Green Mechanical Contractor

SO YOU THINK YOU WANT
TO BE AN ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY CONTRACTOR
Using solar thermal as an example, you can do a lot of damage if you don’t know what you’re doing.

With the current rush to become green, many people are jumping on the green bandwagon to become well-versed in all aspects of alternative energy contracting and installations.

this new green field includes, but is not limited to, solar thermal hydronic, solar thermal air heating, solar photovoltaic,

ground-source heat pumps, air-source heat pumps, waste heat recovery, and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. Although many of the skill sets might be incorporated and transferred from an existing trade, the knowledge of how to properly apply all affected skill sets will insure a good, working installation and assure that the contractor will not end up with a lawsuit against it for improper installations.

Just because a person knows how to do plumbing does not actually guarantee that he can properly execute all phases of a given alternative energy installation. in most cases, the Alternative energy contractor (Aec) will be involved with every tradesman on the job; and it is the responsibility of the Aec to make sure that all of the pieces fit together, or the puzzle may just fall apart at the Aec’s expense.

Let’s take a solar thermal hydronic system as an example. it is the Aec’s responsibility to insure that the structure on which he is installing the solar water heating system is capable of handling the weight of the storage tank and other related components. Don’t forget the weight of the storage tank itself, and any additional heat exchangers that may be incorporated, as well as the roof’s capability to withstand the additional dead loads imparted by the collector array and, in some cases, uplift pressures exerted by the wind on a standoff mounted solar array. The last thing you want to see is the solar array flashing by your window, bouncing across the parking lot across the street, taking out cars and people. Been there, seen that; and the results were not pretty.

unfortunately, there are no written “standards” for the proper mounting and weatherproofing of the mounting systems and penetrations for solar arrays. Although most good

solar manufacturers will provide you with a basic knowledge of their minimum installation requirements, they cannot anticipate all potential installation scenarios. You will find yourself in the field looking at a situation that is not in the book and is not covered by the code. if in doubt, seek professional assistance. You are dealing with things that can cause a lot of potential damage from either water or structural failure or both. it is always a good idea on initial inspection to make notes about any potential issues that may come up during installation and put a rider in your contractual proposal spelling out the possible need for additional professional services (i.e., a structural engineer or roofing consultant) at cost, if the need arises.

For just a simple solar installation, the required skill sets include the knowledge and ability to:

• Solder

•;Properly;penetrate;and;seal;penetrations;on;all;types;of roofing materials

•;Insure;a;rock-solid;solar;array;mounting

•;Assess;and,;if;necessary,;beef;up;the;structure;to;handle the dead loads imparted by the storage tank and other components

•;Perform;low-voltage;wiring

•;Handle;high-voltage;wiring;(where;allowed;by;code)

•;Deal;with;conventional;heating;fuels;(gas,;oil,;electricity)

•;Install;interior-;and;exterior-grade;pipe;insulation

•;Interface;the;alternative;energy;system;with;the;con-ventional system in such a way that inefficient auxiliary heating systems do not waste the precious, expensive alternative-energy Btus.

Many states and jurisdictions are requiring that the Aec be certified for Ae installations through an organization called;National;Board;of;Certified;Energy;Practitioners,;or NABCEP;for;short.;Check;with;the;authorities;having;juris-diction in your area to make sure you are in full compliance with their requirements.