Recent Projects

Solartech Technologies Installations

 

August 11th., 2008.

On August 11th. Solartech installed Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Northcentral San Antonio residence.   The 2,760 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 488 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 460 (CFMs).     The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter. The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.

 

August 7th., 2008.
On August 7th. Solartech installed Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Northwest San Antonio residence.   The 2,928 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 488 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 1,2000 (CFMs).     The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter. The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.

 

August 6th., 2008.

On August 6th. Solartech installed Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Northwest San Antonio residence.   The 7,440 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 1,240 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 1,2000 (CFMs).     The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter. The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.

 

August 1st., 2008.
On August 1st. Solartech installed Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Northwest San Antonio residence.   The 5,250 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 875 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 850 (CFMs).     The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter. The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.

 

July 31st., 2008.

On July 31st. Solartech installed Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Southeast San Antonio residence.   The home was built in the 1,920s.  The homeowner is upgrading the insulation levels in the attic and installing a radiant barrier.  The 2,333 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 390 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 850 (CFMs).     The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.  The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.

 

July 30th., 2008.
On July 30th. Solartech installed Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Universal City residence.    The homeowner is upgrading the insulation levels in the attic and installing a radiant barrier.  The 7,000 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 1,000 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We downgraded and installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 850 (CFMs) since the homeowner have installed a radiant barrier.     The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.  The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.

 

July 8th., 2008.
On July 8th. Solartech travelled to a south Houston Suburb to help the Cecalek family get thier SolCool Solar Air Condition operational.   THE FIRST ONE INSTALLED IN TEXAS!  The PV array has four fixed tilt 200 watts Hybrid solar modules.  The total combined array adds up to 800 watts per hour of PV power.   The PV system was originally designed to provide 48 volts to the battery bank.  We recommended the Cecalek's to reconfigure the array the array to deliver 110 volts DC.  The Cecalek's had bought a MX60 solar charger;  the MX60 is one of BEST solar charges available.  The unit has micro controller that tracks the maximum power of the array and make sure it makes it to the battery bank.   In addition to taking the MX60 to its maximum performace (by configuring the array), the higher voltage allow his system to perform more effiecientely during the typical Houston early morning cloudy weather.   The PV array has a 5,400 watts battery array: (4) 6 volts DC Trojan 105 with a Max capacity of 225AH deep cycle batteries.   The 5,400 watts battery bank powers a 3,000 watts inverter.  The  inverter powers the SolCool 1-1/2 TON Mini-Split heat pump.

 

May 24th., 2008.
On May 24th. Solartech installed two Solar Attic ventilation fans in a North Central San Antonio suburb  residence.   The 18,000 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 2,500 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed two 13 inch DC fans that move on average 850 (CFMs).  The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.    The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.
The customers targeted specific areas were the sunlight was impacting their day-to-day activities.  These areas are the kitchen (W side of home), the entertainment room (W side of home), the  and the Master bedroom (W side of home). Solar screens reject approximately 80-90% of the solar radiation (approx 180 Btu per square foot).  For this application we estimate that the solar screens reject approximately 99,000 Btu per day (about 8-Tons of air condition cooling).

 

March 26th., 2008.
On March 26th. Solartech installed two Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Northwest San Antonio residence.   The 10,000 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 1,500 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed one 13 inch DC fan that moves an average of 1,100 (CFMs).  The solar attic fan is controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  This particular attic fan is outfitted with an amorphous solar module.    The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.    The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.
The customers targeted specific areas were the sunlight was impacting their day-to-day activities.  These areas are the living room (W side of home), the kitchen room (W side of home), the guest bedroom (W side of home), and the home office (W side of home). Solar screens reject approximately 80-90% of the solar radiation (approx 180 Btu per square foot).  For this application we estimate that the solar screens reject approximately 80,000 Btu per day (about 6-Tons of air condition cooling).

 

January 4th., 2007.
On January 4th, we performed a minor repair to the 1.4Kw Solar Hot Water heater in North Central  San Antonio, Texas.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 2,100 square foot home.  There is a 24 square feet collector rating the whole system at 4,800 BTU per hour water heater. Each solar collector weights only 65 pounds.
The San Antonio home has a separate gas backup heater along with solar storage tank. The system is fitted with a Anti-Freeze protection valve.    The solar storage tank is installed inside a water heater closet.  The solar hot water differential control turn on the circulation pump whenever the collector has enough heat.

 

October 31st., 2007.
We installed twelve solar screens in a home in Cibolo, Texas. The customers targeted specific areas were the sunlight was impacting their day-to-day activities.  These areas are the home office (NE and NW side of home), the dinning room (W side of home), the entertainment room (NW side of home), the kitchen (NW side of home), and the guest bedroom (NW side of home). Solar screens reject approximately 80-90% of the solar radiation (approx 180 Btu per square foot).  For this application we estimate that the solar screens reject approximately 216,000 Btu per day (about 18-Tons of air condition cooling).

