WE’VE TAPPED LIQUID
SUNSHINE FOR OUR HOME;
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
The devil is in the details. Here’s what I’ve learned from my solar installation.
Who would’ve thought, say a year or so
ago before things came unglued, that
the green industry would be the sustaining force in the building or remodeling
industries today? Take a look around. If
it’s growing, it’s green.
Despite the wave of concern and tendency for purse-clutching, demand for all things green is pushing hard against
an otherwise sluggish industry. Quickest out of the gate: the
thundering hooves of solar thermal technology and, tethered
to it, photovoltaic systems.
Many Americans are surprised to learn that heating
domestic water is the second largest use of energy within
the home (second only to home heat). Fortunately, the sun’s
abundant energy is easily harnessed for the task, and consumer interest is high.
Demand for renewable energy technology has energized
many industries. It’s a fairly predictable reaction. How else
could we respond to the looming threat of global warming
and energy costs that consume us?
Before I jumped back into solar a few years ago
(after a 25-year hiatus when I’d done some
solar dabbling), I wanted to be thorough in my research. The pull
toward work in rene wable
energy is forceful,
but I wanted to know – of the thousands of solar heat systems
components available today – which ones work well. I wanted
cold hard facts and a system-wide approach that would ensure
reliability and the best performance. A er all, if I’m going to
promote and sell solar systems to customers, then I’ll need
well-engineered technology with excellent performance and
the prospect for a long life.
While attending the ISH expo in Germany (’05), I visited Viessmann’s technician training school. Immediately
impressed, I soon found myself immersed in training at
their facility in Warwick, RI, where I got an introduction to
their solar systems equipment. e emphasis being systems,
rather than an assortment of components. In addition to
training installers on proper assembly and commissioning of
solar systems, training includes monitoring pH and testing
glycol concentrations with a refractometer.
