Installation

Deciding the direction and angle of installation
The angle and direction of installation is of great importance as it will affect the efficiency of the solar collector. Naturally, you want the collector to receive the maximum amount of sunlight each day and throughout the year. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere of the US, then the collector should face South and if you are in the Southern Hemisphere then the collector should face North. Refer to the diagram below.

Angle of installation diagram

The angle at which you mount the collector should roughly correspond to the latitude of your location. For example:

• Chicago, Illinois has a latitude of 41 degrees North. The collector should face South at a 41 degree angle approximately.
• Jacksonville, Florida has a latitude of 30 degrees North. The collector should face South at a 30 degree angle approximately.
• Sao Paulo, Brazil has a latitude of 23 degrees South. The collector should face North at a 23 degree angle approximately.

For a list of US cities latitudes refer to the chart below. You may also visit www.infoplease.com

If your roof angle is within +/-10°of your desired angle, you can just mount the solar collector flush against the roof surface without it affecting the efficiency of your unit.

How to prevent excessive summer heat output
Adjusting the angle of the collector can help to reduce summer heat output. By increasing the vertical angle of the collector by about 15 to 20 o more than the location's latitude (i.e. 45o instead of 30o), greater winter performance will be experienced. This is because the collector is "facing" the sun as the sun is lower in the winter and higher in the summer. During the summer months, the collector will be slightly less efficient and as such, heat output will be reduced as the collector is not "facing" the sun. This simple solution alone can reduce peak summer output considerably, thus reducing problems associated with excessive summer heat production. All BSI Solar package products come with a heat dissipater (radiator safety feature), that prevents the overheating problem.

Please note: For the GTC solar panels, optimal heat pipe performance is achieved in the angle range of 20-70o. Although your location may have a latitude of less than 20o, this basic installation guidelines should be followed. Horizontal angles of +5o are acceptable and may be appropriate.

What is solar insolation?
Insolation is the amount of electromagnetic energy (solar radiation) coming in contact with the surface of the earth. Basically, that means how much sunlight is shining down on us. We use this number to help us decide the size of your unit and energy savings. The higher the number the more solar radiation your collectors will receive. The chart below gives each state and a city’s insolation monthly and yearly average. A high value such as Hawaii 5.96 tells you that the unit will be very efficient.

[+] extend solar chart