 

July 26th., 2007.
On July 26th., we the replace the broken glazing  a  Residential 2.8Kw Solar Hot Water heater in Canyon Lake, Texas.  The drain back solar hot water system was installed back in 1,986 during the Federal Tax Credit.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 3,500 square foot country home.

 

August 2nd., 2007.

On August 2nd. Solartech installed Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Universal City residence.   The 1,611 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 230 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 850 (CFMs).  This particular attic fan is outfitted with an amorphous unbreakable solar module.   The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.

 

June 19th., 2007.
On June 19th we installed solar lights at Olympia Hills in Universal City, Texas.  This patio light is the Third of its kind in San Antonio.  Due to energy, infrastructure cost and cost savings, we used LED light bulbs  instead of conventional  lighting (fluorescent, tungsten, halogen, and incandescent) .  A 1.2watt LED light could easily replace a 9 watt fluorescent light bulb.
The required photovoltaic panel and battery storage necessary to operate a 1.2 watt LED light bulb is a fraction of what would be needed to operate a 9 watt fluorescent light. The Burgos residence's Solar LED patio lights consist of a 12 volt , 26 ampere-hour Lead-Acid battery, a 5 watt amorphous (cloudy weather & unbreakable) module, a 10 amp solar Light control/charger and  a 4.3 watt  LED light bulb.  The 1.2 Watt light bulbs have 45 LEDs.

 

June 13th., 2007.

On June 13th. Solartech installed a Solar Attic ventilation fan in a Northwest San Antonio residence.   The 2,800 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 400 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 850 (CFMs).  This particular attic fan is outfitted with an amorphous unbreakable solar module.   The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.

 

June 12th., 2007.

On June 12th. Solartech installed a Solar Attic ventilation fan in a North Central San Antonio residence.   The 5,300 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 750 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed one 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 850 (CFMs).  The solar attic fans are controlled by a  adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.

 

June 4th., 2007.

On June 4th., we performed a minor repair  a 2.8Kw Solar Hot Water heater in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The home is part of low income program initiate by SADA back in 2,000. The solar hot water heater was installed four years ago.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 1,200 square foot home.  There are two 24 square feet collector rating the whole system at 9,600 BTU per hour water heater. The home does not have a separate solar storage tank. The solar tank & the backup water heater are all in one tank. The home owners can maximize his savings by unplugging the power to the electrical heating element.

 

June 3rd., 2007.

On June 3rd, we finished retrofitting a  Residential 2Kw Solar Hot Water heater in South San Antonio, Texas. The solar hot water heater was installed four years ago.  The solar collectors were installed on a detach carport.  We had to relocate the panels due to a shifting foundation. The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 1,200 square foot home.  There are two 20 square feet collector rating the whole system at 13,600 BTU per hour water heater. Each solar collector weights only 39 pounds. The home does not have a separate solar storage tank. The solar tank & the backup water heater are all in one tank. The home owners can maximize his savings by unplugging the power to the electrical heating element.

 

June 1st., 2007.

On June 1st., we finished installing a   Residential 1.4Kw Solar Hot Water heater in canyon Lake, Texas.  The solar collectors are installed on the workshop's southwest wall.   The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 5,800 square foot Hill Country home.  The solar hot water heater pre-heats water for the 80 gallons electric backup water heater.  The solar hot water heater will save the home owner on daily activities such as cooking, showering, and laundering.

 

May 4th., 2007.
On May 4th. Solartech installed two Solar Attic ventilation fans in North San Antonio. We installed two 850 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs) solar attic fans. The residence had at Texas basement the was leaking excess heat into the living space.
In addition to the solar attic fans, we installed 6 solar screens. The customers targeted his home office.   Solar screens reject approximately 90% of the solar radiation (approx 200 Btu per square foot).  For this application we estimate that the solar screens reject approximately 14,800 Btu per hour (about 1.2-Tons of air condition cooling).

 

April 19th., 2007.
On April 19th, we installed a new  Residential 1Kw Solar Hot Water heater in Calliham, west of Three Rivers, Texas.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 1,900 square foot home.  There are two 10 square feet collector rating the whole system at 6,800 BTU per hour water heater. Each solar collector weights only 19 pounds.
The Three Rivers home does not have a separate solar storage tank. The solar tank & the backup water heater are all in one tank. The home owners can maximize his savings by unplugging the power to the electrical heating element.   The South Texas home has a 40 Gallons water storage. The solar storage tank is installed inside a water heater closet.  The only exposed solar equipment is the solar hot water differential control.

