5 years ago I built this hot water solar panel for my shop

[Woodwizard]

It has been working great I need to build another one 20 feet long 8' tall around 900' of 3/8 pex the circulator pumps are brushless dc running off PV panels so even if the power goes out it still operates.

After the pex was in place it was covered with aluminum foil bonded to the pex with silicone then painted flat black.

In optimal sun it has produced 38,000 btu hr 3.8 gallons per min with a 20 degree rise from inlet to output. another panel this size is planned getting the time to make it is an issue.

The hot water is pumped into a 6" thick slab with 6 heating zones I have this running 3 the other 3 zone will be on the next panel

My other heat source is a woodstove. And a pellet stove I modified to burn sawdust which I make a lot of.

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[IndyinVirginny]

1. Very nice!

I'm getting ready to do something similar for one of our farm buildings, thanks for posting this!

[Woodwizard]

6. Feel free

To contact me on the finer details after running it for 5 years I feel confident to know that I have any issues worked out. It is very satisfying to have heat without burning anything, or using grid electric. I have PV panels on the roof for power but that's another thread on its own.

[CentralMass]

2. Nice work.

[Brainstormy]

3. SERIOUSLY!

Impressed!

[Roy Rolling]

4. Awesome!

Maybe you could make the next panels 10x 10 and assemble them inside? Then you’d just have to hang them outside and connect them?

Such an great job of engineering!

[Woodwizard]

7. Even 10x10 gets heavy

The panel back is framed and insulated to reduce loss it goes fairly quick with 2 ladders set up, my wife is retiring at the end of the year I could draft her for help.

[eShirl]

5. my dad ran a few turns of copper water pipe by the side of the cellar woodstove

on its way to the electric water heater intake (to assist the heater in winter)

this setup you have looks awesome

[Woodwizard]

8. That's on my list for the house

A panel and preheat tank with crossover circulator on the hot water heater, time is the problem way more projects in my head than time.

[democrank]

9. This is terrific, Woodwizard.

We can learn so much from resourceful, inventive folks like you. People that, as a way of life, make something out of nothing.....the make-doers. Thanks for this interesting post.

[iluvtennis]

10. Wow, that's fantastic....what ingenuity.

[oldsoftie]

11. A friend ran garden hoses in his attic and ran the water to his pool.

He cans swim about a month sooner than normal & a few weeks later than normal. Plus, he removes a lot of heat from the attic which i assume makes the house easier & cheaper to cool