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[higgins11]

I'm wanting to install solar panels and backup with a wood furnace. I'm looking for someone in NC or SC that sells and installs these units together

any ideas

[Scott7m]

I'm wanting to install solar panels and backup with a wood furnace. I'm looking for someone in NC or SC that sells and installs these units together

any ideas

We sell solar and Wood stoves, but thats a rarity.  We have 5kw systems now for 8995, thats dirt cheap but good stuff

[slimjim]

 I sure wish the solar industry was as friendly to the wood boiler industry as we are to them, what a great combination, we have a large government subsidized organization here that promotes solar (pv and solar thermal) , the second you mention wood boiler they want nothing to do with you.

[fryedaddy]

Higgins,

It depends on the solar you are looking for.

My stove is designed to be duel purpose, hydronic heater and solar storage for your hot water in the summer.
It's more of a conventional model made to go inside a shop but fits what you mentioned.

Are you looking for solar hydronic or solar electric panels?

I grew up with the brand I use and he's my neighbor, see the link below. They are out of Mount Airy, N.C. (Surry County).

http://www.hickswaterstoves.com/

[Muskoka98]

Higgins,

This is a portable system which I use to power my OWF during power outages (saves running the generator).
http://www.goalzero.com/p/138/goal-zero-yeti-1250-solar-generator-kit

[Scott7m]

Does he only want soolar to run the stove??

[higgins11]

We are looking for solar hot water panels ..........in NC you can get 30% tax credit for solar hot water panels and you can use wood furnace as solar storage and back up

[RSI]

Nature's Comfort sells something similar to what you are looking for but you would need a huge amount of solar panels to try heating a house.

[higgins11]

RSI........ This is not for a house its for our dairy.  Heating a cheese making vessel and a cheese room and hot water to clean up......ok and possibly a greenhouse at a later date

[Scott7m]

RSI........ This is not for a house its for our dairy.  Heating a cheese making vessel and a cheese room and hot water to clean up......ok and possibly a greenhouse at a later date

I cant imagine how many solar water heaters that would take

Why not just use the tax credit for real solar?  Its 30 federal and 30 state plus incentives through your power provider
 
Lets Say you get a 10k watt system for 18k, 60 percent off that is awesome and much more dependable and efficient than solar water

[slimjim]

I would agree with you Scott emphatically but Higgins you must at least look at our Enviro 500 wood chip/ Biomass boiler for the load you are going to put on the boiler with the hot water for your rinse lines at the dairy.

[higgins11]

its not as big as you may think .......we have a 5 cow dairy and make cheese. cheese room, office, wash up room etc is only 18X24.......looking at around 160-200 gallons of stored hot water

[slimjim]

Temp of at least 165 degrees F on the entire 200 gallons twice a day am I right.

[higgins11]

6 gallons per day (x) 5 cows = 30 gallons per day

30 gallons x 7 days =210 gallons per week

make cheese 3 times per week.....so 3 batches of 70 gallons

cheddar cheese takes 116 degrees for 30 minutes......aged for 60 days to be sold
or
140 degrees for 30 minutes if we go with pasteurization


We will be making cheese in a stainless steel kettle that has a water jacket .........water in and around the kettle and back to the loop


Alot of the stored hot water will go to clean up / wash down. Which will be used twice a day every day

[fryedaddy]

Check out the link I provided earlier.

If the temp is above 40 degrees in my area I can get 150-55 degree water (1 day), my stove holds 650ish gallons

During the spring, summer & fall my wife cant run it out of hot water.