DIY Solar Panels

rool · DIY Solar Panels

Is anyone handy enough to have tried these:-

http://www.bigginhill.co.uk/solar.htm

keithrawlins

not yet but thanks to your link i will be this summer, the thing seems prety easy to make,(ishouldent have said that its going to be a nightmare now)
Twisted Evil

JayBee

I'm about to start work on a solar water heater myself.

I'll be using the design detailed on the Mother Earth News website.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Gr...01/Mothers-In-Line-Collector.aspx

Even though there is a grant for the evacuated tube solar water heater I still won't buy any. The reduced price still smells of a big middle-man mark-up.

wayland

Interesting thought. I like the evacuated tube design and it aint rocket science to build. Once we have found some glass tubes that is. I thought of recycling florescent tubes but fear that the glass is too thin. As to the grant etc. I may well use it but will have to do some costings first. They are much cheaper in the UK of course.

JayBee

I've started work on my simple solar water heater.

You can see the progress on my blog - http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com/search/label/solar%20heating

Depending on the results from the prototype I will build a series of these to provide for all summer hot water needs.

For winter hot water I am working on wood gasification, which you can read about here - http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com/search/label/wood%20gas

wayland

Nice one James. I notice with the commercial arrays the need for a pressure relief valve in case the fluid boils. do you think that your system has this risk?

JayBee

wayland

I think I shall have mine pumped by a vairable speed pump. With a stat fitted I would be more comfortable in the knowledge that if the water got to boiling point, the pump would go up a notch and dump the hot water more quickly. Keep us posted Wink

JayBee

My first solar heating panel is now complete.

I've posted annotated photos to Picasa.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/butler.jm/SolarWaterHeater

No water in it yet. I need a few more fittings from JRs before I connect it to a small test tank.

However, I left it out in the sun and took readings with my IR thermometer. The collector plate touched 60C after 15 minutes in the sun. The unlagged output pipe was at 35C. There is currently no insulation behind the collector.

Total cost so far is about 35 yoyos. Some of the copper pipe, all the wood and fixings are of "obtainium" thus free.

I think boiling point water is not feasible with these designs. I regard it as more of a pre-heater so that you spend less money getting the temperature of your water over the required 60C. There shouldn't be any need for 100C water in your hot water cylinder.

killerflies

Any update on how that has worked for you?

Would be keen to know.

JayBee

Well, I left Ireland after completing it and it is still in Kerry.

It worked very well although I didn't have time to hook them up to a tank.

I am sure it would have at least made a good pre-heater and on a long sunny day would have easily produced lots of hot water.

The more hot water you want, the more panels you make.

killerflies

Cool out.

Its on the list of things to give a go to!

wayland

I have not got mine off the ground yet, but will do this winter once all the building work is done. One point about alumimiun and copper. they hate each other. Although the author points out that both the components will be painted it would be better to have them made out of the same material. The different expansion and contraction rates could crack the paint. Just a thought.

killerflies

Be sure to keep us updated on progress and how they perform....Im mad keen on this idea.

Are you making them to the same spec as above or have you your own design?

keithrawlins

tubes were on ebay this week starting at 199 sterling. i would rather pay this than £2000 and get30% back with a grant.

wayland

The tubes seem to me to be the way to go. I had thought of recycling fluorescent tubes for this but have gone off the idea a bit. The collectors inside the tubes I was going to make with 25mm copper pipe, which would be swaged to produce fins and end up with an internal dia of 10mm. The design is ongoing but I am keen to get it finished. Good luck.

blowin

It would be great to have an update on your results and/or any new thoughts on a cheap/cost efficient way to reduce the bills Wink

killerflies

I second that motion!

Mad keen to see how it goes.

Also, people might be interested in the ideas presented on this website.

Ive been signed up for years and have tried a variety of DIY projects. All very good, and there are certainly a ton of "green" projects up there.

http://www.instructables.com/green

johnbrown · solar water heating

DIY Solar Panels

solar water heating