SOLAR PIONEERS REPORT - Summary report of the solar program that Skally Management participated in.

FACT SHEET

In September 2006 Skally Management had a solar thermal system installed at 622 Grand Ave to provide 75% of the hot water needs for the residents.  It is estimated 800 therms of natural gas will not be needed because of the solar thermal heat.  You would need 482 mature trees to clean the air pollution generated by this amount of gas of 30 years (9,640 pounds of carbon dioxide generated each year, over 144 tons over 30 years).  This system also prevents some mercury from polluting our lakes and streams.

Skally Management initially paid over $25,000 to have the system installed.  However a special tax credit has been offered to businesses (and individuals) who install solar systems in 2006 and 2007, so the actual cost will be under $20,000.  If gas prices continue to go up 7% a year (as they have averaged over the previous 30 years) Skally Management should recover their expenses in ten years.

The system is made up of three main components: the solar panels (eight 4 foot by 10 foot panels), a heat exchanger, and two water storage tanks.  A solution of glycol mixed with water cycles through the solar panels on the roof, down the side of the building, and into one side of the heat exchanger in the boiler room.  Glycol is used in Minnesota because it can withstand temperatures of -100 degrees.  In the boiler room there are two 120-gallon water tanks that store the water that is cycled through the other end of the heat exchanger where it gets the heat brought down by the glycol from the solar panels.  These water tanks are connected to the gas hot water heater.  If the sun does not heat the water enough the hot water heater kicks on and heats it the rest of the way.

There is a big advantage to solar thermal heat versus solar electric: solar thermal works well even on cloudy days, where solar electric relies more on direct sunlight.  So even on a cloudy day the panels will heat up.

Since September the system has preheated the water almost everyday, even on the days when it was below 0.In general it has preheated the water from 5-10 degrees on cold days to 40 or more degrees on warm days. 

Pictures (click on pictures for larger version)