 31degs.Phil
Congratulations on your project, as others have said and for any future projects, insulation top and bottom and caulking makes every heating project better. I moved into a new house a few years ago and the contractor did not caulk the windows around the frame inside. When I did that what a difference in how the house felt. It had the insulation, but if everything is not right then heating bills rise. We have natural gas heating and it still is low cost.
TDVT
Silver Member
Hi Phil, I have also been following your progress with interest & have a few questions. I live over in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, sort of in your neighborhood but I would guess a bit colder. The fact that's your having good success in northern NE is pretty intriguing.
Over here, we have an excellent site for solar, as well as a pretty tight house (timber-frame w/panels). I have also installed radiant heat in a family member's house, but that system is powered by a HE water heater, so it's the solar end of it I'm not familiar with. Actually, we bought some of the supplies from Radiantec (they are 2 towns away) but I don't think they even had a solar powered system at the time.
We haven't had much sun this winter so I was wondering how you fared on the cloudy days?
Is the stored hot water enough for overnight from sunny day to sunny day, or does your furnace go at night?
Have you run your furnace much to supplement the panels, otherwise?
Any other information would be appreciated
Thanks, Ted
Over here, we have an excellent site for solar, as well as a pretty tight house (timber-frame w/panels). I have also installed radiant heat in a family member's house, but that system is powered by a HE water heater, so it's the solar end of it I'm not familiar with. Actually, we bought some of the supplies from Radiantec (they are 2 towns away) but I don't think they even had a solar powered system at the time.
We haven't had much sun this winter so I was wondering how you fared on the cloudy days?
Is the stored hot water enough for overnight from sunny day to sunny day, or does your furnace go at night?
Have you run your furnace much to supplement the panels, otherwise?
Any other information would be appreciated
Thanks, Ted
Hi Ted,
Thanks for the interest in the project. I installed the panels to supplement the furnace and it does that well. On sunny days the furnace doesn't fire and the panels will keep up with the radiant floor. I have 2 teen age daughters and the hot water is in great demand. This years stats are looking good. 9/08 to 2/09 we used 368 gals of fuel oil. last year 9/07 to 2/08 498 gals of oil. So it seems to be working well. I was also able to get the FED tax credit of $2000. Every little bit helps. oil savings thus far $344.
You should go and see them at Radiant tec they have a setup there.
Phil
Thanks for the interest in the project. I installed the panels to supplement the furnace and it does that well. On sunny days the furnace doesn't fire and the panels will keep up with the radiant floor. I have 2 teen age daughters and the hot water is in great demand. This years stats are looking good. 9/08 to 2/09 we used 368 gals of fuel oil. last year 9/07 to 2/08 498 gals of oil. So it seems to be working well. I was also able to get the FED tax credit of $2000. Every little bit helps. oil savings thus far $344.
You should go and see them at Radiant tec they have a setup there.
Phil