Process for Design & Installation from Mid South Solar Solutions

Solar Thermal Systems

On average, a home's domestic hot water (DHW) attributes for around 30% of its entire energy cost.  For this reason, a solar thermal hot water system can be the best investment for savings and utilizing the sun's energy.

• Google Earth is used to establish the exact orientation of your home.  Unlike solar photovoltaic (PV), it is not critical to have a true souther (180 degree) roof exposure.  Although a western exposure is more desirable than eastern if a southern exposure cannot be achieved.
• A solar thermal system does not require a large amount of roof space.  Our typical system for DHW will use either 2 or 3 thermal collectors.  These collectors only require about 25 square feet of space each.
• When establishing contact with us for a preliminary job assessment, we would ask you to provide the following information:
  1. Type of water heater (gas or electric)
  2. Age of water heater
  3. Size of room where water heater is located
  4. Number of electrical outlets near the water heater
  5. Age of roof
• If Mid South Solar Solutions seems to fit your project needs, we will set up a site visit to verify all information gathered,  At this time, we will access the attic and roof space to determine where a chase (conduit) for the required line sets is located.  If no chase exists, we will propose to you the best location to incorporate one.  We will inspect the area which will house the solar tank to ensure enough space is available to set the tank and additional supplies.  We will perform a shading analysis of the roof area to provide maximum solar effectiveness.  We will take photographs of all the areas the solar thermal system will be incorporated.
• A written proposal will be presented to you after all the information has been collected and analyzed.  Once everything is agreed upon, we will begin to finalize any engineering data needed for the permitting process. At this time, we will also assist wtih any necessary paperwork for the 30% federal tax credit.  All paperwork will then be submitted for the permitting process to the locality.  Any products or materials will also be ordered at this time.
• After the permitting process, anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks after submittal, you will be notified for schedule of installation.  Once installation is complete, we will meet at your home to do a final walk of your solar thermal system.  At this time, we will go over the components of your system.
• After your solar thermal system is fully operational, we can establish a maintenance agreements where we will make bi-annual visits to your home to:
  1. Check the pressure on the system
  2. Make sure all pumps are performing to maximum efficiency
  3. Check the soalr fluid for acidity levels
  4. Clean the solar thermal collectors, if necessary

Mid South offers you Schuco grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at our locations in Virginia and Pennsylvania: Springfield, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Fredericksburg, VA, Fishersville, VA, Richmond, VA, Winchester, VA, and Camp Hill, PA.