Solar In New England

Did you know that in the past 20 years technology has produced special vacuum tubes of glass that effectively capture the heat from a New England winter sun? Did you know that Martins Mechanical has now installed over a dozen solar hot water systems that heat showers fully in the summer and lower heating bills in the winter?

 
Installations by Martins Mechanical in the Upper Valley


It's easy to confuse solar hot water with solar electricity, which needs bright, direct sunlight (and a box of complex electronics). Solar hot water works and pays for itself in Northern climates.

Why have gallons of oil shipped thousands of miles to heat your morning shower when you can capture the heat of sunlight falling just outside your house? Experience the satisfaction that self-sufficiency brings.




How Does Solar Work?

A solar system captures solar radiation through a solar collector. The fluid inside the collector heats up and is pumped to a heat exchanger where the absorbed heat is transmitted to the household water. The fluid, now cooled after transferring its heat, is pumped back to the collector and the cycle is repeated.

Depending on your current hot water heating system, there are two primary ways of integrating a solar hot water system.

1. A solar preheat system which feeds preheated hot water from a solar tank into your existing hot water tank.

2. a dual-coil single-tank system (as illustrated), where the hot water is heated by both the boiler and the solar collector.

What Can I Use It For?

Viessmann high-performance solar collectors are ideal for heating your domestic hot water - the hot water you use to take showers, do laundry, etc. In some cases, a solar system can be used, together with a low-temperature hot water heating system, to support your space heating load, or for pool heating.

How Much Can I Use?

An efficient solar heating system will make the best use of whatever sun is available. To produce heat the sun doesn’t have to shine brightly. A parked car, for example, warms up on a cloudy day. Solar collectors work much the same. Highly-efficient collectors can utilize even the smallest amount of solar radiation. Solar collectors from Viessmann are specifically designed for northern climates, and can produce enough solar energy to heat up to 70% of your annual hot water requirements

How Much Can I Save?

The amount of available solar radiation is dependent on the time of year and your location. The solar coverage rate measures the average amount of energy covered by a solar system in a year. In northern climates, solar coverage can still be as high as 70%. In the summer months a high-performance solar system typically covers almost all the energy required to heat domestic hot water.

A solar system can make a real difference. Not just by reducing your energy bill, but by reducing harmful CO greenhouse gas emissions as well.

Why We Install Viessmann Systems



Viessmann is committed to environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and green heating solutions. Our solar heating products are the result of more than 30 years of experience. More than 2 million Viessmann solar collectors have been installed in Germany alone so far.

With Viessmann Solar you are making an investment for the future. Not only because you are preserving valuable fossil fuels and reducing emissions, but also because Viessmann solar collectors, like all of our products, are highly efficient, long-lasting and of quality construction. For more information visit Viessmann

Tax Incentives

Most incentive programs are offered by various levels of Government. The United States Federal Government, for example, is currently offering a 30% tax credit for the purchase and installation of a solar system. For more information visit Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE)