Project Overview:
This system is installed on an existing dairy barn, milking 260 cows 3 times a day. The escalating cost of heating over 2000 liters (550 gallons) of hot water per day turned the owner to take a serious look at this solar water heating system. Solar hot water is heated to a target temperature of 93°C or 200°F. Excess hot water during the summer is allowed to dump into the plate cooler tank in increments of 20 to 40 liters (5-10 gallons) and mixed with cold water for the cow’s drinking water.
System Components & Performance
Solar Thermal System
- Collectors: 16 × Akotec, 20 Tube Direct Flow Collector
- Peak Output: 115,522 BTU (th)/h (33.9 kW) *
- Pump Station: 1 × Enerworks Pump Station with heat exchanger
- Solar Tanks: 4 × A.O. Smith 450 L (119 USG) storage tanks
- Lineset: Pre-insulated Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing
* Peak Output taken from the Enerworks Akotec Solar Keymark certificate.