Solar Systems FAQ | Northeast Solar & Wind Power, LLC

I want to put some form of renewable energy on my home and business, so what should I do first?

1. Energy Conservation is a must before any form of renewable energy.
2. If you use domestic hot water 12 months out of the year solar hot water should be your first renewable energy choice. Your return on investment or payback with solar hot water is superior to solar photovoltaic residential wind power and residential geothermal heating.

How does a solar hot water heating system work?

Solar radiation travels through the glass on the panels and gets absorbed by the copper inside the panels. Next the inside of the panels heat up and a heat transfer fluid moves through the panels getting heated and travels down to a heat transfer tank. The fluid from the panels never comes in contact with potable water. The panels are so efficient that even on a partly cloudy day, they remain hot enough to heat your DHW (domestic hot water) throughout most of the day.

Will solar panels make my home look ugly?

We generally try to make solar panels on your home or business esthetically pleasing by flush mounting them directly to your roof called skylight design. This is possible when your roof has a minimal pitch close to 42 degrees. Once your system is up and running the value of your property will increase (most likely more then the total cost of the system) because you have reduced your monthly energy costs. Your home or business is more likely to sell because your new inhabitants will have free solar hot water that does not rely on stock market prices.

What kind of solar hot water system should I put on my home or business?

You should consider a solar hot water drain back system over a glycol system because of its low maintenance, high efficiency and ability to oversize your solar hot water system in the summer months. A drain back system allows you to over size your solar hot water system in the summer and give you the extra panel area needed in the fall, winter and spring months of the year.

What are some of the other benefits to a drain back system and how many panels can I install in a row?

1. If you take a vacation during the hot summer months you will not have to worry about your system overheating.
2. If the pump fails that moves the water from the reservoir tank to the collectors the water will simply drain back to the reservoir tank
3. In a glycol system if the 50/50 mixture of food grade glycol and water is overheated it will breakdown and turn acidic. This could occur with a pump or power failure.
4. The distilled water in a drain back system never needs to be changed unlike the 50/50 mixture in a glycol system.
The maximum number of panels linked together we recommend in a SHW drainback system is 5.

Can I get rid of my oil, gas or electric domestic hot water and space heating system if I install a solar hot water system?

No you need to keep your existing domestic hot water and space heating system. . There will be times of the year when your solar hot water panels will provide 100% of your domestic hot water such as during the warm summer months.

Will my electric bills increase when I install a SHW heating system?

SHW systems use a minimal amount of electricity and your average consumer will have less then $2/month increase in their electric bills. If using electricity from the grid is a concern, we can design your system to use electricity from the sun by installing photovoltaic panels.

What if my home or business does not face directly south?

Your home or business does not have to face due south. If we mount the panels plus or minus 30 degrees from true south, it will have very little effect on the performance of your solar panels. We also can mount them directly to a vertical wall with the necessary angle for optimum performance.

How many solar tanks do I need?

We size the water or thermal storage to the amount of solar hot water collectors that you have on your property. In most cases we use 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of water storage per square foot of collector area. Generally,in most cases one solar tank is adequate to meet your solar hot water storage needs. The solar tanks are insulated with minimal heat loss and come in 80 or 120 gallon size.

I want to heat my pool and Jacuzzi with solar hot water?

You can heat your pool and Jacuzzi with your solar hot water panels. Generally a 16' by 32' pool requires eight 4'X8' solar panels. These same eight panels in use when your pool is closed will significantly reduce your energy consumption in your home or business. Adding one extra solar hot water panel is sufficient to heat your Jacuzzi.

Can I heat my home or business with the same solar hot water system I use to heat my domestic hot water?

Yes, if your solar hot water system is large enough and you have a slightly below average domestic hot water load there will be times of the year when excess heat from your SHW system will be available for space heating. Space heating with SHW will most likely occur during the fall and spring months.

Who will maintain my solar hot water system?

If your system is not working you can call us and we will send a technician out to diagnose and fix the problem the same day. The design life of your solar hot water panels and solar water storage tanks is 30 years. Solar hot water storage tanks design life is conditional on the quality of the water moving through them on a daily basis

Do I need to climb on my roof and clean my solar panels?

No the rain will wash off any and all dirt or other film that may accumulate on your panels.

Is solar practical in the North East?

Yes solar thermal technology (using solar panels to heat cold water) is practical and economical even in the North East. Please see our pages for the different types of Solar Systems to read more.

Are all heating systems compatible with Solar Hot water?

We can integrate solar hot water into most conventional heating systems except steam. Heating systems that operate at 180F such as forced hot water baseboard can be modulated down in mild weather conditions to be compatible with solar hot water. Radiant floor heating is ideal for solar hot water because of its low temperatures.

What percentage of my space heating will an average solar hot water system provide?

A five panel solar hot water drain back system with a normal domestic hot water load for an average family of three will provide a minimum of 25% of your space heating for an average home in the North East. This percentage may be higher depending on how well insulated you home or building is and the temperature settings of your thermostat.

I get my domestic hot water directly off my boiler and can I still put in a solar hot water heating system?

Yes, but first we need to install an indirect hot water making system. This is nothing more than a small well insulated hot water tank close to your boiler with its own controls and circulator. Your boiler will no longer maintain high temperatures around the clock saving you a substanial amount of energy dollars every year.

Will I help the environment by using solar hot water?

Yes. By using solar hot water to replace fossil fuels you are not putting tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. If you are currently using electricity to heat your hot water from a coal fired power plant, switching to solar hot water will have the greatest impact on the environment. Solar hot water with a natural gas baclup is the least harmful system to the environment available to the average consumer.
Each 4'X8' solar panel saves approximately 100 gallons of oil. DOE estimates each gallon of oil emits 22,384 lbs of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Most residences will install a minimum of two and a maximum of five panels. One can then conclude thermal solar panels will make a significant impact in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere for decades or the life of the panels.

What is my payback if I install a solar hot water system?

Your payback will vary depending on the fuel you presently use to heat 100% of your hot water and the amount of inhabitants you have living in your home. If you are using electricity your payback in most cases will be less than five years for an average family of three in the North East. Natural gas and oil, in most cases, is less than eight years. Do not forget your solar hot water heating system is designed to last 30 years. You can be confident fossil fuels as they become more and more scarce will rise in price greater than the rate of inflation.

How much oil will I save by installing solar hot water panels?

A typical family of four in New England uses 1,000 gallons of oil a year for space heating and heating hot water. A four panel solar hot water system properly installed in most cases will displace a minimum of 300 gallons of oil or reduce your oil consumption by 30% for decades. Oil over the next 30 years will have many increases in price and maybe be in short supply if world demand continues to grow and we continue to replace one barrel of oil for every five we consume.