Solar house with high power thermal panels and thermal buffer heat storage

[dede021385]

Bonjour Christophe
it's been a little while that I'm interested in your instal and I ask myself some questions.

How much do you raise your stamp to the max?
In how long approximately? Δt
do you manage to cover how many months?
Do your panels reach the temperature of your buffer in the winter or is it too fair?

please

[Christophe]

I will try to answer:

a) We went up to 62 ° C last summer, after I stopped a few days because it is pumping for nothing (few needs in summer and gain of the day = losses at night).

b) Take + 4 at 5 ° C per day on a nice summer day (6 at 7h pumping)

c) We cover a few weeks, it depends on much too much, we must rather look at the annual consumption of the extra .... In kWh / m².year it is below the 50 kWh / m².an ... and we are at 400m altitude in the Belgian ardennes. In fact if this house was in the south of France, there is a good chance that it is 100% autonomous ... (more solar gain and less need for heating)

The energy capacity of the buffer is from 200 to 300L fuel oil. Hey yes that's all. No sun for an extended period need extra, there is no miracle ...

d) Of course it helps ... when there is sun, I remember in February 2009. It was super nice, the solar has turned a lot. The water was heated to the wood in just a few days ... which means that throughout the month of February the buffer was more than 35 ° C (below it is too good to take a shower), it was also used for heating, of course.

The T ° that I give is the one at 2m depth. At the top it's hotter.

ps: with the jointing and cleaning, the winter performance should be improved, I also removed the air intakes (cold) automatic drains installed at the feeder by putting ball valves (even closed ca drain still but it sucks more air) ... we'll be fine this winter!

[dede021385]

Hi,
thank you for your quick answers

You are in floor heating or radiator?
How does it lose heat above 62 ° C, your buffer lacks insulation?

300L of fuel is not huge indeed.

please

[Christophe]

There is 40 cm of polystyrene for insulation ... but nothing is perfectly isolated.

Yes PC is mandatory for solar heating ...

300L is not huge that's why you need the sun to recharge periodically. A "modern" solar system with a 1000L buffer is 10L of storage fuel ...

[GAZAFON]

I also removed the air intakes (cold) traps automatic mounted at the feitiere by putting ball valves (even closed drained ca it still ca aspire more air) ... we will vera this winter!

1) How do you explain that it's still emptying?
2) your system is a closed system now?
3) your pump is immersed in the cellar?

in any case you really have a non-standard intallation!

EDIT:
4) question about your sensors (which I did not find "it could be them: http://www.hebco-thermique.com/ ? ")
They are of the meander type high low down high ..... etc ... how do they to drain totally? !!?!
Also, I read that these installations were not "beautiful" because it was necessary to leave a slope (compared to the horizontal) for the flow of the drainback .... here we do not see anything ! ?!

Thank you in advance !

[Christophe]

Yes out of the norm is the right word!

1) well ... I do not explain it well ... maybe because it "cavites" (or other?) During the descent = air bubble = possible emptying?

In any case there are still bubbles during the descent ... because it is still noise (but much less) ...

2) there is more suction of the outside air, it heats (a little) better apparently (we suck more cold air).

3) no it is a self-priming gardening pump (see photos above), 660W but according to the abbaques I 2 times too much power / m² solar. So I try to reduce the power of about half (but if less power = more cavitation = more drain = problem ...)

[Phiphi42]

Christophe,

For your overpowered pump problem
(Besides, I wonder if everything is oversized at home, suddenly)
As you tried to put a diaphragm at the pump outlet:
it will limit the flow
it will increase the pressure drop at the end of the pump, and therefore limit the risk of cavitation ...

Have a nice week end

Phiphi of the 42

[antoinet111]

HELLO Christophe.

I would like to ask you if your windows are soaked, I think not, it is part of an air solar thermal installation.

I'm afraid it farts if the downpour to a change in T ° abrupt.

Thank you in advance.
Antoinet111

[Christophe]

The answer is clear finally almost: some are soaked (because I saw typical breaks tempered glasses) and some no (I replaced windows in single glass) ...

For thermal expansion, the necessary space must be provided ...

For showers: I have not had big hail since 2007 ... but in 2013, there was, at 10km, the size of a ping pong ball that broke down shutters and slates of roof and siding ... I'm not sure that the tempered 4 mm would have resisted that!

[phil59]

I just read this very interesting topic.

What are the news since 2016, on your installation?

I wonder how much are the panels, "the buffer", the interchanges, which are enormous.