The Starbuck, Minnesota based “Solar Skies” http://solarskies.com/ manufacturer of Solar thermal panels, yesterday February 11th, 2010 held an installation class on Solar thermal panels. The class taught by Kurt Koegel, a plumber by trade, I found interesting and very informative. Kurt’s power point presentations were well-developed. He provided incite on the different types of systems and the advantages and disadvantages of each system.
After lunch we were escourted out to the manufacturing floor, where we put on our safety glasses and kept distance away from the assembling workers. It was clear to me that even though the production floor was under whelming, the product being produced was of the highest quality. They use extruded aluminum frames. Precision saws and punches for cutting out the frames and holes for the frames. The heat collectors are made of all copper, a huge advantage over products that use a combination of aluminum and copper for the internal collector. Each material has an expansion coefficient and over time in a solar heat collectors with aluminum and copper will have breaking issues. Solar Skies has put together a quality product. Another example is the tempered glass used to protect the internal heat collectors. High strength and low iron content so that the sun’s radiation is allowed entry to the collector. The quality of the product and the willing ness of the company to listen to the needs of its customers is impressive.
Kurt told of a customer that called and asked if they manufactured in the color white. As a standard color, white is not on the product list. Solar Skies was willing to send their frames out to an auto body shop locally and have them painted with a high quality white paint before the assembly began. Now, can you find a manufacturing company in China to do that for you and have it manufactured, received, ready for installation in a couple weeks. Never. Buying local and buying American made has a real advantage.
Convincing Kurt that I should be allowed to take pictures of the facility, now that may take some doing. Allowing pictures would help to promote Solar Skies. (I know Kurt will read this because he will get a link via email.)
By the way Kurt if electrons flow thought it is electrical work and should be done by an electrician. If poop or pee flows though it, then it is plumbing work and should be done by a plumber. The controls installed on any system are required by Minnesota state law to be installed by a Minnesota Licensed Journeyman Electrician or a Limit Energy licensed person. If you don’t have this license, call some one who does. The excuse that electricians don’t want this work or don’t know how to is “bull shit”. Completely untrue and just an excuse to go a head and do the work without complying with state law. Just remember if electrons flow, electrical work. Poop or pee, plumbing work. The customer deserves the project to be done right and by the right trade.
The next posting will be on the difference between Solar Thermal (water) done by a plumber and Solar Photovoltaic (electric) done by an electrician.