 

March 31st., 2007.
On March 31st., we re-connected a   Residential 2.8Kw Solar Hot Water heater in Canyon Lake, Texas.  The drain back solar hot water system was installed back in 1,986 during the Federal Tax Credit.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 3,500 square foot country home.

 

March 18th, 2007.
On March 18th, we installed a new  Residential 1Kw Solar Hot Water heater in Three Rivers, Texas.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 1,500 square foot home.  There are two 10 square feet collector rating the whole system at 6,800 BTU per hour water heater. Each solar collector weights only 19 pounds. The Three Rivers home does not have a separate solar storage tank.
The solar tank & the backup water heater are all in one tank. The home owners can maximize his savings by unplugging the power to the electrical heating element.  The hot water collector array rating is twice the power required for the solar storage.  In Residential applications, we install 5 square feet of collector area per every 10 gallons of storage.  The South Texas home has a 20 Gallons water storage.  As a custom feature, we installed an adjustable collector mount.  This will enable the solar home owner to adjust the array inclination to minimize radiation collection.

 

February 26th, 2007.
On February 26th, we performed a minor plumbing repair and Propylene Glycol (Anti-Freeze) change out to a solar hot water heater system in the Encino Rio subdivision (North Central San Antonio) .    The system has been in service since the 1980s when the Federal Government was offering 40% tax credit towards the cost of Solar installations. The Solar hot water heater system has a 80 gallons solar storage tang, two 3x6 collectors, and an external wall-mounted heat exchanger. The two 18 square feet collector are rated at 7,200 BTU per hour. The solar hot water heater has been providing free hot water to the 2,200 square foot home25 years.

 

January 25th, 2007.
On January 25th. Solartech installed 744 Watts per hour off-grid photovoltaic system in North Central San Antonio. The array has twelve 62 watts unbreakable and amorpous modules.  Each module is rated at 12 volts direct current and 3 amps.  As you see, there are two arrays with six module connected in series.  The operational voltage of each array is 100 volts at 3 amps per hour.  The small business owners are using the PV module to offset the cost of operating a small scale greenhouse.
We used one Outback 3,600, 120VAC Off-Grid inverter.  The inverter and the DC loads operate off 24 volts.    The system also have an Outback MX60 solar charger.  The MX60 is a Maximum Power Point Tracking solar charger.   To store the energy from the solar panels we have included eight 225 Ampere Hour gel batteries.     The inverter system and the DC loads operates off the battery bank as long as there is enough power.  If the battery voltage drops below the preset voltage, the inverter automatically switch over to the grid.  The inverter will charger the battery and provide power to both the AC and the DC load.
In order to maintain the air quality, the growing room has four 24 Volts (DC) 260 CFM exhaust fans.  The fan arrays are operated simultaneously  via a Digital 12 volts timer.  The quad exhaust fans move a total of 1,040 cubic feet of air per minute.

 

February 11th, 2007.
On February 11th. Solartech installed 3,000 Watts off-grid solar photovoltaic system in Three River, Texas. The photovoltaic array as eighteen 180 watts, 44 volts DC crystalline modules.  The solar modules are grouped into two separate arrays.  The arrays have four and five pairs respectively.  Each pair of modules is arranged in series to produce 88 volts DC.  The PV array is protected with lighting arrestors.
The two separate arrays feed two solar charger / controllers. In turn, the solar charger replenish a large battery bank.  The residence is provided 8000 watts at 220 volts AC.  We installed two Xantrex 4048 inverters.  The inverters are operated off two 24 volts  connected in series to deliver 48 volts DC.  The inverter is programmed to operate off the battery bank while the their voltage level is above a preset voltage.
The Xantrex 4048 does not charge the battery bank when the battery voltage is below the preset voltage. We used two 24 volts Fork lift batteries as a battery bank.  Each battery weights 640 pounds each. Since there is no DC load connected to the system, it is not critical to charge the batteries off the grid when the batteries go below the set voltage.  The battery bank only gets charge via the two solar arrays.

 

January 4th, 2007.
On January 4th. Solartech installed three Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Spring Branch Texas residence. Spring Branch is located in the Canyon Lake area.   The 16,620 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 3,320 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed three 16 inch DC fan that moves and average of 1,200 (CFMs).  The solar attic fans are controlled by a single adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.    The Solar attic fans are the first step in making the 5,000 square foot home more energy efficient.  We are schedule to install a 4,800 Btus solar hot water heater to reduce the home water heating utility bill.

 

December 12th, 2006.

