What a genius. Not just a jack of all trades, but a master of all trades. Metal working, solar electronics, electrical, plumbing, carpentry and wood working, engineering, fabrication, designing, HVAC technician, tool worker. Oh yes, lest I forget, incredible film maker and editor. What an amazing system you have and how wonderfully you document it for us to see. Thank you.
Absolutely amazing! I’m a master licensed HVAC tech in Virginia and am blown away at the attention to detail you have put into this system. I hope to replicate this at some point! I love solar, the thought of getting free electricity from our worlds best resource (the sun) just gets me excited. I actually have 4 large solar panels installed on the top of my van and 3 sealed batteries/ inverter/ controller in the back. I wanted to be able to use my tools without the use of a generator
I've been "youtube researching" for years now and this is by far the best video when it comes to renewable domestic heating! It's almost too good to be true. You check so many boxes, it's very rare: 1) Professionalism that goes further than just theory. 2) Accessible - not beyond the ability of a competent handyman (no companies pushing their expensive packages which requires a remortgaging of the house). ...and more importantly... 3) Makes use of all energy outputs, not just light but the "by product" heat which even the mainstream solar market is lagging behind on! After doing similar projects and studying for so long it gets tedious to hear people say "yeah I'm gonna do this" or "ideally I'd like to do that", you just got right up there and did it, with results and high efficiency - plus you're helping others achieve the same thing (an achievement in of itself). It's one thing to make use of solar PV heat (e.g. through water heat sinks), but you went that step further and extracted even more (previously inaccessible) heat via a heat pump! The way it's all rolled into one compact design is so clever (e.g. no garden trenches having to be dug out, or heavy panels on the roof). I don't normally ass kiss so this says a lot :) When I build my house this is something that'll be incorporated into it. Currently the heat pump I installed tops up my underground thermal store (4000 litres - that was fun to dig) which is fed by over-sized DIY solar thermal panels. This all prioritizes space heating, and pre-heats DHW. PV panels are the next purchase, but it's always made me cry how wasteful they are lol. Extracting the heat has got to happen, but for my setup (comfort over efficiency) we have underfloor heating so this will happen via fluid rather than air. I would like to figure out a way of getting the fluid heat sink from PV panels to almost directly plumb into the heat pump instead of air extracted coils in front of the air intake (a pretty severe modification). Oh well, I have plenty of time and hopefully by then direct PV to heat pump technology will have advanced/become more mainstream and affordable.
Daikin makes the Altherma heat pump “boiler” for in-floor heat. Refrigerant heats water then circulated to floor and/or water heater. It seems they quit making them for USA market or our distributor just quit selling them.
can you run a small pump that feeds water from the bottom of the underground water store into a snaking copper pipe attached to the solar panels which will heat it then have it flow back insulated into the store?
Very nice.. My grandma was so impressed, she installed a similar setup over the weekend, but she made it dual purpose, heats the house plus charges her wheelchair wirelessly. Kinda cool too. Nice job!
That's pretty awesome Dude! No way would I trust myself to do even a tenth of that. ... I guess that's why I'm poor and the Electric Company is rich. Seriously interesting & impressive to watch though. Well done!
I'm amazed by this solution. Improved solar efficiency by cooling the panels with soil cooled air in summer and in winter the system gathers the sun heat energy as well to support heating the house. I now stopped to insist in placing my PV solar system to the roof. Congrats Man your invention and work is great and inspired me to do the same. Thx for sharing.
Thanks! Yes, definitely keep your panels off of your roof, especially if you live where it snows. Rooftop PV is cheap, but it gets annoying after a while, climbing up and down the roof to keep the panels clean. Thanks for the comment!
What a beautifully designed hybrid system. The integration of so many green and efficient technologies into one brilliant design. Nice work. A great example of old skool K.I.S.S. engineering.
I don't think the concept is sound because direct solar input from PV has been available for about five years plus the cost and complexity of this system had to cost more than a 1.5 ton cold weather mini split. There a lot of missing information befor a informed decision to do this could be made.
On the contrary , I think the concept is very sound. It provides a way to concentrate heat from the environment to provide space heating for a dwelling using solar as the only energy source. To accomplish the same thing with solar alone would require a much larger PV array or an expensive and complicated solar thermal system. Basically multiply the solar energy produced by the COP of the heat pump, typically 2X to 4x. It would be even better using an air to water heat pump so the energy could be stored. On a sunny -10C day passive solar can heat a house without any other space heating. It’s after the sun goes down when you really need the BTU’s.
@@robertl.fallin7062 The cost of the DC minis is very pricey and I am not sure that they work at -30. There is an outfit in Winnipeg though that is marketing a cold weather setup, I have reached out to them to see what they have on offer.
Nice, I'm thinking about : PV>heat pump>thermal battery (water) ... or maybe screen type air solar collector>air/water heat exhanger >thermal battery (water) ..... locate at least some of the thermal battery in the place that will be heated so thermal leakage not a problem.
Without a doubt one of the most sweetest setups Ive ever seen. Congrats I know you are proud of your setup there and will enjoy it for many years to come.
This is the second or third time I've seen this vid and I love it every time. A straightforward next step if you're considering expanding your photo array would be to add a continuous awning above the south facing windows, high enough to let light in in winter, deep enough to provide shade in summer. Might be tricky to do with the existing array below, though.
By and far, The MOST DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE instruction in all of TH-cam. You have provided ALL of the necessary proof to make even your worst critic Into your fan. It is not enough just to hit the like button and subscribe. I, personally, DO NOT HAVE TO LOOK ANY FURTHER in my research. Thank you, James, For cutting through the years of confusion and the B.S. of htis renewable energy resource. You have proven to me just how high - quality, Professionally installed Solar Heating construction MUST be performed. The video production was only icing on the cake. Will be recommending this video to my circle of friends in the Sierra foothills.
FYI- Because of the snow field in front of the array reflecting more of the sunshine, you can gain as much as 30% more energy (larger snow field = more energy) by simply changing the black collector to a vertical wall rather than the tilted roof collector. You also enjoy the benefit of collecting much less heat in the summer because of the higher position of the sun into a non tilted collector face - a double benefit.
I was fascinated at you knowledge base and your skill sets that you have to build this system, then when it was done I was blown away with what it is capable of! Job well done!
This is about the sexiest video on solar I have ever seen. You are a true MacGyver. So impressed at the knowledge base you obviously have. Thank you for sharing.
Nicely done sir. Great idea using both the thermal heat from the panels and the electricity. I would bet that increase overall system efficiency a good bit since the panels will give more power being cooler and the heat pump will run less with excess heat it has access to from the panels. Very nicely done. I live in south Louisiana so I have the opposite problem but being an engineer I'm a stickler for efficiency in these systems and this video tamed my OCD.
I'm too old to move that fast anymore I had hit Freeze Frame about a thousand times let my eyes catch up with it great build.lots of attention to the details
Ok I came, I saw, and I really like. This solves I was thinking about, looks like you did all the ground work, thank you great build, project, excellent workmanship 👍👍👍
Do you have a method to circulate the air from under the panels and vent it outside during summer? They get very hot during summer, which makes them less efficient and fail quicker. Making use of that heat during winter is a great idea and I like the way you did it.
