RE 108 “Active Solar Heating”
Institution: Northern New Mexico College – El Rito Campus
Course Title: RE 108-101 “Active Solar Heating” (Blackboard/Internet)
Degree: This class can be applied to NNMC’s Certificate or AAS in Renewable Energy.
Instructor: Kurt Gardella
Credits: 3
Dates and Registration: see www.re-college.com
Solar energy can supply heat for buildings, domestic hot water, and industrial processes. Active solar systems acquire heat with collectors, distribute the heat with fluids driven by pumps or blowers, store the heat in liquids, solids, or change-of-state materials and control the process with electrical or electronic sensors and controls. In this 8-week internet course you will analyze home heating requirements (domestic hot water and space heating) and match needs with appropriate active solar systems.
Theoretical and hands-on topics include: defining your present water and space heating needs and systems, energy conservation strategies which can be used to reduce your needs, overview of key passive solar space and water heating concepts and systems (BREADBOX and THERMOSYPHON systems) with a comparison to active solar solutions, introduction to GLYCOL (ANTIFREEZE ) SOLAR WATER HEATERS, introduction to DRAINBACK SOLAR WATER HEATERS, using glycol solar heating system integrating a PV panel for pumping, using glycol (or drainback) solar heating systems in connection with a radiant floor for space heating, overview of materials and suppliers for radiant floor heating systems, detailed overview of SOLAR AIR COLLECTOR heating systems, choosing and sizing the right active (or passive) solar system for your needs, overview of a standard workflow of installing an active solar system, basics of operating and maintaining an active solar system.
The course also provides you with podcast interviews on the above topics with our department chair Quentin Wilson. An online discussion group for interacting with the instructor and fellow students also accompanies the course.