This four bedroom, three level home has great southern exposure. The owner has experience in the construction field and has also taken training in performing solar hot water installations. He decided that he could get great value from installing two solar thermal technologies – a very efficient solar hot water system from Enerworks and two Solar Sheets to provide space heating, one on the main floor and one on the upstairs level.
The owner replaced their NB Power hot water tank with two efficient tanks (rated at R12, and added extra insulation on the exterior), a 60 gallon preheat tank and a 40 gallon tank with electric elements. The preheat tank is fed hot water through a heat exchanger on the outside of the tank, which also measures the thermal energy input of the system, providing the owner information on solar energy produced. The piping system is well insulated, and was installed through the middle of the house (as opposed to the exterior) in order to reduce heat loss and improve overall efficiency.
The Solar Sheet space heaters compliment a forced air electric heating system, which never heated the house properly. The owner has noticed a great improvement in heating comfort in the home. Each Solar Sheet provides heating for 70–90 m2 (750–1000 2000 pi²).
The owner has always had an interest in renewable energy, and feels that such installations will soon become necessary in meeting the energy needs of many homes and businesses.
