ᐅ Solar Thermal Systems – What Are the Practical Distance Limits to the Storage Tank?

Hello everyone,

We are currently planning our house. We will heat with a wood gasification boiler (log wood) and therefore will have a fairly large buffer tank. To avoid having to add wood during the summer months and also to provide support during transitional seasons, we plan to install a solar system.

One option we are considering is installing it on the garage roof. However, the garage is about 20 meters (65 feet) horizontally and 6 meters (20 feet) vertically away from the boiler room. Are there any guidelines regarding energy losses or at what distance it becomes impractical?

Thanks in advance,
Best regards, Philipp

Hello Philipp

I don’t see the losses due to the length of the pipe as a problem. Much more important is to ensure that the pump only runs when there is sufficient solar output. Otherwise, especially in winter or transitional periods, the pump might just circulate cold water from the pipe into the storage tank and then switch off again.

Olli

Thank you, Olli, very interesting. I hadn’t thought of that at all, but it makes sense. I will definitely take this into my discussions with the heating engineer!!!