Investigation of Means for Lowering Costs of Active Solar Hot Water/Space Heating Systems

Market penetration studies indicate that in the absence of tax credits, large reductions in the costs of active solar hot water/space heating systems will be necessary. A number of potential means for equipment and labor cost reductions are presented. The use of drainback systems with polybutylene pipe and a variety of low-cost collector concepts is discussed. The pros and cons of the variousdrainback configurations are described in terms of performance and potential for cost reduction.