James this is a fantastic project and an inspiring video. I am a time served mechanical engineer (sea going) and while I could appreciate the overall design in ‘big handfuls’ - I am just not familiar enough with key technologies to understand it in detail. But you have inspired me enough to subscribe to your channel and get learning. I admire your application and skills too - and understand why you decided to manufacture your own panels (cheap source of glass) but figure that could be a step too far for many people and when considering ROI there may well be a comfort factor in buying the panels in for an ‘assured product’. Anyway enough - loved it all and it’s time for me to get to grips with this stuff. (UK based).😀👍
Thanks! I appreciate your comment! With that said, I'm not sure why most people are so focused on why I made my own panels instead of focusing on and discussing the core of the project, the purpose. The end goal. Whether they make their own panels or not is irrelevant. If others can find more affordable/easier ways of accomplishing the end goal, then have at it! But it seems as if critics are just looking hard for something to complain about and make excuses for themselves imo. What they assume and what they actually take the time to calculate in terms of CBA and ROI are often two very different things. Let's have a look at the numbers and settle this once and for all - if people don't bother to invest the time to read what's below then that's their loss, just as not making their own PV likely would be. I (and anyone else) can buy polycrystalline cells for 20¢/watt, the tab/bus wire for 17¢/watt, and the encapsulating film for 17¢/watt - and that's at standard retail cost via Ebay. Easily searchable. Personally, I do used recycled glass (as you know). In reality, most homeowners end up replacing all windows and doors in their homes at least once, so we all have a stack of recycled glass in one form or another. Where do you think I got my big stack? From everyone else's replacements LOL. I have more glass than I know what to do with now. The amount of glass in an avg home is almost enough for a complete off grid PV array. If a person doesn't have to replace their windows/doors, then go for a drive and take note of anyone in the neighborhood who is. Ask what they're doing with the waste. Offer to haul it away for free. Bingo. You have glass and they get free debris removal from their property. Just make sure the glass has the 'tempered safety' stamp in one of it's corners. The retail cost for tempered glass here is around $15/sq.ft. Hardly affordable for this application. But if I didn't have access to recycled glass and needed to make a bunch of panels (I'm talking at least twenty 100W panels for a proper, useful system), then I would buy bulk at wholesale cost which would be anywhere between $1-$5/sq.ft depending on thickness and order quantity (the more you order, the cheaper it will be). Let's pick the middle ground and go with $3/sq.ft for argument's sake. With the above figures for materials, I can produce one of these 120W panels in the video for approximately 71¢/watt, or ~$86 per panel. With some practice a person can tab and prep a panel in less than an hour. Let's give a generous $30/hr for labour (though I doubt Chinese factory workers are making anywhere near that amount). That would work out to around an extra 17¢/watt for assembly time, or 88¢/watt total for time and material = ~$106 per panel. That's paying retail for solar components and wholesale for glass. In reality you'd be buying solar components in bulk for an avg size system, and they will be substantially cheaper. The price per panel then would likely be less than $90. My panel laminator (link to plans below) is rated for 1.2kW/hr, and it takes 30 minutes to cook a panel. If using grid power (local price is 10.8¢/kWh), the energy cost for making a panel would be less than 7¢. Quite minuscule, and much cheaper compared to using silicone epoxy for encapsulant. So a DIY panel would only cost around $90 in total, if materials are sourced properly. Using recycled glass, the total would be less than $70/panel. For people who have local PV suppliers within a reasonable driving distance, they 'MIGHT' be better off buying if they manage to get a good deal. But if a person has to order a pallet of panels for an off grid system and have them shipped to their location, then most are far better off building their own - freight can amount to as much as the panels themselves in a lot of cases. I've seen all types of people make their own PV, and if done properly, DIY panels will look, perform, and last just as well as anything they can buy. It's really not rocket science. Think like water, and keep it out! As long as the cell connections are correct and no large air bubbles are trapped in the laminations, then the panel will be absolutely fine. A child can easily do this with the right gear. Whether or not making your own PV is a 'step too far' depends on the individual, their circumstances and what they're willing to invest. I can say the entire project is a step too far for most people - but that would be kind of insulting given what I've seen my own apprentices accomplish at work. They too once had the "I can't do this" sentiment, until they learned. The main goal with my channel is to inspire and encourage more people to think for themselves and learn to stand on their own two feet, not deter them and make them ever more dependent on others so that they have to put in even more time at their desk job to be able to afford to pay 'professionals' (which is really just a word to describe someone who invested their time into learning a set of skills - anyone can do this). Bottom line, people have to crunch the numbers for themselves and decide what their time is worth to them. They also have to expect a learning curve to making DIY panels, but like anything else practice makes perfect. Plans for my laminator are on my website for anyone who sees the value. resystech.com/solar-panel-laminator
old time engineer This is one of the best if not the actual best videos of its type. Thanks and keep up the great workmanship. All the way from Australia Down Under Blu
so your system went thru a full winter season. How did it perform? any stats would be helpful like average temp in the house compared to outside temp, how many square feet it heats. Just looking for more info. Your videos are great, but without talking, missing those added tidbits. Your work is impeccable and am a big fan. Thanks ahead of time
You are Amazing Human .. have reached construction potential.. wow. my honor to witness such undertaking and .. speed, decisive, precision.. i will try to do 5% of your ideas.. great, great work!
Awesome! I am a HVAC guy and sold on minisplits . So efficient . So the solar power can run the minisplit and the hot air trapped under the panels is used to heat the house as well, keeping the electrical use to a minimum. You could probably hook a 100 dollar ( no offense as you look like a Honda man , top shelf) harbor freight generator in the mix to top off batteries in the future and supplement the load during extended run times when solar/sunlight conditions are not favorable
Thanks! I made a few goofs as some trolls are more than happy to point out, but didn't do too bad for an HVAC noob. First heat pump ever installed. The solar isn't quite enough to run the heat pump but it does contribute. I was installing more solar and the heat pump anyway so I figured might as well combine them to make use of the waste heat from the panels and see how that helps the heat pump. Only extra cost was the insulation and dampers. I have a gas generator already but will be building my own (larger) axial flux gas genny later this year, hopefully I can unplug for good then.
Wow. Showing off your skills once again, many different trades involved in this project. Well done. What about adding some type of thermal mass in the enclosure to hold the heat longer? Are you doing any radiant in-floor? You could add a loop to pre-heat glycol as well!
Lol thanks!! There's a lot going on with this project. I learned a few things about heat pumps, that's for sure! Thermal mass is a good idea, but generally it's not recommended to add thermal mass within a solar collector. The living space and it's contents (furniture, appliances, etc.), first and foremost, should serve as the thermal mass. The sun only outputs so much energy per second per square unit of area, so the main focus is really to move the heat generated from the collector to it's destination as quickly as possible in order to minimize radiant heat loss to the outdoors. Old school thermal collectors made back in the 60's-70's often included thermal mass directly behind the glazing - they essentially looked like little greenhouses with the floors covered in black rocks and boulders that absorbed the solar energy during the day and released it via blowers and ducts at night. But once digital meters/software became common it also became obvious to researchers that most of the heat generated was being lost in such designs, especially those with simple single pane glazing. Unfortunately, heat loss is inevitable. Even the best made house will experience heat loss unless it's entirely enclosed in a vacuum. Thermal storage mediums don't hold a 'charge' like electric batteries do. So these days most systems keep thermal storage (usually water) inside of the space that's being heated, so that the inevitable heat loss won't go directly outside. There are still some solar batch heaters on the market that have the storage tank positioned directly above the collector, but they're simple designs that compromise efficiency for low cost installations. My system isn't quite big enough to justify thermal storage just yet. Based on the collector's size of ~112 sq.ft (10 sq.m), it will only generate around 20 kBtu per hr (with a solar irradiance of 1000W/sq.m and an avg 75% eff), which is just enough energy to heat my 1200 sq.ft home when it's -20°C outside. I will be adding more panels eventually. There are solar siding tiles to go on the south wall of the house yet, and I'm thinking about building a few more trackers and running glycol behind the panels ;) I still have to install a heating system for the new workshop too. So there's bound to be some thermal storage involved, maybe some in-floor heating. We'll see what happens when the time comes
Thanks for the detailed response. I feel like I just got a little smarter. 😁 Just curious, have you worked out the cost per watt on the diy panels? Are you happy with their performance?
