THE LESSON (Detailed in the previous post and summarized here)
Based on our data collection-that indicates high water usage (waste) at the Harden residence- and personal stories of lack of hot water (SNAP and Harden residents), Blackland has decided to install a gas powered hot water tank in the Harden house. This will allow the Harden tenants to readily get hot water without drawing it from our thermal hot water system. In addition, Adam and I will have one less meter to record and one less bill to reconfigure every month.
Even though the new tank will solve the current problem, we all agreed that during the summer, the original design of the solar thermal hot water system just might work. Therefore, we are going to create a hybrid system. I mean, do we really want to waste all that free solar energy? Especially since the SNAP house current solar thermal system is completely over sized for Adam and I; especially in the summer time.
THE HOT-WATER HYBRID SYSTEM
The new hybrid system will consist of all the existing components: Solar thermal evacuated tubes, the hot water tank, pump, and flash heater. Except now we will be adding the 30 gallon water storage tank at the Harden House that has two supply lines. The two supply lines allow us to switch from them using the 30 gallon tank or having our solar thermal system from our 108.6 gallon water tank preheat their water. Therefore, during the colder season (Nov-Feb) in Austin the Harden residents will draw hot water from their own tank and during the hotter seasons (Mar-Sept) the Harden residence will draw their hot water from our tank. I think the hybrid system is best explained in the diagram below.
Of course, this poses a new question for us all....During the hotter seasons will this work? Since the Harden residents did not move in until January, at the moment we do not have a answer to this question. Another questions to consider is; will we still be wasting a large amount of water using this hybrid system during the warmer months? And, just how much will the flash heater be contributing and driving up electrical usage?
I guess we will just have to wait and see what the data has to report. Nevertheless, the Harden house will have easier access to hot water than before.
Peace-