On December 12th. Solartech installed two Solar Attic ventilation fans in a North Central San Antonio residence. The 6,400 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 1,200 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs). We installed two 12 inch DC fan that moves and average of 600 to 850 (CFMs).  The DC fan is mounted on the western & east facing attic gable.  The attic fan is operated by two 15 watt, 12 Volt Amorphous panel.  The solar attic fan systems are equipped with two wall mounted thermostats that will prevent the much wanted attic heat during the winter.

 

November 29th, 2006.
On November 29th, Solartech & AAA Alamo Heating & Cooling  upgraded a 26 years old solar hot water and space heat system in San Antonio's Northwest .  The system was installed in 1,986 during the 40% Federal Tax Credit.  It has been in services since them.  The Solar space heat system provides hot water & heats a 5,000 square foot home.
The system has thirteen 16 square foot thermal collectors.  The thermal collector array generates 41,000 BTUs. In addition to the thermal array, the system has a 225 BTU natural gas boiler.  The home is also equipped with an on-demand hot water loop that provides every faucet and shower with instant hot water.
The hydronic system stores the thermal energy in solar storage tanks.  The thermal heat is stored in four 80 gallons - totaling 320 gallons.

 

November 9th, 2006.
On November 9th, we installed a new  Residential 2Kw Solar Hot Water heater in Corpus Christi, Texas.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 2,000 square foot home.  There are two 20 square feet collector rating the whole system at 20,000 BTU per day water heater. Each solar collector weights only 38 pounds. The Corpus Christi home does not have any backup water heater system.
The only means to heat water is via the Solar Hot water heater.  We retrofitted the existing 52 gallons electric water heater as a 100% free solar hot water system. The system has a 10 watts photovoltaic module.  This module provides power a 10 magnetic drive Direct Current (DC) pump.  The system can be turned on or off via a switch.

 

August 16th, 2006.

On August 16th, we re-installed a 9,600 BTUs per hour Solar Hot water Sun Trapper collector. The system is installed in Windcrest ,Northeast San Antonio.  The solar hot water system has 4 X 12' solar collector and one 40  gallon solar storage tank.  This system was installed in 1985 by Sun Trapper during the 40% federal credit.  This system has been saving the 1,900-square foot home thousands of dollars in   hot water over the years.

 

July 19th, 2006.
On July 19th. Solartech installed a Solar Attic ventilation fan in Northwest San Antonio. We installed two 1,100 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs) solar attic fans. The residence had at Texas basement the was leaking excess heat into the living space.
In addition to the solar attic fans, we installed eight solar screens. The customers targeted specific areas were the sunlight was impacting their day-to-day activities.  These areas are the kids TV room, the dinning room, the entertainment room, the game room, and the older boy's room. Solar screens reject approximately 76% of the solar radiation (approx 175 Btu per square foot).  For this application we estimate that the solar screens reject approximately 100,000 Btu per day (about 9-Tons of air condition cooling).
The customers wanted to add a solar dc fan system to remove some of the excess heat from a small shed they have in the back yard.  We designed a 200 CFM solar exhaust system for the shed.  The system have two 100CFM fans that are controlled by a thermostat.

 

June 29th, 2006.
On June 29th. Solartech installed a Solar Attic ventilation fan in Valley Hi residence. The 3,000 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 500 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs). We installed a 12 inch DC fan that moves and average of 600 to 850 (CFMs).  The DC fan is mounted on the western attic gable.  We selected this location because the eastern gable is shaded and therefore cooler than the western one.  This will definitely give attic space an average 10 degrees air supply. The attic fan is operated by an 10 watt, 12 Volt crystalline panel.  The solar attic fan system is equipped with a wall mounted switch that will prevent the much wanted attic heat during the winter.

 

May 27th, 2006.
On May 27th., We performed minor repair on a Drainback solar hot water system in Floresville, Texas.  The system has been saving the ranch owner money over 20 years.  The 48 square foot solar water heater system delivers 9,600 Btu per hour to the 5,000 square foot ranch.

 

January 6th, 2006.

On January 6th,  we completed a retrofit on the drain down solar hot water heater and a leak repair on the solar pool heating systems. The 1,800 square foot country style home is located in the Fair Oaks, Texas. The drain down system consist of a 82 gallons solar tank and two fourteen square foot solar collector(5,600BTU/Hour). The solar pool heating system has 512 square foot solar vinyl collector(102,000BTU/Hour).  The solar hot water drain down and the pool heating systems have been out of service for close to two years.  The solar drain down system is ideal for areas that experience frequent below freezing weather. The system has a solenoid valve that drains the solar collectors when the ambient temperature reaches freezing to prevent  panel damage.  The main disadvantage to that technique is the system dumps potable water. The most frequent problems  with drain down solar systems is drain valve failure.  The drain valves would get stuck and caused to the panels to freeze.  We recommended the client to retrofit the system from drain down to freeze protection water re-circulation system.  This means that the system prevent to panels from freezing by circulating water water out of the solar tank up to the collector to keep them from freezing. The water re-circulation system system may use up some of the heat it collected during the day, but it does not dumps potable water. The Solar Pool heating panels was leaking in several places, and therefore needed to be repaired.  In addition to the leaks, the system was missing air venting and vacuum relief devices.  After the recommended repairs, both solar systems are back in service again.