Yeah for sure. The DIY panels work great. I don't think I've ever had a problem with a DIY panel. The panels in this system actually outperform the cell manufacturer's STC spec's, and I had to eliminate the center one from the circuit recently due to over-voltage issues with the charge controller. As far as cost (labour and material), if I use recycled glass then it works out to be a bit less than the cost of pro panels minus freight/shipping. If I had to buy the glass at standard retail cost (for small jobs) then the only real gain to DIY is having the panels ready to install as soon as I make them, vs waiting for freight. I have a few simple ideas for automating some of the process for serious DIY'ers too, I might try them some day.
James Biggar , I really appreciated how you showed the method of making your own solar panels. Until I watched your video I simply imagined it was far more complicated and beyond DIY arena.
Disclaimer for the heat pump installation: Compound gauges are not an accurate measure of vacuum as the resolution is far too large to accurately detect leaks. The electrical connectors are not outdoor rated, the wiring is not protected, and there is no local disconnect *this required will vary by your local electrical code*. Also, if you're going to "bury" refrigerant lines inside walls the connections should be brazed. Even with the proper torque there is no guarantee that the flared connections will not leak and, if so, you've got a huge problem. Finally, mounting a heat pump directly on the ground in any area where the temperature falls below freezing is a bad idea (looks like you get snow). Otherwise really nice install video. Love the time lapse format.
so i saw this one man army and he has 30 k subs...meaning that 30k ppl are interested in such stuff and today I saw a video where dude made fire pit from concrete with 1M subs. Nuff said. Sir, great job.
Great idea!!! You just told me where to get the missing kilowatt hours for the energy balance of my house. I am sure that my solution will be a far-reaching modification of your concept, but as a basic idea: a hybrid system that combines solar air collectors and photovoltaic it is it! The only thing left for me to do this winter is to carry out measurements and tests, and make the necessary modifications after the heating season. I intend to use the existing photovoltaic panels (they are black!) As the top part of the air collector by sealing the surface between the panels and adding side walls and air ducts. The existing roof will act as the bottom of the collector. A gigantic air collector will be created with an area of approximately 100 square meters will be built at a very low cost! Such a large collector MUST give a lot of heat even in winter, even in cloudy weather. In this way, I intend to use the heat that is released on the surface of the photovoltaic panels from the sun and the heat that is released during its normal operation. The heat, which so far irretrievably and senselessly escapes into the atmosphere instead of heating my cottage! This way, I will fulfill my dream of a home off-grid in every aspect!!! A house where the power generator will be only an unused security device in the event of a serious failure of the photovoltaic system. A very tempting vision.
ur Vids r great Jim....but how bout some audio commentary..I'm a tinkerer myself so I don't always just watch..mostly I listen and when I hear something that catches my ear I come into the other room and watch
Since this is a really excellent documentary of your installation I didn't feel like mentioning my small quibble, but since others have raised the subject. I'd have greatly preferred to hear your commentary rather than endure the repetitive music track. (Before some 'helpful' person suggests it, yes I realise I could have muted the sound.)
James, having only done a couple of videos narrating on my channel I understand how you feel, but when you've listened to thousands of youtubers you realize that nobody cares much. They aren't listening to you with *your* ears! :-) Give it a go - I'm sure you can do a great job.
I agree with no voice if you're leaning that way. Your video speed choices (which I believe your changing slightly, yes?) and straight to the point vibe really works. We're all in awe of you beasting this project out! :D Btw, Question! Could you imagine this system but in a 24vdc configuration for us smaller homesteaders a possibility?? Id love to know what you think. Thanks!
this construction is very well [ brilliantly ]done and i will follow your films you have impressed me with the use of the heat from the pv panels i am going to modify some of my arrays to see what i get.. thanks tim Australia
This is an absolutely fantastic video! I had no idea you could make your own panels. I read your comment about using recycled glass. What a great idea! Even if you don't know anyone, I am sure you could contact someone that does home remodeling in your area and get a bunch! I also love the venting on the panels. I have talked to several people that they all said the same thing. The panels work best on a cool fall day. Venting them is a great idea.
Magnus, probably not by much unless the panels have fins on the back. Better would be to make a zigzag of copper pipes attached to the back of the panels and pump a refrigerant or water through them and use it to make hot water from the 80% solar energy as heat. The 20% can go to PV with a few percent better efficiency. (It's almost 'criminal' to use PV to heat water when 4 times as much heat energy is already available for free and usually wasted)
Great system. This takes advantage of the heat and p/n junction of a photovoltaic. You've built the most directly efficient solar system I have ever seen for residential application. Nicely done sir.
Nice. I have considered going solar. We got a ductless unit to hopefully replace a gas fireplace in 2015 (we have to get propane here and it was a pain and expensive at the time.) Instead we use 9000btu ductless instead of the 2 ton heat pump with strip backup. We are currently retrofiting the rest of the house with multi zone units. When I did mine I pressure tested it using co2 and filling it to about 300psi. I left it for a day and learned I was only losing what was in the manafold. Very good system. Havnt had to touch the install since I did it. Still cranks out heat in the 140s when it is super cold outside.
James Biggar I want to post a video series on the entire 8 zone install. I have a ton of video from the original install but unfortunately my dad unexpectedly passed like a couple days after I finished. I never got around to go back and make a video.
If you have a space above your ceilings maybe have a look at some blown in 'loose fill' insulation [a foot of insulation into the void and you will save both on heating and cooling bills and the home will retain heat in winter and feel cooler in summer...
Is the vac laminator diy? If like a video on that if so. I've made a small vac press to pull low iron glass own on Top of a copper clad pcb blank with printed transparency... but that was tiny in comparison
THIS is called full utilization of your recourses !!!!!! Well done James I hope you will take it as a compliment If I steal (beg, borrow, ) some or all of your ideas? I have a descent solar system but I need more heat and to improve the power situation!!! you just gave me the answer. Awesome.
Some tools that ware used are not what your average joe would have in his tool box... like vacum table, or sheet bending table. Good idea, very nicely implemented. Not quite the DIY stuff tho.
Thanks! But this is just an excuse imo. I built the laminator with plywood and old baseboard heating elements. The bender was bought used but as pointed out to many others in the comments who share your sentiment, they can be rented for under $40/day at a tool rental shop - along with any other tool the average Joe saw fit not to invest in when they had the opportunity. Vacuum pump cost less than my screw gun kit, electric saws can be substituted with hand saws. Where there's a will there's a way. It's my opinion that every 'Joe' should have the basic tools and skills to stand on their own two feet, and if not then at least know how to acquire them. This average Joe, for example, wasn't delivered from his mother's womb holding a metal brake and a PV panel laminator, nor was he born into a wealthy family. Whether or not this project is DIY is entirely up to you.
