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I have been contemplating the same type of system for an
eastern Tennessee project. I have been
looking for solar dealers in Tennessee period without regard to
manufacturers. I have a solar system (potable
hot water) in my home here in FL. I can
say that it worked great for 20 years.
It is a Solahart (Rheem) passive system with an 80 gal storage tank on
the roof. However, this type of system
is probably not feasible for areas subject to freezing as I believe that the
systems are only rated to 30 degrees or so.
I have found that I need to fire up the electric back-up a
couple of days a year here in central FL.
Water always stayed warm (100-110 degrees even on the coldest days (30’s
to 40’s) and we never ran out of water with three people. Using the system for radiant I believe is
possible, but a system that uses antifreeze and a heat exchanger is probably
what you need to look for if you project is in a freeze prone area. A gas back-up will probably be necessary
depending on the temp of the radiant floor water.
Here are a couple of links to organizations that may be able to provide you some help:
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/industry/testing/STsystems/ratings/#DHWRatings
http://www.solar-rating.org/SUMMARY/Dirsum_20070313.pdf
Where are you located? I would like to know what you find out.
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