Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Drake Landing Solar Community

A showcase for solar heating with central storage:
 Drake Landing Solar Community

Location: Okotoks, Alberta. 51.1 deg N, 114 deg W, 1084 m elevation
Weather: Winter -33 C; Summer 28.3 C DB/15.6 C WB
                (Sun Peaks has a similar, slightly milder range)
  • 52-house subdivision to have space and water heating supplied by solar energy
  • Solar energy captured year round by 800-panel garage mounted array
  • Combination of seasonal and short-term thermal storage facilitate collection and storage of solar energy in the summer for use in space heating in winter
  • Borehole thermal energy storage is an in-ground heat sink for seasonal energy storage
  • Short-term thermal storage tanks are central hub for heat movement between collectors, district loop / houses, and borehole thermal energy storage
  • District loop moves heat from the short-term thermal storage tanks to the houses
 Cool feature: you can view the current system performance in real time.  

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