James Biggar well, i can also add that you can order a heat exchanger, buy some sheet metal, some EC duct fans, desighn a pcb with your favarable micro controller or fpga, send gerbers to china, or etch at hom, your prefrence, write apropriate code for the device, make a heat sielded housing for minimum heat loses, bend, drill, rivet and stuff... make an air handling unit with heat recovery, bypass valves antiftrost protrctions and all other bells and whisles. Just that i can do it by my self, does not make it is a DIY project, because it requires a set of specific skills, a set of tools that not everyone might have and some specific knowladge.
More excuses. It's DIY because I just showed you how to do it, and took the time to write a step by step build guide, plans and create a 3D CAD to help. How do you think I developed the skills that I have? I wasn't born with them. I learned them. Only some of them were the result of professional training (no, that training didn't include making pv panels or panel laminators). Your analogy is flawed. I simply said you can source the basic tools easy enough if you tried. The laminator (which again, I built myself and plans are available on the website) and metal brake aren't needed for this project at all - just buy a diversion damper and PV panels if it's really that big of a deal to make your own. But I like to show people what they can do if they put their minds to work, so I made the panels and damper. Just because I didn't dumb this down to a useless plastic straw, paperclip and hot glue gun type build that would fall to pieces in a couple of weeks, doesn't mean it isn't a DIY project. You have to approach a project like this with some level of common sense - it's not going to be easy, but it's not impossible either. As stated - whether or not a project is DIY is entirely up to YOU. As in it depends on the responsibility that you've taken throughout your life to acquire the basic tools and skills needed for maintaining your own home. If you didn't develop those skills or invest in tools then hey - that's your deal. Your loss. Though most people that I know personally have all the skills and tools necessary for this project, but then again I live in a rural community where most people have no choice but to take responsibility for themselves. Bottom line, it doesn't take rocket science to build a wooden ground rack with a handsaw and cover it with polyiso foam board. It doesn't take an Einstein to read the wiring diagram and make the connections as indicated. It doesn't take a certified mechanic to operate a torque wrench with included instructions. But a build guide is available for anyone who thinks they might need it. Can't make it any easier than that. If that's not good enough for you then tough luck bud. Move on. You're more than welcome to spend twice as much to hire a crew to install a system for you, you just won't learn a whole lot in the process. Who's to blame? Not me...
I agree James, I have built all the houses I've lived in myself and I'm not a builder. Anything is DIY if you have the desire and perhaps the time. It is doing things that aren't low hanging fruit that gives one the greatest sense of accomplishment.
@James Biggar - I design and configure virtualized enterprise networks and load balancers for a living. The devices and user manuals are readily available on the web. But that does not make it a DIY project that any office 'Joe' could do. You seem to be a capable craftsman but your attitude leaves something to be desired
Very interested to know how this setup is more efficient than just using solar collectors instead of solar panels. Something like the videos on TH-cam with using metal as a heat conductor and pumping air through it. Great video , fantastic setup and craftsmanship. This video gives me some new ideas. Edit: Forgive my ignorance; this combines both technologies. Still interested in knowing how a heat pump + fluid system's efficiency compares to that of just using air (especially due to added in complexity and more points of failure).
It would work, if by work you mean "it would successfully bring a bunch of dullards to the channel." Thank you for making this video, it really never dawned on me that there is some serious amount of heat to be made from solar panels, their efficiency being what it is, below 30%. You tied it in very nicely with the AC. I'll be sure to check out your site.
I thought the dog cameo was good, lol. At 68 def F air temp, a commercial solar panel in decent sun will have a surface temp of about 145 deg F. Monocrystalline cells with good antireflective coating heat up through 4"+ of snow, no problem just from IR absorbption.
Nice craftsmanship and very quick moving video covering all the points. I think this is my off grid system of choice now after seeing this video. Would you be comfortable sharing your materials expense for the entire project, including heat pump mechanical components?
Get the plans for this project here: renewablesystemstechnology.com/solar-heat-pump-system.html
This is a great idea and something I’m definitely considering. Do you have a link to the datalogging that you reference in the video?
Interested of the datalogging too.
What a genius. Not just a jack of all trades, but a master of all trades. Metal working, solar electronics, electrical, plumbing, carpentry and wood working, engineering, fabrication, designing, HVAC technician, tool worker. Oh yes, lest I forget, incredible film maker and editor. What an amazing system you have and how wonderfully you document it for us to see. Thank you.
Absolutely amazing! I’m a master licensed HVAC tech in Virginia and am blown away at the attention to detail you have put into this system. I hope to replicate this at some point! I love solar, the thought of getting free electricity from our worlds best resource (the sun) just gets me excited. I actually have 4 large solar panels installed on the top of my van and 3 sealed batteries/ inverter/ controller in the back. I wanted to be able to use my tools without the use of a generator
I've been "youtube researching" for years now and this is by far the best video when it comes to renewable domestic heating! It's almost too good to be true. You check so many boxes, it's very rare:
1) Professionalism that goes further than just theory.
2) Accessible - not beyond the ability of a competent handyman (no companies pushing their expensive packages which requires a remortgaging of the house).
...and more importantly...
3) Makes use of all energy outputs, not just light but the "by product" heat which even the mainstream solar market is lagging behind on!
After doing similar projects and studying for so long it gets tedious to hear people say "yeah I'm gonna do this" or "ideally I'd like to do that", you just got right up there and did it, with results and high efficiency - plus you're helping others achieve the same thing (an achievement in of itself). It's one thing to make use of solar PV heat (e.g. through water heat sinks), but you went that step further and extracted even more (previously inaccessible) heat via a heat pump! The way it's all rolled into one compact design is so clever (e.g. no garden trenches having to be dug out, or heavy panels on the roof). I don't normally ass kiss so this says a lot :)
When I build my house this is something that'll be incorporated into it. Currently the heat pump I installed tops up my underground thermal store (4000 litres - that was fun to dig) which is fed by over-sized DIY solar thermal panels. This all prioritizes space heating, and pre-heats DHW. PV panels are the next purchase, but it's always made me cry how wasteful they are lol. Extracting the heat has got to happen, but for my setup (comfort over efficiency) we have underfloor heating so this will happen via fluid rather than air. I would like to figure out a way of getting the fluid heat sink from PV panels to almost directly plumb into the heat pump instead of air extracted coils in front of the air intake (a pretty severe modification). Oh well, I have plenty of time and hopefully by then direct PV to heat pump technology will have advanced/become more mainstream and affordable.
I was like ... "OMG !" when I saw this. Amazing zombie apocalypse survival skills.
Daikin makes the Altherma heat pump “boiler” for in-floor heat. Refrigerant heats water then circulated to floor and/or water heater. It seems they quit making them for USA market or our distributor just quit selling them.
can you run a small pump that feeds water from the bottom of the underground water store into a snaking copper pipe attached to the solar panels which will heat it then have it flow back insulated into the store?
This video is outstanding, we need to be teaching this in schools.
Very nice.. My grandma was so impressed, she installed a similar setup over the weekend, but she made it dual purpose, heats the house plus charges her wheelchair wirelessly. Kinda cool too. Nice job!
your gramma is boss
That's pretty awesome Dude!
No way would I trust myself to do even a tenth of that. ... I guess that's why I'm poor and the Electric Company is rich.
Seriously interesting & impressive to watch though. Well done!
A man that actually can do anything.Facinating! Restored my faith in humanity.Thank you for sharing this.
