Solar hot water collectors as viewed from partway up the Bergey tower. Two 4x8'
Bubbling Springs Solar collectors. In front of the collectors are two REC 225W solar PV panels.

An APRS World ThermokSolar-4A runs the show.

It controls:

• Two Liang EcoCirc circulation pumps for the solar hot water heating loop.


• One Liang EcoCirc pump for domestic heating.


• Morningstar Tri-Star dump controller. Prevents the Tri-Star from boiling the hot water tank.

It monitors:

• Tank top temperature


• Collector out temperature


• Outdoor ambient temperature


• Tank bottom temperature


• Water meter (gallons)


• Input voltage


• Battery voltage

Bottom of the tank temperature sensor and wiring for outside temperature sensors.

Two EcoCircs tucked up against the wall. The pump on the left ciculates through a baseboard heater for building heat. The bottom pump circulates the domestic hot water through the glycol/domestic heat exchanger.

Fuzzy picture of flat plate heat exchanger, expansion tank, glycol circulation pump, water meter, and water pressure gauge.

The ThermokSolar sends all measured parameters via a 2.4 GHz 802.15.4 (xbee) link to the box on the right. It receives the signal and converts it to Ethernet. Then the router on the left goes from Ethernet to the Internet via a Spring EVDO broadband wireless connection.

A Morningstar TS-60 dumps energy from the 48 volt Bergey battery bank into special 48 volt hot water heater elements. The Tri-Star is controller by the ThermokSolar-4A to prevent it from boiling the water in the tank.