 

November 10th, 2005.
On November 10th., We performed minor repair on a Drainback solar hot water system in Georgetown, Texas.  The system has been saving the homeowner money over the years-- especially during the summer  season.  Over the summer, the homeowner, disconnects her conventional electric heater and let the Solar hot water heater provide free hot water to the three bedroom  home.

 

September 1st, 2005.
On September 1st. Solartech installed a Solar Attic ventilation fan in a Boerne, Texas residence.  This Boerne home has a 5,500 attic volume demanding  an average air change rate between 4 to 8 times an hour. We installed a 12 inch Venturi DC fan that moves and average of 500 to 750 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).
The Venturi fan is operated by an 18 watt, 12 Volt crystalline panel.  Attics without motorized vents can reach up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.  A 150 degree attic could require an additional  4,000 BTUs an  hour to maintain living space at a comfortable temperature.

 

August 27th, 2005.
On August 27th we installed solar patio lights at the Burgos' residence in northwest San Antonio.  This patio light is the second of its kind in San Antonio.  Due to energy and cost savings, we used LED light bulbs  instead of conventional  lighting (fluorescent, tungsten, halogen, and incandescent) .  A 1.7watt LED light could easily replace a 7 watt fluorescent light bulb.
	The required photovoltaic panel and battery storage necessary to operate a 1.7 watt LED light bulb is a fraction of what would be needed to operate a 7 watt fluorescent light. The Burgos residence's Solar LED patio lights consist of a 12 volt , 17 ampere-hour Lead-Acid battery, a 10 watt crystalline module, a 6 amp solar control/charger and  one each 1.7 and 4.3 watt  LED light bulbs.  The 1.7 and 4.3 Watt light bulbs have 18 and 45 LEDs, respectively.

Sun Energy Systems and Solartech Technology's Joint Venture Installations

 

 

July 28th., 2008.
On July 28th, we performed the typical 24 months Propylene Glycol (Anti-Freeze) change out.  This system is located in Northwest San antonio, Texas.  The system has been in service since 1985 and provided free hot water to the 1,800 square foot home.  There are two 24 square feet collector rating the whole system at 9,600 BTU per hour water heater.

 

June 28th., 2008.
On June 28th. Solartech installed Solar Attic ventilation fans in a Boerne residence.     The homeowner is upgrading the insulation levels in the attic and installing a radiant barrier.  The 3,333 cubit feet attic demands an average air change rate 550 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFMs).   We installed a 13 inch DC fan that moves and average of 850 (CFMs).     The solar attic fans are controlled by a adjustable thermostat.  The thermostat is set at 78 degrees to prevent the removal of necessary heat in during the Winter.  The homeowner is taking advantage of CPS' Home Efficiency Rebate Program which pays $100 for every fan you install.

 

April 21st., 2008.
On April 21st., we performed a leak repair on a Servomatic solar hot water heater in Northeast San Antonio, Texas.  The system was installed back in the mid 80s and had been in service since.   Servomatic solar hot water heaters are considered passive systems since they don't have any solar controls and pumps.  The panels are the solar collectors and storage at the same time.

 

April 21st., 2008.
On April 21st., we performed a leak repair on a Servomatic solar hot water heater in Northwest San Antonio, Texas.  The system was installed back in the mid 80s and had been in service since.   Servomatic solar hot water heaters are considered passive systems since they don't have any solar controls and pumps.  The panels are the solar collectors and storage at the same time.

 

April 17th., 2008.
On April 17th, we performed minor repairs on a series Sun Trapper drain down solar hot water heaters for Neighborhood Housing Services in Elmendorf, Texas.  Four solar heater systems were installed back in 2002.

 

March 20th., 2008.
On March 20th., we the replace the broken glazing  a  Residential 8.0Kw Solar Hot Water heater in a North Central San Antonio suburb residence.  The drain back solar hot water system was installed back in 1,984 during the Federal Tax Credit.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 4,000 square feet home.  This system was the first system of its kind installed in San Antonio by Sun Trapper.

 

September 17th., 2007.

In September 17th. we replaced an outer glazing on a 19,200 BTUs per hour Solar Space heat and Hot water system.  The hail storm that affected the Marion, Texas area two month ago damaged some of the Fiber-glass outer glazing.  The solar space heat/hot water system has four TB4800 solar collectors and two 120  gallon solar storage tanks.  This system was installed in 1984 by Sun Energy Systems during the 40% federal credit.  This system has been saving the 4,000-square foot   estate thousands of dollars in space heating and  hot water over the years.