Lol! No problem!
yes!
This is no DIY. You are working as a professional. Fantastic skillful work!
Greetings Mikael Stålnacke from Skövde, Sweden.
I'm amazed by this solution. Improved solar efficiency by cooling the panels with soil cooled air in summer and in winter the system gathers the sun heat energy as well to support heating the house. I now stopped to insist in placing my PV solar system to the roof. Congrats Man your invention and work is great and inspired me to do the same. Thx for sharing.
Thanks! Yes, definitely keep your panels off of your roof, especially if you live where it snows. Rooftop PV is cheap, but it gets annoying after a while, climbing up and down the roof to keep the panels clean. Thanks for the comment!
Wow. Engineer and master mechanic, all in one. Plus environmentalist. This is the future.
I love the format of your video. I am an experienced builder and this is the best way to show me what you do. It is like speed reading. Bravo!
What a beautifully designed hybrid system. The integration of so many green and efficient technologies into one brilliant design. Nice work.
A great example of old skool K.I.S.S. engineering.
Nice skill sets.
While the concept of the video is great, I think if you drop the music and then overlay voice, it would be exponentially better.
I don't think the concept is sound because direct solar input from PV has been available for about five years plus the cost and complexity of this system had to cost more than a 1.5 ton cold weather mini split.
There a lot of missing information befor a informed decision to do this could be made.
@Will James Turning down the volume will not add voice. I agree with Michael Mengel, narration would improve the video immensely!
On the contrary , I think the concept is very sound. It provides a way to concentrate heat from the environment to provide space heating for a dwelling using solar as the only energy source. To accomplish the same thing with solar alone would require a much larger PV array or an expensive and complicated solar thermal system. Basically multiply the solar energy produced by the COP of the heat pump, typically 2X to 4x. It would be even better using an air to water heat pump so the energy could be stored. On a sunny -10C day passive solar can heat a house without any other space heating. It’s after the sun goes down when you really need the BTU’s.
That's exactly what I was going to say....
@@robertl.fallin7062 The cost of the DC minis is very pricey and I am not sure that they work at -30. There is an outfit in Winnipeg though that is marketing a cold weather setup, I have reached out to them to see what they have on offer.
Nice, I'm thinking about : PV>heat pump>thermal battery (water) ... or maybe screen type air solar collector>air/water heat exhanger >thermal battery (water) ..... locate at least some of the thermal battery in the place that will be heated so thermal leakage not a problem.
Without a doubt one of the most sweetest setups Ive ever seen. Congrats I know you are proud of your setup there and will enjoy it for many years to come.
Thanks! I sure will!
You are the hard core hobbyist making panels yourself. I just bought 4 used 250w for $100 CAD each.
This is the second or third time I've seen this vid and I love it every time. A straightforward next step if you're considering expanding your photo array would be to add a continuous awning above the south facing windows, high enough to let light in in winter, deep enough to provide shade in summer. Might be tricky to do with the existing array below, though.
By and far,
The MOST DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE instruction in all of TH-cam.
You have provided ALL of the necessary proof to make even your worst critic
Into your fan.
It is not enough just to hit the like button and subscribe.
I, personally,
DO NOT HAVE TO LOOK ANY FURTHER in my research.
Thank you, James,
For cutting through the years of confusion and the B.S. of htis renewable energy resource.
You have proven to me just how high - quality,
Professionally installed
Solar Heating construction MUST be performed.
The video production was only icing on the cake.
Will be recommending this video to my circle of friends in the Sierra foothills.
And here I thought I was really something for changing my own brake rotors. *WOW* Good job !
We all start somewhere...
You Sir, have built a great system. You’re not the average DIY’er. Well done.
Thanks!
Really amazing design. Passive solar heating augmented with a heat pump, love it. I could imagine a commercial design being created.
This is hands down the best solar furnace I have ever seen. This is officially my dream project when I can afford to get some panels.
FYI- Because of the snow field in front of the array reflecting more of the sunshine, you can gain as much as 30% more energy (larger snow field = more energy) by simply changing the black collector to a vertical wall rather than the tilted roof collector. You also enjoy the benefit of collecting much less heat in the summer because of the higher position of the sun into a non tilted collector face - a double benefit.
I was fascinated at you knowledge base and your skill sets that you have to build this system, then when it was done I was blown away with what it is capable of! Job well done!
Thanks!!
Most informative and entertaining use of 21:23 on all of TH-cam. That was magic 👍
A master of design and craftsmanship.
Wow! You are a very talented individual. Truly a Jack of All Trades
Thanks!
....and a master of all.
This is about the sexiest video on solar I have ever seen. You are a true MacGyver. So impressed at the knowledge base you obviously have. Thank you for sharing.
Nicely done sir. Great idea using both the thermal heat from the panels and the electricity. I would bet that increase overall system efficiency a good bit since the panels will give more power being cooler and the heat pump will run less with excess heat it has access to from the panels. Very nicely done.
I live in south Louisiana so I have the opposite problem but being an engineer I'm a stickler for efficiency in these systems and this video tamed my OCD.
Thanks!
well done James, You're very gifted an put it your skill to good use.
OMG this dude is a one man engineering building marvel! Love his videos. I wish I could work as fast as you! :)
LOL, thanks!
cute dog too...
I'm too old to move that fast anymore I had hit Freeze Frame about a thousand times let my eyes catch up with it great build.lots of attention to the details
Using solar cells as solar collector is smart idea. I liked your professional work and real craftsmanship
This could be the answer to a LOT of heating needs across the country! Thank you, Merry Christmas and God bless you!
Thanks Tina, and Merry Christmas to you too!!
Brilliant! Old world craftsmanship hacking of modern technology. Very clever design.
Thanks Paul!
I’ve seen this several times and this is amazing.
Muy bonito trabajo mate, sigue adelante trabajando duro
Спасибо за видео ! Очень понравилось ! Лайк !
I like professional guys, executing in a professional manner, very inspiring. tkx for sharing.
Thanks!!
Nice system and install. Craftsmanship A++..
Thanks!!
I am a craftsmen myself. You do really good work. Great project and very smart.
who could dislike this video?
it is just too good
Awesome display of ingenuity and skill, I applaud you.
Thanks!
Ok I came, I saw, and I really like. This solves I was thinking about, looks like you did all the ground work, thank you great build, project, excellent workmanship 👍👍👍
Thank you sir!
You are genius. It was clear pleasure to watch this video.
I didn't expect that Jason Statham's hobby is DIY building
His mechanic
I'm a retired HVAC engineer with 35 years of experience. I tip my hat to you.
Do you have a method to circulate the air from under the panels and vent it outside during summer? They get very hot during summer, which makes them less efficient and fail quicker. Making use of that heat during winter is a great idea and I like the way you did it.
Thanks! And yes, they'll be heating pool water during the summer. I've already been through one catastrophe ;)
Extremely impressive system! I just put 6 panels up for PV direct water heating. This makes my system look like child's play.
Excellent video, workmanship & engineering
you are a man with a life purpose, I like your job
Incredible job on editing the video ... great
Thanks!
Super mega cool. Excellent idea and amazing workmanship! Thank for video!
