With mounting concerns about global warming, conservation of fossil fuels, and the skyrocketing costs of powering and heating homes, exploring alternative energy options has become a critical component of a custom home. J. C. Anderson offers a full range of solar products, from photovoltaic cells for electric power generation, to solar heating for radiant and water systems, our flagship system.
Solar Heating
How The System Works
In a typical water system that we prefer to install, we use a high efficiency boiler to maintain constant heat in circulating hot water and radiant systems. The temperature in each hot water loop is constantly monitored, and as soon as it drops below the acceptable threshold, the boiler adds more hot water.
Solar water heating ties directly into this system.
The panels themselves are an array of glass vaccum tubes with a copper core suspended in the middle. As the sun hits the tubes, it super-heats the amonia within. the end of each copper heat-transfer tube protrudes into a constantly circulating closed-loop water system, which runs from the panels and into a heat exchanger in the bottom of an insulated 1000 gallon water tank. This tank acts like a sort of capacitor, containing heat energy that is maintained even when the sun is not heating the panels. Two more heat-exchangers are situated near the top of the tank, one for the radient heating, one for the hot water sytem. These run from the tank and connect directly to their respective systems, drawing heat from the tank to keep the water at a constant heat. This effectively reduces the load on the boiler, saving you a great deal on your gas bill.
Possible Savings From A Solar Heating System
Below are the recorded savings on one home we installed this system in, over the course of the winter months, compared with the cost of heating during the winter prior.
| Month | Pre-Installation Costs | Post-Installation Costs | Percentage Saved |
| January | |||
| February | |||
| March | |||
| April | |||
| May |
How Much Will It Cost?
Government subsidies and tax breaks for installation of new systems. Government sponsorship of alternative energy has made it more affordable than ever to install a new solar system. Below is a list of possible subsidies for installations of solar systems, as well as some other green options we encourage.
- Solar Water Heating - 30% of cost of system.
- Photovoltaic Sytems - 30% of cost of system.
- Gas, Oil, Propane Water Heaters with thermal efficiency of at least 90% - 30% of cost, up to $1500.
- Windows, Doors, Roofing, Insulation, and HVAC are also eligible for government tax breaks.
Available Tax Credits
For more information, you can visit the government's site regarding subsidies and tax breaks for green building at Energy Star