 

November 1st., 2006.
In November 1st., 2006, we installed a 4,000 BTUs solar hot water heater in Lavernia, Texas. The off-grid home is outfitted with 1.5Kw electric solar modules.  By adding a  Solar hot water heater system, we are removing AC loads from the Photovoltaic system.  The SHW system is adding approximately 20-30% energy saving the solar storage bank.

 

September 12, 2006.
In September of  2006, we added 512 watts to this Lavernia off-grid home.  The photovoltaic modules we installed are superior to the previously installed crystalline modules.  We installed eight 64 watts tri-junction amorphous photovoltaic modules.  They are very light-weight and in cloudy weather there output is greater than the crystalline counter parts by more than 50%.
	In addition to the Tri-junction modules, we also installed a 60 amperes solar charger that will allow us to expand the PV module system several times before we need to install another solar charger. The Outback charger can enhance the cloudy weather operation because it allows us to

 

July 21st., 2006.
In February 2006, we replaced an outer glazing on a 44,800 BTUs per hour Solar Space heat and Hot water system.  The hail storm that affected the San Antonio area two month ago damaged some acrylic outer glazing.  The solar space heat/hot water system has six pairs of the ST6400 solar collectors and two 120  gallon solar storage tanks.  The ST series collectors are attractive to new home builders due to their roof integrated option. This system was installed in 1985 by Sun Energy Systems during the 40% federal credit.  This system has been saving the 8,000-square foot   estate thousands of dollars in space heating and  hot water over the years.

 

July 01, 2006.

On July 1st, we replaced an outer glazing on a 9,600 BTUs per hour Solar Hot water system. The system is installed on Bandera, Texas ranch.  The solar hot water system has 4 X 12' solar collector and one 40  gallon solar storage tank.  This system was installed in 1986 by Sun Trapper during the 40% federal credit.  This system has been saving the 4,000-square foot ranch thousands of dollars in   hot water over the years.

 

June 27, 2006.
On June 27th, we installed a new  Residential 4,800 BTUs Solar Hot Water heater in Garden Ridge, Texas.  The Solar Hot Water Heater system provided free hot water to the 5,000 square foot home.  There are two 24 square feet collector rating the whole system at 9,600 BTU per hour water heater. The solar water heater will pre-heat two 50 gallons propane heaters.

 

June 26, 2006.
On June 26th, we performed the typical 24 months Propylene Glycol (Anti-Freeze) change out.  This system is located in Boerne, Texas.  The system has been in service since 1986 and provided free hot water to the 1,800 square foot home.  There are two 24 square feet collector rating the whole system at 9,600 BTU per hour water heater.

 

June 20, 2006.
On June 20th, we finished  the second stage install of the 1kw off-grid solar system.  This stage will allow the homeowner to operate large appliances such as refrigerator, washing machine, range, etc.  The system also has a 1,000 ampere hour battery bank.  The Dc inverter package features a backup generator option. The generator option will not only provide AC power to the residence, but also generate Dc potential to charge the battery bank.  In order to reduce daily consumption, the homeowner can operate only one of the 2.8kw power inverters.

 

June 02, 2006.
On June 2nd, we performed the typical 24 months Propylene Glycol (Anti-Freeze) change out.  This system is located in northwest San Antonio.  The system has been in service since 1985 and provided free hot water to the 1,900 square foot home.  There are two 24 square feet collector rating the whole system at 9,600 BTU per hour water heater.

 

May 05, 2006.

On May 5th, we installed the first phase of a 204 watts off-grid solar system.  The 1,700 square foot home is located in the outskirts of La Vernia, Texas.  This initial stage has a 450 ampere hour battery bank that will power a 3,000 watts inverter.  The second stage will have a 1,000 watts per hour solar module array.  In addition to the 1kw array, we will increase the inverter power capabilities from 3kw to 5.6kw.  Phase two is scheduled to be completed by the end of June, 2006.

 

March 03, 2006.
On June 2nd, we performed the typical scheduled 24 months Propylene Glycol (Anti-Freeze) change out.  This system is located in northwest San Antonio.  The system has been in service since 1985 and provided free hot water to the 1,900 square foot home.  There are two 24 square feet collector rating the whole system at 9,600 BTU per hour water heater.

 

January 31, 2006.
On January 31st, we installed a new  Residential 4,800 BTUs Solar Hot Water heater in Elmendorf, Texas.  The home was built by  Neighborhood Housing Services.