James this is a fantastic project and an inspiring video. I am a time served mechanical engineer (sea going) and while I could appreciate the overall design in ‘big handfuls’ - I am just not familiar enough with key technologies to understand it in detail. But you have inspired me enough to subscribe to your channel and get learning. I admire your application and skills too - and understand why you decided to manufacture your own panels (cheap source of glass) but figure that could be a step too far for many people and when considering ROI there may well be a comfort factor in buying the panels in for an ‘assured product’. Anyway enough - loved it all and it’s time for me to get to grips with this stuff. (UK based).😀👍
Thanks! I appreciate your comment! With that said, I'm not sure why most people are so focused on why I made my own panels instead of focusing on and discussing the core of the project, the purpose. The end goal. Whether they make their own panels or not is irrelevant. If others can find more affordable/easier ways of accomplishing the end goal, then have at it! But it seems as if critics are just looking hard for something to complain about and make excuses for themselves imo. What they assume and what they actually take the time to calculate in terms of CBA and ROI are often two very different things. Let's have a look at the numbers and settle this once and for all - if people don't bother to invest the time to read what's below then that's their loss, just as not making their own PV likely would be.
I (and anyone else) can buy polycrystalline cells for 20¢/watt, the tab/bus wire for 17¢/watt, and the encapsulating film for 17¢/watt - and that's at standard retail cost via Ebay. Easily searchable. Personally, I do used recycled glass (as you know). In reality, most homeowners end up replacing all windows and doors in their homes at least once, so we all have a stack of recycled glass in one form or another. Where do you think I got my big stack? From everyone else's replacements LOL. I have more glass than I know what to do with now. The amount of glass in an avg home is almost enough for a complete off grid PV array. If a person doesn't have to replace their windows/doors, then go for a drive and take note of anyone in the neighborhood who is. Ask what they're doing with the waste. Offer to haul it away for free. Bingo. You have glass and they get free debris removal from their property. Just make sure the glass has the 'tempered safety' stamp in one of it's corners. The retail cost for tempered glass here is around $15/sq.ft. Hardly affordable for this application. But if I didn't have access to recycled glass and needed to make a bunch of panels (I'm talking at least twenty 100W panels for a proper, useful system), then I would buy bulk at wholesale cost which would be anywhere between $1-$5/sq.ft depending on thickness and order quantity (the more you order, the cheaper it will be). Let's pick the middle ground and go with $3/sq.ft for argument's sake. With the above figures for materials, I can produce one of these 120W panels in the video for approximately 71¢/watt, or ~$86 per panel. With some practice a person can tab and prep a panel in less than an hour. Let's give a generous $30/hr for labour (though I doubt Chinese factory workers are making anywhere near that amount). That would work out to around an extra 17¢/watt for assembly time, or 88¢/watt total for time and material = ~$106 per panel. That's paying retail for solar components and wholesale for glass. In reality you'd be buying solar components in bulk for an avg size system, and they will be substantially cheaper. The price per panel then would likely be less than $90. My panel laminator (link to plans below) is rated for 1.2kW/hr, and it takes 30 minutes to cook a panel. If using grid power (local price is 10.8¢/kWh), the energy cost for making a panel would be less than 7¢. Quite minuscule, and much cheaper compared to using silicone epoxy for encapsulant. So a DIY panel would only cost around $90 in total, if materials are sourced properly. Using recycled glass, the total would be less than $70/panel. For people who have local PV suppliers within a reasonable driving distance, they 'MIGHT' be better off buying if they manage to get a good deal. But if a person has to order a pallet of panels for an off grid system and have them shipped to their location, then most are far better off building their own - freight can amount to as much as the panels themselves in a lot of cases. I've seen all types of people make their own PV, and if done properly, DIY panels will look, perform, and last just as well as anything they can buy. It's really not rocket science. Think like water, and keep it out! As long as the cell connections are correct and no large air bubbles are trapped in the laminations, then the panel will be absolutely fine. A child can easily do this with the right gear. Whether or not making your own PV is a 'step too far' depends on the individual, their circumstances and what they're willing to invest. I can say the entire project is a step too far for most people - but that would be kind of insulting given what I've seen my own apprentices accomplish at work. They too once had the "I can't do this" sentiment, until they learned. The main goal with my channel is to inspire and encourage more people to think for themselves and learn to stand on their own two feet, not deter them and make them ever more dependent on others so that they have to put in even more time at their desk job to be able to afford to pay 'professionals' (which is really just a word to describe someone who invested their time into learning a set of skills - anyone can do this). Bottom line, people have to crunch the numbers for themselves and decide what their time is worth to them. They also have to expect a learning curve to making DIY panels, but like anything else practice makes perfect. Plans for my laminator are on my website for anyone who sees the value.
resystech.com/solar-panel-laminator
James Biggar Thanks for that James - I hope you did not think I was being a critic -for that is most surely not the case.
Lol, no worries! I know you weren't ;)
This guy has some serious skills.
Very nicely done you should be proud and also nice video
Thanks! I love this new system
old time engineer
This is one of the best if not the actual best videos of its type.
Thanks and keep up the great workmanship.
All the way from Australia Down Under
Blu
so your system went thru a full winter season. How did it perform? any stats would be helpful like average temp in the house compared to outside temp, how many square feet it heats. Just looking for more info. Your videos are great, but without talking, missing those added tidbits. Your work is impeccable and am a big fan. Thanks ahead of time
Amazing job! Looking forward to the collection of data to see how it does!
Thanks! Data will be uploaded during the first week of the new year
This is what happens when you have a plan right down to the smallest detail. Great Work!
First one I've seen with at heat pump, very cool :)
Thanks!
You are Amazing Human .. have reached construction potential.. wow. my honor to witness such undertaking and .. speed, decisive, precision.. i will try to do 5% of your ideas.. great, great work!
this is great, can't wait to see the logged data!
Awesome! I am a HVAC guy and sold on minisplits . So efficient . So the solar power can run the minisplit and the hot air trapped under the panels is used to heat the house as well, keeping the electrical use to a minimum. You could probably hook a 100 dollar ( no offense as you look like a Honda man , top shelf) harbor freight generator in the mix to top off batteries in the future and supplement the load during extended run times when solar/sunlight conditions are not favorable
Thanks! I made a few goofs as some trolls are more than happy to point out, but didn't do too bad for an HVAC noob. First heat pump ever installed. The solar isn't quite enough to run the heat pump but it does contribute. I was installing more solar and the heat pump anyway so I figured might as well combine them to make use of the waste heat from the panels and see how that helps the heat pump. Only extra cost was the insulation and dampers. I have a gas generator already but will be building my own (larger) axial flux gas genny later this year, hopefully I can unplug for good then.
Wow. Showing off your skills once again, many different trades involved in this project. Well done.
What about adding some type of thermal mass in the enclosure to hold the heat longer?
Are you doing any radiant in-floor? You could add a loop to pre-heat glycol as well!
Lol thanks!! There's a lot going on with this project. I learned a few things about heat pumps, that's for sure!
Thermal mass is a good idea, but generally it's not recommended to add thermal mass within a solar collector. The living space and it's contents (furniture, appliances, etc.), first and foremost, should serve as the thermal mass. The sun only outputs so much energy per second per square unit of area, so the main focus is really to move the heat generated from the collector to it's destination as quickly as possible in order to minimize radiant heat loss to the outdoors. Old school thermal collectors made back in the 60's-70's often included thermal mass directly behind the glazing - they essentially looked like little greenhouses with the floors covered in black rocks and boulders that absorbed the solar energy during the day and released it via blowers and ducts at night. But once digital meters/software became common it also became obvious to researchers that most of the heat generated was being lost in such designs, especially those with simple single pane glazing. Unfortunately, heat loss is inevitable. Even the best made house will experience heat loss unless it's entirely enclosed in a vacuum. Thermal storage mediums don't hold a 'charge' like electric batteries do. So these days most systems keep thermal storage (usually water) inside of the space that's being heated, so that the inevitable heat loss won't go directly outside. There are still some solar batch heaters on the market that have the storage tank positioned directly above the collector, but they're simple designs that compromise efficiency for low cost installations.
