Opinion – Five months before the 9/11 attacks, General Tommy Franks told lawmakers protecting energy resources was vital for the interests of America and it was a key role for Central Command. Franks later led the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan as well as the war against Iraq as Commander of the U.S....
Opinion – The solar thermal market has been showing steady growth, but I predict the U.S. industry is on the path for record growth on par with the solar photovoltaic industry. Let me explain why. Based on the solar markets trends report, the solar thermal market is not showing fast growth. It saw nine...
Opinion – I’d like to share some information about the Fluid Handling System design, especially relating to the immersion vent and the function of the cavity. Let me give you a little background into the origins of the Fluid Handling System design that dates back to 1978. At that time I undertook a technical analysis...
Opinion – If you are reading this white paper, it can be assumed that you either own or operate a heated swimming pool. If so, you probably would like to reduce your pool heating costs and save money. Beyond turning down the pool’s thermostat and keeping the pool covered, your options are limited. The...
Opinion – I was interested in taking a gander at the ‘official’ ASHRAE solar thermal design manual since I see so many commercial specification packages done poorly. I know many PEs refer to the ASHRAE literature when a client asks them to put solar hot water system on a building project. The engineers do the...
Opinion – In a recent letter from Kevin about single tank vs two tank solar hot water systems, he brings up a very important concept that we didn’t cover in the previous discussion. It is known as “duty cycle”, or the load vs time. To start this off, let’s go back to Kevin’s comments about single...
Opinion – You could sort of say Fort Knox has just moved to California, and that plumbers may hold the key to the gold. That’s because California just began a $350 million program that helps pay plumbers to install solar water heating in homes and buildings. Plumbers licensed in California should jump at this...
Opinion – One good way for me to keep informed about the latest trends (good and bad) is by reading SolarPro magazine. Although the publication is typically dominated by PV articles and advertisements, occasionally I’ll find something of interest on solar thermal. So I was certainly curious when I saw that the August/September 2011 issue...
Opinion – When most people generically speak of “solar” technology, what they are often referring to is photovoltaic, or PV, technology. While perhaps an understandable misconception, the widespread use of “solar” as a synonym for PV lets solar thermal advocates like us know that we have a lot of work to do. PV generates electricity; solar thermal directly...
Opinion – Since I was a young boy, I was always interested in how things worked, right down the tiniest detail. I would disassemble and reassemble everything from watches, to televisions, to motors. While doing so, I was always thinking about why something was constructed or done in one way, versus another. It was...