How long have we wanted something like this for?! They claimed a 10 year warranty without any leaks. Very new company it seemed like, with current installations being pretty small. Super cool to see!
Hybrid Solar Panel: Heat Water + Generate Electricity
- Thread starter Will Prowse
- Start date
sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
OMG! LUSCIOUSNESS!
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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Crap, now I have to redesign my entire system. lol
sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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I seriously contemplated a diy setup like this.
Free hot water
Active cooling of the panels
Snow melting for winter
Free hot water
Active cooling of the panels
Snow melting for winter
sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
Hey @Will Prowse can you take a picture behind the panel? I wonder how they run coolant through the panel. It it just picking up heat from the edges or is there coolant channels that run behind solar cells?
I am no longer at the conference sadly
sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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Get your butt back there. We need more information. lol
yodamota
Solar Enthusiast
I wonder what the weight difference is.
grizzzman
Photon Vampire
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Well.... Er..... No....BUT WAS IT 76% EFFICIENT!!!???
grizzzman
Photon Vampire
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And a butt-load of weight on your roof....
timselectric
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Not really.
You would be surprised how little water is in a 1/2 by 200' pipe. And it would be spread out over the entire roof.
Much less weight than an inch of snow.
timselectric
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0.09 lbs per foot.
200 ft would be 18 lbs.
200 ft would be 18 lbs.
sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
I expect the added panel structure and heat exchanger is notably heavier than the water.
Similar product, though I don't see the thermal rating:
aHtech 72SK Hybrid Photovoltaic and Thermal PVT Solar Panel (in Stock)
Hybrid Photovoltaic and Thermal PVT Solar Panel, generates both electiricity and hot water. Ships Canada/US wide, to order please call +1 (888) 686 7652.
hydrosolar.ca
2sq-m meters.
110 lb
hold 1/2 gal of water or about 4 lb
So about 2.5X a typical 2sq-m panel.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
That is an Australian company, right?
I talked to the guy at the Miami show last year
I talked to the guy at the Miami show last year
HighDesertOffgrid
Solar Addict
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Wonder if it intends some kind of antifreeze solution to a heat exchanger, of the panels freeze on winter nights.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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My weight reference was for my diy approach.I expect the added panel structure and heat exchanger is notably heavier than the water.
Similar product, though I don't see the thermal rating:
aHtech 72SK Hybrid Photovoltaic and Thermal PVT Solar Panel (in Stock)
Hybrid Photovoltaic and Thermal PVT Solar Panel, generates both electiricity and hot water. Ships Canada/US wide, to order please call +1 (888) 686 7652.
2sq-m meters.
110 lb
hold 1/2 gal of water or about 4 lb
So about 2.5X a typical 2sq-m panel.
I'm sure that heat sinks and multiple loops per panel would definitely add up.
Hmmm. I thought this combo had been discussed many years ago, and it was deemed that PVs and thermal solar collectors don't "play" well together. Mostly because the temps that most thermal collectors reach is too high for efficient PV operation.
I know my thermal DHW panels typically run at 140F+ on a sunny day when heat is being moved to the storage tank (e.g. water is being circulated in the panels), so that is the temp they would "cool" things to. When the storage tank is at it's max temp (~160F) and the pump stops and the panels get to 180F+, higher on sunny summer days. I know that PV panels can get quite toasty too in the sun, but I don't think that DHW system circulating under them is going to provide much cooling, especially if you are leaving the water in collector long enough to get a good temp rise that you need for most thermal heat exchangers.
I suppose if you used HP tech to extract more of the heat from the water, then you might get better cooling on the PVs, since the return water would be cooler. Or if you increase the water flow rate so that it does not rise as much in temp on each pass. But with passive heat exchangers it does not seem that it can work. Just thinking out loud here, but I have my doubts...
Will have to go out and measure the return water temp on the DHW loop and the surface and back temps of the PVs, to see if my assumptions here are still valid.
I know my thermal DHW panels typically run at 140F+ on a sunny day when heat is being moved to the storage tank (e.g. water is being circulated in the panels), so that is the temp they would "cool" things to. When the storage tank is at it's max temp (~160F) and the pump stops and the panels get to 180F+, higher on sunny summer days. I know that PV panels can get quite toasty too in the sun, but I don't think that DHW system circulating under them is going to provide much cooling, especially if you are leaving the water in collector long enough to get a good temp rise that you need for most thermal heat exchangers.
I suppose if you used HP tech to extract more of the heat from the water, then you might get better cooling on the PVs, since the return water would be cooler. Or if you increase the water flow rate so that it does not rise as much in temp on each pass. But with passive heat exchangers it does not seem that it can work. Just thinking out loud here, but I have my doubts...
Will have to go out and measure the return water temp on the DHW loop and the surface and back temps of the PVs, to see if my assumptions here are still valid.
sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
Uncooled cells are sitting at about 113, which is very warm water. Hot water tank hot? No. Would you want to bathe in it? Not for long. If the panel regulates flow to yield typical PV performance and yields 113-ish water, that still feels like pretty big win.
Brett V
Mad Scientist
Assuming a 15 x 40 foot roof face and a wet snow, your roof already supports over 2000 pounds for every inch of snow.
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