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 Installation of our Solar CollectorsSelecting the correct size is important when choosing your solar collector. Once you have resolved which size collector will suit your needs, the next step is an installation of your system.  Before installation, determine the correct angle of installation and direction. The direction of angle and installation is very important and will determine the effectiveness of the solar collector. Of course, you want the solar collector to receive the maximum amount of sunlight every day and throughout the year. Generally, if your system is in the northern hemisphere your collector should point south and it should point north if it is in the southern hemisphere. The angle at which you mount your collector should correspond to the latitude of your site. For instance:
How does the time of year and the seasons affect the heat output of the collector? If you live in a climate that is well north of the equator you will need a solar system that will greatly exceed heat requirements in the summer. Generally, in the summer, heating will not be required, but cooling will be. Unfortunately, at present, solar cooling for residential purposes is not yet economically viable. So what do we do with all this surplus of heat? If you have a spa or heated swimming pool, the heat surplus can be used to supplement heating there. This surplus of heat should be used for some purpose so the collector does not stagnate at such high temperatures and pressures. If you do not have a need for this surplus of heat produced by summer solar heating, then adjusting the angle of the collector to absorb less heat will protect the system. Due to the angle of the earth as compared to the sun, the sun is low in the sky during the winter and high in the summer. Some houses are even designed to take advantage of the abundant solar energy by having big windows facing the sun on the "north" and "south" sides of the house. Greater winter performance will be experienced by increasing the vertical angle of the collector by about 20 degrees more than the location's latitude (e.g. 80o instead of 60o). This is because the collector is facing the sun at a longitudinal-perpendicular angle. Because the sun is at a higher location in the sky during the summer, the collector should be about 40o perpendicular to reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the collector. This change in angle should lower peak output in the summer, avoiding problems associated with excessive summer heat production.
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