Dr. Ben's Solar Hot Water Systems
Over 30 years of Solar Hot Water Systems
Dr. Ben's Solar Hot Water Systems Blog Spot was created with one primary purpose in mind. That is to make publicly available reliable information on best practices, installation techniques, and design strategies regarding solar water heating systems to architects, engineers, installers, and owners. The format of this website is interactive so please feel free to leave your thoughts, insights, comments, and questions for discussion on Ben's Blog.
Dr. Ben (center) receiving NCSEA Founder's Award
Benjamin T. Gravely, PhD began his career in the solar industry in 1977 with the establishment of Gravely Research Corporation. GRC pursued various inventions in solar energy, two of which were granted U.S. patents. Three years later Ben founded Astron Technologies, Inc. to manufacture and distribute products developed by GRC. Since then, more than fifteen hundred of Ben's solar hot water systems have been installed for residential and commercial applications across the US and over seas.
Ben has also written solar energy computer programs that have been authorized as analytical methods by HUD, the NC Energy Division, and the US Army Corp of Engineers. He was appointed by the governor of North Carolina to be a founding director of the NC Advanced Energy Corp. His work in this area has been recognized by commendation from the governor, ASME, TVA, and the NC Sustainable Energy Association, of which he is co-founder.
If you would like to stay up to date on Ben's latest projects and discussions on solar hot water systems, subscribe to his blog using the Contact Us page. Simply enter 'SUBSCRIBE' into the comment field. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Analysis Methods for Solar Water Heating Systems – How to Get it Right the First Time!
Correct sizing of solar water heating systems is both a science and an art, developed over the last 40 years by scientists and engineers. There are three main steps involved in performing such an analysis: 1) Determine the monthly energy requirement for the application. This energy requirement is often referred to as the “load”. 2) [...]
>>Read MoreEvacuated Tube Versus Flat Plate Solar Hot Water Panels – Who Has The Upper Hand?
I was recently discussing the different types of solar hot water panels with a business owner considering the purchase of a system. He had heard a lot about evacuated tube collectors but he knew the system I was offering him used flat plate collectors. (“Collectors” is just another name for panels because they collect solar energy.) [...]
>>Read MoreUnderstanding Solar Hot Water Systems – The Drain Back Design
There are many types of solar hot water systems – pressurized closed loop, pressurized open loop, drain back, thermosyphon, and variations called direct and indirect, referring to the placement of the heat exchanger. There are variations among the variations. The two dominant types today are the pressurized glycol system and the drain back system. One [...]
>>Read More