Harry Thomason - Solar Energy
(Page 6 of 13)
November/December 1979
By Richard Freudenberger
PLOWBOY: But then aren't these new collectors more expensive to manufacture than were your original hand-built units?
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THOMASON: On the face of it, yes. The old collectors came to about a dollar a square foot, 1959 prices. The new ones cost about six dollars a square foot, installed. But the new panels-because they're more efficient than the old ones-reduce the number of square feet required on any given house. They're also engineered to cut installation time by as much as 90% over the original units, and
"The message is plain and simple: Reliable, low-cost solar heat is here right now... there's no reason to wait."
they can be installed right over previously shingled roofs . . . and these are both important considerations, especially to a contractor.
PLOWBOY: OK, what other changes have you made to cut costs over the years?
THOMASON: Well, right off the bat I can think of several major revisions that have simplified our system. For one, we've eliminated the need for metal ductwork, which can cost over a thousand dollars in some cases. Our method utilizes channels between the walls and floors for feed and return ventilation. We've also reduced the size of our storage bin-thus cutting construction and materials costs-so now it may occupy only 10% of an average-sized basement's area. Then there's the fact that we've eliminated the motorized damper from our newer systems and-in some installations-done away even with water valves.
Let's see . . . a few years back we also reduced the size of the air conditioning unit by half, cutting initial and operating expenses. And oh yes . . . the new collectors are so lightweight that no extra roof supports are needed when you retrofit. I might also mention that we plumb the feed and return lines into the collectors from the bottom so both installation time and plumbing expense are kept to the minimum.
PLOWBOY: It certainly sounds as if the Solaris system has kept you busy. But tell me, with all this "trimming"-which seems to have decidedly improved the overall performance of your design-what have you actually gained on a cost basis? For example, have you saved as much as 10 percent over the price of a comparable active collection-and-storage setup?
THOMASON: That's a hard question to answer, since there are so many different systems on the market. But let me put it to you this way: I know of no other commercial solar "package" that even comes close to comparing with Solaris on an overall cost basis. Now I'm not just talking about a matter of a few hundred dollars . . . I mean literally thousands in some cases. For example, I know of a firehouse in Kansas City, Missouri that has a solar hot-air system-without air conditioning-which cost more than $125,000 to install. Nearby-in Pittsburg, Kansas-one of our Solaris systems will soon heat and cool a church for only $25,000. We believe Solaris will deliver more solar heat, while servicing a building of roughly the same size . . . and do it for far less money.
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