 

January 14, 2006.
On January 14th, we retrofitted the forth and last Sun Trapper drain down solar hot water heaters for Neighborhood Housing Services in Elmendorf, Texas.

 

January 12, 2006.
On January 12th, we performed welding repairs on the solar hot water collectors. The system has five ST6400 solar collectors on the roof.  The water heater system is rated at 16,000 BTU per hour.  The solar system has been in service since 1988 and has not worked on before now. The solar hot water heater system has been serving 5,000 square foot home for more than seventeen years. In addition to the solar hot water heater system, the homeowner has a 62,400 BTU per hour pool heater.  The solar pool heater replenish the heat losses from a 900 square feet pool.  Both systems were installed back in 1,988.

 

January 07, 2006.
On January 07th, we installed solar patio lights at a residence in the Canyon Springs subdivision in Stone Oak area.  This patio light is the third of its kind in San Antonio.  We installed five independent solar powered LED flood light systems.  The batteries are replenished by 5 watts amorphous solar
modules.   The amorphous solar modules have an advantage over its counterpart, the crystalline modules, they operate in cloudy weather.  Amorphous panels increase the reliability and the robustness of the photovoltaic system.
The LED flood lights are designed to operate for four hours after dusk.  This is accomplished via a sophisticated solar charger and controller.  There are two types of flood lights: a 18 LED flood light and 3 LED flood light.  These Flood lights add value the 2,500 square foot home and enhance the hill country landscape.

 

December 22, 2005.

On December 22nd, we retrofitted the third Sun Trapper drain down solar hot water heaters for Neighborhood Housing Services in Elmendorf, Texas.

 

December 21, 2005.

On December 21st, we retrofitted the second Sun Trapper drain down solar hot water heaters for Neighborhood Housing Services in Elmendorf, Texas.

 

December 19, 2005.
On December 19th, we retrofitted the first of a series Sun Trapper drain down solar hot water heaters for Neighborhood Housing Services in Elmendorf, Texas.  Four solar heater systems were installed back in 2002 and all of them have failed but one.  We retrofitted the drain down systems to water re-circulation systems.

 

December 16, 2005.

On December 16th, we remove and re-installed five  4x10 feet pool panels at a northwest neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas. The homeowner needed the pool panels removed while the roofers replaced the asphalt shingles.  The pool collectors were re-installed and tested.

 

November 26, 2005.

On November 26th, we performed our yearly freeze protection checkup and preventive maintenance on this system which is located in  San Antonio's northeast side.  The system was installed back in 1985.  The solar hot water heater system has s  TB4800 series solar collector on the roof.  The collector output is 4,800 BTU per hour.  Our yearly freeze protection & preventive maintenance checks are aimed at getting the system ready for the coming winter season.

 

September 09, 2005.
On September 9th, we performed a minor repair on Propylene Glycol (Anti-Freeze) line that feeds the solar collectors on the roof.  This system is located in northwest San Antonio.  The system has been in service since 1985 and provided free hot water to the 1.2 acre estate.  There are two 24 square feet collector rating the whole system at 9,600 BTU per hour water heater.

 

August 19, 2005.
On August 19th, we replaced the circulation pump on a solar hot tub heater system located in Stone Oak, San Antonio. The solar system has been in service for more than five years.  The solar hot tub heater is feed by four 24 square feet solar collector.  The collector network on the roof is rated at 19,200 BTU per water heater.  These collector operate for all four seasons which represent huge savings for the homeowners.

 

August 19, 2005.

On August 19th, we replaced the storage tank of a indirect solar hot water heater system located in northeast San Antonio. The solar system has been in service for more than eighteen years without any repair other than schedule 2 years propylene Glycol (anti-freeze) change out. The solar tank internal heat exchanger holds  the anti-freeze that carry out the heat transfer between solar collectors and the potable water .The system has two sixteen square foot collectors on the roof which translates to a 6,400 BTU system.

 

August 05, 2005.
On August 5th, we replaced an 8 watt fluorescent light bulb after 5 years of continuous operation without any repairs. This system was installed in May 2000 by the San Antonio Development Agency (SADA). SADA is a local government  agency that helps low income families obtain a home.  On May 2000, Sun Energy Systems designed and installed a solar hot water heater and photovoltaic system for two of SADA's low income homes.  The Solar Hot Water heater supplies all of the Gil family's hot water needs.
The hot water panel on the roof is a TB4800 collector that has been manufactured by Sun Energy Systems for more than three decades. The Gil residence is located on Hackberry street in downtown San Antonio close to the Alamodome. There are two separate photovoltaic systems installed in the Gil Home:
(1) The first photovoltaic system operates seven 8 watt fluorescent ceiling lights, two 7 watt PL tube fluorescent table lamps, and two DC ceiling fan. All the fluorescent lights and the ceiling fans are operated using 12 volts.  The lights and fans are operating from two 100-Ampere Hour gel cell batteries, and are charged by a 64 watt amorphous module.
(2) The second photovoltaic system operates a patio light.  The patio light is operated by a 7 Ampere Hour lead acid battery, a 17 watt amorphous photovoltaic module, a 7 watt PL tube fluorescent light and a photo sensing light solar charger.  The battery is charged during the day, turns on at night, and turns off in the morning.

