Using the sun
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
LEBANON - The ad
vantages of harnessing the
sun and putting solar energy
to use in homes are
becoming more and more
attractive. One of the most
feasible methods of putting
solar energy to work in this
climate is to use it as a
supplement for hot water
needs and thereby cut back
the dependency on
traditional methods of
heating water.
According to Newton J.
Bair, Lebanon County ex
tension agent, a drain-back
solar water heater can be
built for about $575 and can
be expected to furnish one
half of the needs of a family
of four.
In a workshop attended by
52 persons from the Lebanon
area, Bair and Chris Fried,
an independent architect
ider contract to the
"partment of Community
Affairs, supervised the
construction of four
collectors for dram-back
solar systems which are
designed as a supplement to
conventional hot water
heaters of any kind.
A dram-back system is an
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active solar system,
requiring a pump to cir
culate water, but needing
little attention to operate.
The system is a heat ex
changer system, with the
water being continually
recirculated between the
collector and the solar tank.
A coil of copper pipe picks up
the heat in the water and
transfers it to the household
water supply.
There is a differential
thermostat on the collector
unit which will activiate the
pump to have the system
capture solar heat when the
collector is approximately 15
degrees warmer than the
tank. When the collector
temperature drops to about 5
degrees above the tank, the
thermostat then turns the
pump off, and the water
drains into the tank.
The solar collector itself is
designed to be used
anywhere convenient, at
ground level or on a roof.
Despite the possib'hty of
damage, the logical location
is ground level which keeps
the pumping needs to a
minimum.
Bair pointed out that they
used commercial collector
panels because they are
to heat water
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Coil of copper tubing used in solar water heating
system is examined by Newton J. Bair, Lebanon
County extension agent.
“more trouble free and are
known to work.” He said
they are available from
several sources at “a fairly
reasonable cost.” The
collector itself can be con
structed by a handyman,
and the housing and hook-up
create no major challenges.
“Anybody who is a little
Q
zip
handy with tools can con
struct one,” Bair said.
The system built at the
workshop is expected to pay
for itself in three years or
less, and it costs one-third to
one-fourth what it would cost
to buy a similar unit.
Bair noted, however, that
the system does have
Lancaster Firming, Saturday, March 22,1980—A35
limitations and that a major
portion of the workshop was
devoted to a discussion by
Fried of the necessity of
conserving our present
energy supplies. He en
couraged the group to
evaluate their homes for
efficiency as a first step m
deciding which system is
best for them. There are
professional aides available
to tell the homeowner what
to look for.
The solar drain-back unit
is not designed to be self
sufficient, Bair said,
because in this climate it can
be used only as a supplement
to the. existing heater
whether it be a separate unit
or tied into the furnace.
“When the unit is properly
built and propei ly mounted,
there is nothing that can
deteriorate, ” Bair said.
In his opinion, Bair feels
this type of supplemental
solar heating will become
Lancaster Co.
farmers quiet
about conservation
more popular. He said it is
already much more common
in the sun belt, but added,
“We pick up enough sun here
for it to be worthwhile.”
In an evaluation of the
program, 27 of the par
ticipants indicated they
there are actually planning
to construct their own solar
collector.
The dram-back system,
though one of many
possibdities, is usually more
cost-effective than other
systems. It has low in
stallation, operation and
maintenance costs and has a
high reliability and long life
due to its simple, reliable
design.
It may be a system whose
tune has come to assist m
providing for the energy
needs in this area, but
conservation must be con
sidered the first step to being
energy efficient.
LANCASTER - Lan
caster County farmers and
landowners showed their
interest in the federal
government’s conservation
program last Thursday
evening.
A total of six county
residents, who were not
agency representatives,
turned out for the special
Resource Conservation Act
meeting to discuss the
direction the federal
government’s programs
affecting soil and water
conservation will take.
According to a
spokesperson for the Lan
caster County Conservation
District, a reason for the
scanty public participation
may have been the storm
that hit Lancaster County
that day, dropping four
mches of snow in the area.
Aaron Stauffer, chairman
of the District Board, had
cautioned Lancaster County
farmers if they did not make
their opinions known in the
Resource Conservation Act,
Lancaster County could
stand to lose Federal
technical and financial
assistance for soil and water
conservation. He added this
would have an adverse af
fect on water quality.
Of those six farmers and
residents attending the
meeting, several indicated
their concern about Keeping
government out of farming.
Even though the public
meeting has passed, there is
still time for county farmers
and landowners to be heard.
Anyone can write their
comments and opinions to
the USDA until March 28,
1980.
Or, the RCA questionaire
in last week’s paper can be
used either as a guide, or
filled out and sent directly to
USDA.
Letters should be sent to
RCA Response Analysis
Center, P.O. Box 888,
Athens, Georgia 30603.