My system isn't quite big enough to justify thermal storage just yet. Based on the collector's size of ~112 sq.ft (10 sq.m), it will only generate around 20 kBtu per hr (with a solar irradiance of 1000W/sq.m and an avg 75% eff), which is just enough energy to heat my 1200 sq.ft home when it's -20°C outside. I will be adding more panels eventually. There are solar siding tiles to go on the south wall of the house yet, and I'm thinking about building a few more trackers and running glycol behind the panels ;) I still have to install a heating system for the new workshop too. So there's bound to be some thermal storage involved, maybe some in-floor heating. We'll see what happens when the time comes
Thanks for the detailed response. I feel like I just got a little smarter. 😁
Just curious, have you worked out the cost per watt on the diy panels? Are you happy with their performance?
Yeah for sure. The DIY panels work great. I don't think I've ever had a problem with a DIY panel. The panels in this system actually outperform the cell manufacturer's STC spec's, and I had to eliminate the center one from the circuit recently due to over-voltage issues with the charge controller. As far as cost (labour and material), if I use recycled glass then it works out to be a bit less than the cost of pro panels minus freight/shipping. If I had to buy the glass at standard retail cost (for small jobs) then the only real gain to DIY is having the panels ready to install as soon as I make them, vs waiting for freight. I have a few simple ideas for automating some of the process for serious DIY'ers too, I might try them some day.
James Biggar , I really appreciated how you showed the method of making your own solar panels. Until I watched your video I simply imagined it was far more complicated and beyond DIY arena.
I got more confused. But I liked it anyway.
I love your channel, thank you very much for showing it!
Please don't stop doing it. 🤔😱🤯😍🔝
Disclaimer for the heat pump installation:
Compound gauges are not an accurate measure of vacuum as the resolution is far too large to accurately detect leaks. The electrical connectors are not outdoor rated, the wiring is not protected, and there is no local disconnect *this required will vary by your local electrical code*. Also, if you're going to "bury" refrigerant lines inside walls the connections should be brazed. Even with the proper torque there is no guarantee that the flared connections will not leak and, if so, you've got a huge problem. Finally, mounting a heat pump directly on the ground in any area where the temperature falls below freezing is a bad idea (looks like you get snow).
Otherwise really nice install video. Love the time lapse format.
so i saw this one man army and he has 30 k subs...meaning that 30k ppl are interested in such stuff and today I saw a video where dude made fire pit from concrete with 1M subs. Nuff said. Sir, great job.
When you said Building A Solar Heat Pump System I thought of Denis Lee his used Freon to heat water to 250 degrees
This I think is the future for heating, it will require fan coils to get cooling out of it though.
Impressive. Thanks. Well done. Best Video step by step ever. Just excellent. Fine system and an excellent job.
On the Avasva you can count on professional help with problems and technical support.
Thx
Great idea!!! You just told me where to get the missing kilowatt hours for the energy balance of my house. I am sure that my solution will be a far-reaching modification of your concept, but as a basic idea: a hybrid system that combines solar air collectors and photovoltaic it is it!
The only thing left for me to do this winter is to carry out measurements and tests, and make the necessary modifications after the heating season.
I intend to use the existing photovoltaic panels (they are black!) As the top part of the air collector by sealing the surface between the panels and adding side walls and air ducts. The existing roof will act as the bottom of the collector. A gigantic air collector will be created with an area of approximately 100 square meters will be built at a very low cost! Such a large collector MUST give a lot of heat even in winter, even in cloudy weather.
In this way, I intend to use the heat that is released on the surface of the photovoltaic panels from the sun and the heat that is released during its normal operation. The heat, which so far irretrievably and senselessly escapes into the atmosphere instead of heating my cottage!
This way, I will fulfill my dream of a home off-grid in every aspect!!! A house where the power generator will be only an unused security device in the event of a serious failure of the photovoltaic system.
A very tempting vision.
ur Vids r great Jim....but how bout some audio commentary..I'm a tinkerer myself so I don't always just watch..mostly I listen and when I hear something that catches my ear I come into the other room and watch
Ugh, I cringe at the sound of my own voice on camera. We'll see what happens lol. Thanks Stan
Agree, audio commentary makes it much more interesting to watch also for some reason. Please consider. Awesome project BTW :)
Since this is a really excellent documentary of your installation I didn't feel like mentioning my small quibble, but since others have raised the subject. I'd have greatly preferred to hear your commentary rather than endure the repetitive music track. (Before some 'helpful' person suggests it, yes I realise I could have muted the sound.)
James, having only done a couple of videos narrating on my channel I understand how you feel, but when you've listened to thousands of youtubers you realize that nobody cares much.
They aren't listening to you with *your* ears! :-)
Give it a go - I'm sure you can do a great job.
I agree with no voice if you're leaning that way. Your video speed choices (which I believe your changing slightly, yes?) and straight to the point vibe really works. We're all in awe of you beasting this project out! :D Btw, Question! Could you imagine this system but in a 24vdc configuration for us smaller homesteaders a possibility?? Id love to know what you think. Thanks!
Compliments to the chef! You did some very meticulous work.
Nice James! I was wondering how to incorporate things together like this. Thanks for sharing 😃
Long time no hear buddy, thanks for the comment!
+TheBillytheJack2010 - It's called " Work + Work + Work + Coffee ", LMFAO
this construction is very well [ brilliantly ]done and i will follow your films you have impressed me with the use of the heat from the pv panels i am going to modify some of my arrays to see what i get.. thanks tim Australia
Very nicely done work!
Thanks!
DIY Tech & Repairs tech Energy
Well done. What a craftsman you are . . . and an engineer ... and a videomaker too.
You always post the greatest videos. Thanks much for sharing another awesome project!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is an absolutely fantastic video! I had no idea you could make your own panels. I read your comment about using recycled glass. What a great idea! Even if you don't know anyone, I am sure you could contact someone that does home remodeling in your area and get a bunch! I also love the venting on the panels. I have talked to several people that they all said the same thing. The panels work best on a cool fall day. Venting them is a great idea.
Thanks Jeremy!
Nicest homemade solar panel that I've ever seen. Very nice video.
Awesome- I get it- preheat the air going into the heat pump
You got it! Lol
And you can also cool down the panels during hot summer days to get better efficiency I assume?
Magnus, probably not by much unless the panels have fins on the back.
Better would be to make a zigzag of copper pipes attached to the back of the panels and pump a refrigerant or water through them and use it to make hot water from the 80% solar energy as heat. The 20% can go to PV with a few percent better efficiency.
(It's almost 'criminal' to use PV to heat water when 4 times as much heat energy is already available for free and usually wasted)
Not good running ac on 100 degree day.
Not only that ... but it does it off the grid. All the power it needs runs off those solar panels.
отличные работы вообще все ,но резонный вопрос возникает откуда столько возможности в инструментах и изделиях ☺
NICE! I'm going to do this. Subscribing.
Thanks!!
