SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION

When choosing a solar collector, selecting the correct size is important and where to install it is vital.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DIRECTION AND ANGLE OF THE SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION

The angle and direction of installation of the solar panel is also of great importance, as it will affect the efficiency. Naturally, you want the panel to receive the maximum amount of sunlight each day and throughout the year. As a rule in the Southern Hemisphere, the solar panel should face North. See diagram below.

The angle at which you mount the solar panel should roughly correspond to the latitude of your location.

For example:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia has a latitude of 37 degrees South - the solar panel should therefore face north at a 37 degree angle.

Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia has a latitude of 38.3 degree the solar panel should therefore face north at a 38 degree angle.

You do not have to be too careful about mounting the solar panel at the exact angle suggested. If your roof angle is within 10o +/- of your desired angle, you can just mount the solar collector flush against the roof surface. The added trouble of adjusting the collector to a precise angle is not warranted, as it will not result in a great improvement in efficiency.

SEASONAL CHANGES IN HEAT OUTPUT

How to prevent excessive summer heat output:

If you are using the solar collector for space heating as well as hot water production, or if you just want a larger solar contribution, you will need a system that will greatly surpass heat requirements in the summer. Generally in the summer heating will not be required, in contrast cooling is. Unfortunately, at present solar cooling for domestic applications is not yet economically viable, so what to do with the additional heat? If you have a swimming pool or spa, the excess heat can be used to supplement heating. Turning off the pump and letting the collector stagnate is not ideal as high pressure and temperatures, and large volumes of vented steam may result (wasted water).

If you do not have an additional means of using the excess heat, then adjusting the angle of the collector can help to reduce summer heat output. As can be seen by the diagram above, the sun is low in the sky during the winter and high in the summer. Solar smart house designs will take advantage of this by having big North facing windows allowing maximum absorption of winter sun, with large eves or veranda to block out the summer sun.

By increasing the vertical angle of the collector by about 20o more the location's latitude (ie. 60o instead of 40o), greater winter performance will be experienced. This is because the collector is "facing" the sun (perpendicular - longitudinal angle). Due to the higher location of the sun in the sky during the summer, the collector will be around 40o from perpendicular and as such, heat output will be reduced, as the collector is not fully "facing" the sun. This simple solution alone can reduce peak summer output considerably, thus reducing problems associated with excessive summer heat production.

Solar collectors with an integral hot water storage tank attached near the top of the collector panel can be particularly heavy, mainly due to the added weight of the water storage tank. Since these collectors are normally designed for roof installation, one has to ensure that the roof structure can actually support the additional weight of the water storage tank. Due to its bulk, installation of such solar collector is cumbersome and expensive. Special lifting equipment could be required, in addition to possible roof structure reinforcements. All this makes installation of such early-style solar collectors expensive.

Installation of the GreenLand Systems solar collector is easy, because the installation of each individual solar vacuum tube is performed only after the collector frame and manifold have been attached to the roof. This not only reduces the risk of tube damage during installation, but it also eliminates the need of transporting any single heavy object from the ground to the roof. With the weight of each GreenLand Systems solar collector below 100kg there is no need for additional roof reinforcement.

GreenLand Systems solar collectors are designed in an easy-to-assemble form. Installing the GreenLand Systems solar collector can be a one person job. No special lifting equipment is needed.

Because GreenLand Systems Vacuum Tube solar collectors can heat water even in cold weather conditions, you can enjoy free hot water year-round. In the unlikely event of a vacuum tube failure, tubes can be replaced easily while the collector remains in operation. It is not necessary to interfere with the collectors plumbing while replacing the vacuum tube.