Hydronic solar thermal?
Has anyone ran across a design guide for passive solar thermal heating and cooling using water-antifreeze as mass in pex metal radiant roof and/or floor-wall lines? I’m thinking solar thermo-siphon vs a mechanical pump. The goal is to move conditioned hot-cold water from the collector (pex) runs on a roof or ground pod to the lines in the mass floors-walls without the use of electrical power or PV loads with this branch of the system, or more effectively use solar gain and loss in a circulating water mass system in addition to solid mass gains through windows-walls-floors taking down hvac loads to a min or zero.
If the system cost was low just running pex utilizing solar heat gain and night time radiation cooling that would be ideal. If I need a pump and/or storage tank that is a second choice. If I need a heat exchanger add on I want to be able to add that after I verify the mass effect and hvac loads without it, and for possible DHW integration.
I’m hoping to find a design guide and not have to stay up all night developing it myself :)
Here is an example video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRM5nJ83-n4
And project (scroll down to roof): http://www.michaelfrerking.com/projects.html
Posted Sep 1, 2014 9:29 AM ET
Edited Sep 1, 2014 2:03 PM ET
Other Questions in Mechanicals