Have you ever noticed that the coldest days in Wisconsin also are relatively SUNNY? These conditions are perfect for a solar thermal heating system. The lack of relative humidity, on bitter cold days, causes the skies to be free from haze (from water vapor) and cloud cover. Warmer air has the ability to hold more moisture.

For example the temperature outside in West Central Wisconsin today is 10F at 11am. It is a crystal clear sunny day. The temperature of solar fluid from a 10 panel array was 126F at 10am, is 142 at 11am, and it will continue to rise until 1pm. This hot solar fluid is sufficient to provide solar domestic hot water production and comfort space heating for the average Wisconsin home with no additional back-up space or water heating needed on this sunny day. This system will continue to resonate heat for a full 24 hours.

Clear skies and a high panel tilt to match the low winter sun angle gives the system the ability to have a higher temperature differential in winter than in summer. In winter, the system is producing 140F-160F degrees higher temperature than the outside air temperature. During summer operation the temperature differential is 110F-130F degrees above the outside air temperatures.

Solar heating, in Wisconsin, in the winter, is AWESOME!!
The above 8 panel system heats an indoor pool, domestic hot water, and radiant floor heat.

Above...panels with morning frost...below...frost quickly melts away...even in sub zero temperatures.

(frost melting off our solar hot water array)
Yes it is cold outside...-11F with the windchill, but we are warm inside with no additional heating source today other than the sun.
At noon today I measured the incoming solar fluid temperature to be 122F. When the sun is shining there is no need to chop wood or fire up the propane boiler. We are warm and toasty today. Thank you SUN!

At 9am this morning it was 7F degrees outside, but not a cloud in the sky. The solar fluid pumping into the domestic hot water and radiant floor heat was 95F degrees. Now at 10am it is 9F degrees outside and the solar fluid temp is 105F degrees.

On days like these the house will see a high temperature of 70F degrees.

This morning the panels were frost covered, but it doesn't take long for the frost to melt away and the solar electric panel to start pumping the hot fluid in the house.

In the summertime this system has over 400' of shunt to dissipate the heat and prevent the system from overheating, but still keep the domestic hot water nice and HOT.

We now sell BEC Solar Controllers for Solar Thermal applications. They are manufactured to our specifications for custom solar thermal control.

The BEC Solar Controller allows the ability to combine multiple heating inputs from solar, geothermal, wood, fossil fuel, etc., with multiple loads from low temperature through high temperature applications.

A multitude of adjustable functions and options are possible using 7 relay outputs and 10 sensor inputs for Pt1000, CS10 and V40. Due to its intelligent and easy-to-understand system configuration and its integrated calorimeter, the controller also offers the control of complex systems with up to 4 weather-compensated heating circuits. For data communication and remote maintenance, the controller is equipped with a VBus, which permits two-way communication between modules, PCs or dataloggers.

Contact us today, becsolar@gmail.com, to purchase your new solar controller or consultation for your custom solar thermal system.

Solar Hot Water System for Local B&B

We installed this 5 panel Solar Hot water system along with the solar electric array at the Fountain Chateau B&B in Hustler, WI. We had help this past summer from two interns from Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, Jeff Dillow and Nick Schoenoff.

These five solar hot water panels were manufactured by Bubbling Springs Solar
in Menomonie, WI. The solar hot water is pumped to the solar storage tank via a solar electric panel and DC pump. The pump is a March Manufacturing pump made in Illinois. This system is completely independent of any outside sources of power or fuel for it's operation.
The solar heat fluid is delivered to this 200 gallon insulated solar thermal storage tank with a custom built heat exchanger and should provide up to 60% of this B&B's domestic hot water needs.