[RE-wrenches] My .02 onEvacuated Tube-based SDHW

Wed Mar 25 15:11:16 PDT 2009

HI everyone
I have only done a few of the EVT but I have installed a very many flat plate collectors.  Frankly I do not believe I have seen an improvement in performance over flat plate. In fact I would almost be most of my customers are better off with flat plate.  I have several monitored flat plate systems, they work as specified, I only have anecdotal information on EVT system performances.  I will go for flat plate.  
Darryl   f 

--- On Wed, 3/25/09, Dana <dana at solarwork.com> wrote:

> From: Dana <dana at solarwork.com>
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] My .02 onEvacuated Tube-based SDHW
> To: "'RE-wrenches'" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 10:35 AM
> Peter – 
> 
>  
> 
> I may have been who you spoke with. 
> 
>  
> 
> Since 1995 I have installed 3 kinds of flat plate SHW
> collectors and
> THERMOMAX / OVENTROPE,  SUNDA and APRICUS evacuated tube
> collectors. 
> 
>  
> 
> Long story shortened on the evacuated tube collectors. 
> 
> I have replace 290 of 300 evacuated tubes by manufactured
> by Thermomax after
> 3-4 years. I had replacements in the first year, I do not
> remember the #
> replaced. Been there and not going back.
> 
>  
> 
> >From the experiences with evacuated tubes the major
> short coming is the
> intersection of glass to rubber collar to heat pipe. 
> 
> I see the single wall glass evacuated tube collectors as a
> recipe for
> eventual failure. 3 materials 3 different thermal expansion
> and contraction
> co-efficient. Add “wine glassing” where the bottom of
> the single wall glass
> vacuum tube falls off [looks like a wine glass without a
> base] and I would
> not install one if you gave it to me
> 
>  
> 
> The first time I saw the APRICUS evacuated tube build I was
> sold. The vacuum
> is between a tub in a tube, it is glass on glass. The heat
> pipe fits inside
> the inner tube in a heat collector piece of galv.  sheet
> metal, and no
> rubber collar  that is required to maintain a vacuum seal.
> I love it.
> 
>  
> 
> The glass vacuum tubes are heavier and less prone to an
> accidental bang and
> break.
> 
>  
> 
> If a glass tube gets broken you can replace the glass
> vacuum tube separate
> from a heat pipe, and if the heat pipe fails you can
> replace jut the heat
> pie and reuse the tube.. I like components and this is the
> great advantage
> with APRICUS over the other designs.
> 
>  
> 
> 15 year warranty on the manifold and 10 year on the glass
> vacuum tube and
> heat pipe. 
> 
>  
> 
> The whole tube is black and absorbs heat 360° so it even
> picks up heat on
> the back off of a roof or reflected surface behind.
> 
>  
> 
> This works for me. I am now an APRICUS dealer for evacuated
> tubes and use
> several flat plate manufacturers.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Dana Orzel
> 
>  
> 
> Great Solar Works, Inc
> 
> www.solarwork.com
> 
> E - dana at solarwork.com
> 
> V - 970.626.5253
> 
> F - 970.626.4140
> 
> C - 970.209.4076
> 
> “I'd put my money on solar energy… I hope we
> don't have to wait 'til oil and
> coal run out before we tackle that.”
> 
> —Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and
> Harvey Firestone, March
> 1931
> 
>  
> 
> From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On
> Behalf Of Peter
> Parrish
> Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 7:41 AM
> To: 'RE-wrenches'
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Evacuated Tube-based SDHW
> 
>  
> 
> Back at the San Diego Solar 2008 show, I made a point to
> look at a number of
> evacuated tube systems for SDHW. I got one very strong
> recommendation from a
> Colorado-based installer I bumped into, and…I promptly
> put the information
> into “write-only” memory. So here I am six months later
> no better off than I
> was before I went to the show. 
> 
>  
> 
> Has there been a recent thread on evacuated tube SDHW
> systems? If so, how do
> I access the archives? If not could we start a thread?
> 
>  
> 
> My principal reason for looking into this technology is for
> space-limited
> applications. Right now we are looking at trying to find
> space on a crowded
> roof for about 100-120 sq-ft of conventional flat plate
> collectors (e.g.
> SunEarth Empire 4’x8’ or 4’x10’), and skylights,
> parapet walls and a PV
> array are getting in the way. Climate is southern
> California coastal.
> 
>  
> 
> Any help would be appreciated.
> 
>  
> 
> - Peter
> 
> Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President
> California Solar Engineering, Inc.
> 820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065
> Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885
> CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26
> peter.parrish at calsolareng.com 
> 
>   _____  
> 
> From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On
> Behalf Of Peter
> Parrish
> Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 6:05 AM
> To: 'RE-wrenches'
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] MPPT greater than 150V
> 
>  
> 
> Yes, as far as I know.
> 
>  
> 
> Apollo is supposed to have one in beta evaluation but we
> haven’t been able
> to obtain satisfactory information from them how product
> evaluation is
> taking place and when the unit will be available as a
> product. We had an
> application for which we wanted to use this new product and
> gave up on them
> and their product.
> 
>  
> 
> - Peter
> 
>  
> 
> Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President
> California Solar Engineering, Inc.
> 820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065
> Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885
> CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26
> peter.parrish at calsolareng.com 
> 
>   _____  
> 
> From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On
> Behalf Of Carl Emerson
> Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 5:20 PM
> To: 'RE-wrenches'
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] MPPT greater than 150V
> 
>  
> 
> Hi there,
> 
>  
> 
> Can someone confirm that there is still no MPPT regulators
> available capable
> of accepting array voltages greater than 150.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks,
> 
>  
> 
> Carl Emerson
> 
> Free Power Ltd.
> 
> Auckland NZ
> 
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