lmc@cisden.UUCP (Lyle McElhaney) (09/19/85)
I'm in the process of considering a solar hot water/heating installation to be retrofitted into the existing gas-fed water heater and forced air heater, before the tax credits run out. Does anyone out there have any experience with this? The system I'm considering has the following characteristics: 4 collectors, 32 sq ft each (this is for the Denver area) gravity drain, pump feed 180 gallon water heat sink computer controls The installed price is about $11,000. Does all this sound right? The equipment manufacturer is Sunland Products of Phoenix, AZ. If you have anything to tell me about this, e-mail it to Lyle McElhaney ...(hao!nbires,boulder,denelcor)!cisden!lmc
fred@mot.UUCP (Fred Christiansen) (09/23/85)
re Sunland Solar of Phoenix, AZ: we bought a system from them back in '82.
the solar panels are made by Lordan (sp?), an Israeli firm. they appeared to
be the most efficient and most soundly built to us of any we looked at. turns
out they are sort of the Cadillac of the line. at least in Phoenix, efficiency
beyond a certain point has diminishing returns. i suspect i could have gotten
away with a "Chevy" (as in cheaper) system without any loss in hot-water
producing ability.
we've had absolutely no problems with the panels. always enough hot
water (and we have only 2 panels). however, i found their salesman to be
of the "used car" variety. Sunland has had its wrists slapped, so to speak,
a few times around here.
in the end, i could have spent less and saved more by buying an
evaporative cooler (even considering the tax rebate).
--
<< Generic disclaimer >>
Fred Christiansen ("Canajun, eh?") @ Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ
UUCP: {seismo!terak, trwrb!flkvax, utzoo!mnetor, ihnp4!btlunix}!mot!fred
ARPA: oakhill!mot!fred@ut-sally.ARPA AT&T: 602-438-3472dhk@hp-pcd.UUCP (dhk) (09/25/85)
(Tried to mail this to you but did not have any luck.) Lyle, I don't have a solar H2O heater but recently looked into the Solarhart system for my house. The system that I was looking into was a three panel, 80 tank, passive system (no pumps [supposedly]). The tank and panels mounted on the roof, of course, which allowed the panels to be filled with Freon which absorbed the solar heat and transferred it to the holding tank. The panels contained no water to corrode them, which was very appealing. The whole system, including installation, would have cost me around $4,000 and with the tax credits the actual price was closer to $1700. Not a bad deal, huh? Unfortunately, with only two people the payback period was a little longer than I liked. If I can tell you anything else about the system or get you any addresses just let me know. Dustin Kassman !hplabs!hp-pcd!dhk Hewlett-Packard Corvallis, Oregon PS. The system was supposed to supply 100% of my hot water needs in the summer and 80% in the winter (because it rains so much around here in the winter).