Recent Updates

Solar Basics (Note- Items below shift Left-Right)

AriSEIA News - Keep up with the latest Arizona solar energy news! 

Picture

 
AriSEIA, Has published several articles or letters that are of interest to our Arizona solar community:

Events

Featured (Note- Articles below shift Left-Right)

Some things to pay attention to in Arizona (Select Tab)

Click the ">" Tab to close any open tab

  

 

 Interesting Arizona Solar Stories 

Coming soon, submit stories to webmaster@azsolarcenter.org


Other Announcements

 

 

 

Interesting Technology Updates -Click on a title below

  • - A radical idea to get a high-renewable electric grid

    This is an interesting approach to optaining very high penetration of renewables such as photovoltaics and wind.  At present most large installations operate under Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) wherein the economics are based on a sell all output at predetermined prices. This contrasts with standalone systems wherein the system size Read More
  • - Breakthrough Batteries Powering the Era of Clean Electrification

    - Breakthrough Batteries Powering the Era of Clean Electrification Battery Storage Costs Drop Dramatically, Making Way to a New Era. A recent Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) report continues to confirm that clean electrification through batteries is advancing at impressive rates. Very interesting report: Breakthrough Batteries- Powering the Era of Clean Electrification Read More
  • - Interesting Technology

    An assortment of links to interesting information   Semiconductor Nanowires Could Double the Efficiency of Silicon Solar Cells A p/n semiconductor junction is not the only way of converting sunshine into useful electrical energy.  Light consists of a flow of photons of various energy levels (colors).  See this article-Solar Cells.  Nanowires Read More
  • 1

General News

Caution- News leads open in new windows. Warning- These news links are automatically generated by others such as Google News and are not reviewed by the Arizona Solar Center, Inc. We are not responsible for link content.

Interesting Videos

Section Two
 
Section 2. Solar Thermal Water Heating

There are two primary concerns regarding solar domestic water heating: component and installation certification (section 2.1), and warranty requirements (section 2.2).

2.1 Component and installation certification (applies to all solar thermal systems):

2.1.1 All installations must meet or exceed the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPS), Uniform building Code (UBC) and the National Electric Code (NEC), at a minimum, and any code(s) adopted by the municipality in which the device is being installed.

2.1.2 As of June 1, 1995, all solar water heating products and systems and their installations must conform to the guidelines and procedures of the current (at time of sale) Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) OG-300 document, or equal, with the following exceptions, additions and/or alterations.

a. If the system is installed in any manner other than test conditions, the installing company is responsible for determining and providing for proper collector design flow rate as required to maximize performance and minimize system malfunctions, especially those malfunctions due to water quality conditions. This includes, but is not limited to, pump/pipe sizing calculations and providing a larger pump where necessary to accommodate the system's own specific flow requirements.

b. If the system is installed in any manner other than test conditions, the installing company is responsible for determining and providing for proper collector design flow rate as required to maximize performance and minimize system malfunctions, especially those malfunctions due to water quality conditions. This includes, but is not limited to, pump/pipe sizing calculations and providing a larger pump where necessary to accommodate the system's own specific flow requirements.

c. All materials exposed to sunlight, direct or indirect, will be suitable for outdoor use. This includes pipe and pipe insulation (includes coatings), sensor wire, wire connections, etc.

d. The solar collector must not be shaded during the time period from 9 AM to 3 PM at any time during the year. If future shading is expected, for example, due to vegetation growth, the purchaser must be notified. If avoiding collector shading is not possible, the system purchaser must be given a written statement describing the time periods in which the system can be expected to operate at less than peak performance due to collector shading (see also Section 2.3., below).

e. The installation of a suitable electric water heater element control device is required for all electric-assist sytems to prevent the electric -assist element from operating during normal solar collections hours. A manual override method must be included and the purchaser must be provided written instructions in the use of override and the resetting of the timer after a power failure if applicable.

f. System overheat protection must be included to prevent excessive component temperatures and pressures, and to prevent excessive precipitation of dissolved solids.

2.2 Warranty coverage:

2.2.1 The warranty requirements for the "supplier" (as defined in SRCC documents OG-300) will stand as written in the current (at time of sale) applicable SRCC documents. If the system has been certified under a testing authority other than SRCC, the SRCC warranty requirements will prevail.

2.2.2 The warranty requirements for the installation company will be as follows:

a. The installation company will provide a full parts and labor warranty for the entire system for two (2) years from date of installation.

Full parts and labor warranty includes, but is not limited to, any and all component failure(s). whether it is covered by the original manufacturer or not; any and all installation-related malfunction(s); any and all high-temperature problems(s) including those related to water quality. Any manufacturer's warranty(ies) are in addition to, not in lieu of, the installation warranty requirements. Warranty is not required to cover problems resulting from exposure to harmful materials and chemicals, fire, flood, lightning, hurricane, tornado, hailstorm, earthquake, or other acts of God, vandalism, alteration of system by anyone not authorized by the installation company, or any other cause beyond the control of the installation company.

b. The installation company will provide a full parts and labor warranty against any and all freeze-damaged component(s) for five (5) years. This includes freeze damage due to water quality problems and component failures.

Note b.1: Ambient temperatures below 4 degrees C (39 degrees F) can cause freeze damage to solar collectors, transport pipe and other system components. These cold temperatures and freezing conditions are common throughout the state of Arizona and are not considered an act of God. All freeze damaged system components are subject to the freeze warranty as specified above.

Noteb.2: The freeze protection on some system types can be accidentally disabled by the user. Since this condition is intrinsic in the system design, freeze damage due to accidental disabling by the user is not cause for indemnification of the installing company. The installation company is specifically responsible for any freeze damage due to accidental disabling of the freeze protection.

Note b.3: The freeze protection on some system types can be rendered less effective or completely useless due to electric power failures at the system site. Since this condition is intrinsic in the system design, freeze damage due to lack of electric power at the system site is not cause for indemnification of the installing company. The installing company is specifically responsible for any freeze damage due to electric power failure at the system site.

2.3 Written certifications:

For all solar heating systems, the purchaser must be furnished with a written statement of certification (see A), a statement of performance which include what general thermal performance the purchaser can expect from the system under typical conditions (see B), and a statement of warranty coverage (see C). This is in addition to, not in lieu of, all information required to be given to the purchaser by the product and system test certification documents (SRCC OG-300 or equal).

 

About

  • Welcome to the Arizona Solar Center

     This is your source for solar and renewable energy information in Arizona. Explore various technologies, including photovoltaics, solar water heating, solar architecture, solar cooking and wind power. Keep up to date on the latest industry news. Follow relevant lectures, expositions and tours. Whether you are a homeowner looking to become more energy efficient, a student learning the science behind the technologies or an industry professional, you will find valuable information here.
  • About The Arizona Solar Center

    About The Arizona Solar Center Arizona Solar Center Mission- The mission of the Arizona Solar Center is to enhance the utilization of renewable energy, educate Arizona's residents on solar technology developments, support commerce and industry in the development of solar and other sustainable technologies and coordinate these efforts throughout the state of Arizona. About the Arizona Solar Center- The Arizona Solar Center (AzSC) provides a broad-based understanding of solar energy, especially as it pertains to Arizona. Registered Read More
  • 1