 

July 19, 2005.
Replaced outer glazing on a 32,000 BTU space heat and hot water system.  This system has 10 ST6400 collectors installed.  The solar system has been in service since 1981 and has not had major repair other than glazing replacement.

 

April 24, 2005.
Installed a Residential 4,800 BTUs Solar Hot Water System in North East San Antonio . A Drain back hot water system was previously installed at the residence.  After several expensive repairs and constant maintenance, the owner decided to install a brand new TB4800 maintenance free and more efficient solar hot water system.

 

May 14, 2005.

Installed a Residential 4,800 BTUs Solar Hot Water System in South East San Antonio. This installation is part of a continuing effort with Neighborhood Housing Services, a local non-profit organization that helps low income families acquire homes in our great city.  NHS decided to install brand new TB4800 systems in their community.  This decision was based on the previous successes the San Antonio Development Agency had with Sun Energy System's hot water solutions back in May 2000.

Mauricio McNish-Jay's Design and Installs during his tenure at Sun Energy Systems

 

March, 2004.
Performed routine maintenance on a solar pool system.  This system is located in San Antonio's Hill Country near the Medina Lake area.  The 24,000 BTUs per hour solar pool heater extends the home owner's swimming season at least 3 months.

 

March, 2004.

The Alamo Community College District's Southwest Campus, Palo Alto campus installed four LED strip lights to replace the florescent fixtures that light up their campus map.  They bought a solar LED light system that automatically activates at night and deactivates during the day.  We designed the solar LED system, if necessary, to operate for approximately 1-1/2 weeks without sunlight.  When the Palo Alto's facility engineers installed this LED lighting systems,  they avoided costs associated with fluorescent fixture including installation and operating costs.  After testing one of the solar LED lighting system for a couple of months, they bought and installed three more systems throughout the campus.

 

May, 2004
Installed a Residential 14,400 BTUs Solar Hot Water System in the Waterstone (kendall County) subdivision. The 7,600 square foot residence has three Terbon collector (TB4800).  In his continuous effort to offer his customers with cutting edge energy efficient homes, the builder (Essick Homes) decided to include a solar hot water heater.

 

May, 2004

In May 2004, we installed an indirect solar hot water system in a  North Central San Antonio.  This Solar Hot water system is called an indirect system because the potable water is not heated directly; instead, we heat up propylene Glycol (anti-freeze) that is circulated into a heat exchanger tank to heat up the potable water. We installed a TB4800 solar hot water collector that produces 4,800 BTUs per hour.

 

May, 2004

In May 2004, Sun Energy Systems retrofitted four Sun Trapper Drain Back solar hot water systems.  These solar hot water systems were financed by the San Antonio Development Agency (SADA) in 2000.  These solar systems start to gradually  fail after a couple years in service.  Sun Energy systems was called in by SADA to install a more dependable solar hot water system.  We remove the drainback tanks, installed solar hot water storage tanks, as well new hard copper piping and new freeze protection systems.

 

February, 2004
In February 2004, we installed a solar pump in Marble Falls, Texas.  This solar pump provides fresh water for the ranch owner's cattle.  This Solar system pumps approximately 3 gallons per minute from a depth of 75 feet.  The DC pump is powered by two 75 watt crystalline solar modules, and controlled by an 8 amp regulator that increases the pump delivery by 20%.

 

December, 2003

In February 2003, we replaced an outer glazing on a 44,800 BTUs per hour Solar Space heat and Hot water system.  The solar space heat/hot water system has six pairs of ST6400 solar collectors and two 120  gallon solar storage tanks.  This system was installed in 1985 by Sun Energy Systems during the 40% federal credit.  This system has been saving the 8,000-square foot   estate thousands of dollars in space heating and  hot water over the years.

 

August, 2002
In August 2002, we reinstalled two 65W Siemens and 70 watts photo voltaic modules on a 30 feet RV. The modules were installed on a RV that washed away in  the Guadalupe river during the 2002 great flood. The only thing the RV owners could salvage were the three solar modules on the roof. We added 240 ampere hour more to the existing 800 ampere hour battery bank.  The new controls would operate six florescent lights, a 13" TV, a satellite dish, a VCR, a laptop and a 300 watts stereo system.