Andrea Wisner loo
Great system. This takes advantage of the heat and p/n junction of a photovoltaic. You've built the most directly efficient solar system I have ever seen for residential application. Nicely done sir.
Great video. Just found you. You got a me hooked. Subscribed. Greetings from Andreas on Off Grid
Thanks Andreas!
SWEET
Nice. I have considered going solar. We got a ductless unit to hopefully replace a gas fireplace in 2015 (we have to get propane here and it was a pain and expensive at the time.) Instead we use 9000btu ductless instead of the 2 ton heat pump with strip backup. We are currently retrofiting the rest of the house with multi zone units. When I did mine I pressure tested it using co2 and filling it to about 300psi. I left it for a day and learned I was only losing what was in the manafold. Very good system. Havnt had to touch the install since I did it. Still cranks out heat in the 140s when it is super cold outside.
Nice! Thanks for sharing your experience!
James Biggar I want to post a video series on the entire 8 zone install. I have a ton of video from the original install but unfortunately my dad unexpectedly passed like a couple days after I finished. I never got around to go back and make a video.
If you have a space above your ceilings maybe have a look at some blown in 'loose fill' insulation [a foot of insulation into the void and you will save both on heating and cooling bills and the home will retain heat in winter and feel cooler in summer...
This awesome how long did this take you ?
Thanks! In total around 2-3 days, but it was spread out over a week or so.
Macbruber 21 mins.
Fantastic work and video
Is the vac laminator diy? If like a video on that if so. I've made a small vac press to pull low iron glass own on Top of a copper clad pcb blank with printed transparency... but that was tiny in comparison
Beautifully built!
Отлично👍
Thanks!
THIS is called full utilization of your recourses !!!!!! Well done James I hope you will take it as a compliment If I steal (beg, borrow, ) some or all of your ideas? I have a descent solar system but I need more heat and to improve the power situation!!! you just gave me the answer. Awesome.
Some tools that ware used are not what your average joe would have in his tool box... like vacum table, or sheet bending table. Good idea, very nicely implemented. Not quite the DIY stuff tho.
Thanks! But this is just an excuse imo. I built the laminator with plywood and old baseboard heating elements. The bender was bought used but as pointed out to many others in the comments who share your sentiment, they can be rented for under $40/day at a tool rental shop - along with any other tool the average Joe saw fit not to invest in when they had the opportunity. Vacuum pump cost less than my screw gun kit, electric saws can be substituted with hand saws. Where there's a will there's a way. It's my opinion that every 'Joe' should have the basic tools and skills to stand on their own two feet, and if not then at least know how to acquire them. This average Joe, for example, wasn't delivered from his mother's womb holding a metal brake and a PV panel laminator, nor was he born into a wealthy family. Whether or not this project is DIY is entirely up to you.
James Biggar well, i can also add that you can order a heat exchanger, buy some sheet metal, some EC duct fans, desighn a pcb with your favarable micro controller or fpga, send gerbers to china, or etch at hom, your prefrence, write apropriate code for the device, make a heat sielded housing for minimum heat loses, bend, drill, rivet and stuff... make an air handling unit with heat recovery, bypass valves antiftrost protrctions and all other bells and whisles. Just that i can do it by my self, does not make it is a DIY project, because it requires a set of specific skills, a set of tools that not everyone might have and some specific knowladge.
More excuses. It's DIY because I just showed you how to do it, and took the time to write a step by step build guide, plans and create a 3D CAD to help. How do you think I developed the skills that I have? I wasn't born with them. I learned them. Only some of them were the result of professional training (no, that training didn't include making pv panels or panel laminators). Your analogy is flawed. I simply said you can source the basic tools easy enough if you tried. The laminator (which again, I built myself and plans are available on the website) and metal brake aren't needed for this project at all - just buy a diversion damper and PV panels if it's really that big of a deal to make your own. But I like to show people what they can do if they put their minds to work, so I made the panels and damper. Just because I didn't dumb this down to a useless plastic straw, paperclip and hot glue gun type build that would fall to pieces in a couple of weeks, doesn't mean it isn't a DIY project. You have to approach a project like this with some level of common sense - it's not going to be easy, but it's not impossible either. As stated - whether or not a project is DIY is entirely up to YOU. As in it depends on the responsibility that you've taken throughout your life to acquire the basic tools and skills needed for maintaining your own home. If you didn't develop those skills or invest in tools then hey - that's your deal. Your loss. Though most people that I know personally have all the skills and tools necessary for this project, but then again I live in a rural community where most people have no choice but to take responsibility for themselves. Bottom line, it doesn't take rocket science to build a wooden ground rack with a handsaw and cover it with polyiso foam board. It doesn't take an Einstein to read the wiring diagram and make the connections as indicated. It doesn't take a certified mechanic to operate a torque wrench with included instructions. But a build guide is available for anyone who thinks they might need it. Can't make it any easier than that. If that's not good enough for you then tough luck bud. Move on. You're more than welcome to spend twice as much to hire a crew to install a system for you, you just won't learn a whole lot in the process. Who's to blame? Not me...
I agree James, I have built all the houses I've lived in myself and I'm not a builder. Anything is DIY if you have the desire and perhaps the time. It is doing things that aren't low hanging fruit that gives one the greatest sense of accomplishment.
@James Biggar - I design and configure virtualized enterprise networks and load balancers for a living. The devices and user manuals are readily available on the web. But that does not make it a DIY project that any office 'Joe' could do. You seem to be a capable craftsman but your attitude leaves something to be desired
Skill set is 5 🌟! Awesome
Wow!
Very interested to know how this setup is more efficient than just using solar collectors instead of solar panels. Something like the videos on TH-cam with using metal as a heat conductor and pumping air through it. Great video , fantastic setup and craftsmanship. This video gives me some new ideas.
Edit: Forgive my ignorance; this combines both technologies. Still interested in knowing how a heat pump + fluid system's efficiency compares to that of just using air (especially due to added in complexity and more points of failure).
All women in the world should find a husband like this guy! Period.
Hao B yea . but they will not. they will find some dumb 'A' to be their future ex husband!
All the women in the world should be like this guy.
in nearly 40years.I have learned 1 thing about females. nice guys finish last. and end up living alone!
Im still looking for a woman who can do this for me..!
thank goodness some women go for mere mortal men, that gives us a shot!
thanks for sharing the video, it gave me a couple of nice ideas for a project in my house, again, thanks, have a good day.
Thanks, I'm glad it was helpful!
How in the name of all that is holy do you have only 8.3k subs? Do some cat videos lol
Lol, sadly that would probably work. Thanks for checking out the video!
It would work, if by work you mean "it would successfully bring a bunch of dullards to the channel."
Thank you for making this video, it really never dawned on me that there is some serious amount of heat to be made from solar panels, their efficiency being what it is, below 30%. You tied it in very nicely with the AC.
I'll be sure to check out your site.
I thought the dog cameo was good, lol. At 68 def F air temp, a commercial solar panel in decent sun will have a surface temp of about 145 deg F. Monocrystalline cells with good antireflective coating heat up through 4"+ of snow, no problem just from IR absorbption.
That's incredibly convenient, Tom. Even though in my neck of the woods we get 2cm of snow every 10 years or so.
Smart engineering and well done, congratulations
Thanks!
Nice craftsmanship and very quick moving video covering all the points. I think this is my off grid system of choice now after seeing this video. Would you be comfortable sharing your materials expense for the entire project, including heat pump mechanical components?
That was Awesome! VERY VERY VERY NICE!