Rob McMonagle, SolarCity Program Manager, Toronto Atmospheric Fund

March 31, 2010

Inspecting Residential Solar Water Heating Systems

Inspecting Residential Solar Water Heating Systems

Future Events

All webinars run from 1-2:00 p.m. EST

Webinar 1 – Developing a Building Permit Process for Solar Water Heating - Wednesday, March 24

Webinar 2 - Structural Requirements for Installing a Residential Solar Water Heater on a Roof - Friday, March 26

Webinar 3 - Inspecting Residential Solar Water Heating Systems - Wednesday, March 31

Webinar 4 - Permitting of Residential Solar Water Heating Systems - Wednesday, April 14

NOTE: All presentation will be posted on www.solarpermits.ca a few days after the webinar

Solar Permits Overview Developed by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) to share knowledge

gained through the largest single-city solar hot water project in Canada (Solar Neighbourhoods).

TAF is the City of Toronto’s climate agency. TAF supports the development and implementation of leading-edge ideas with the potential for large emission reductions.

TAF is working to support greater deployment of renewable energy in Toronto as a way of helping the City reach its emission reduction targets.

Solar Permits is made possible by an investment by the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada.

Workshop Agenda

1. Introduction to Solar Water Heating

2. Solar Technologies 3. Toronto’s Interest in

Solar 4. Toronto Building’s

Requirements for SDHW 6. Inspection Requirements 7. Installation Issues and

Best Practices 8. Open Discussion

Thank you

Thanks to the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and Natural Resources Canada for their support of this project

1. An introduction to solar water heating

1. An introduction to solar water heating

Solar Technologies

There are four distinct technologies that collect energy from sunlight– Passive Solar – collects heat and light through

natural (passive) processes– Photovoltaic or PV – produces electricity directly as

a result of the material’s properties– Solar Air – produces hot air for space heating– Solar Water – produces hot water for pools,

industry and residential applications We’re focusing on solar domestic hot water

(SDHW)

Overview

For an overview of solar hot water in Canada and internationally, please see webinar #1.

2. Solar Domestic Hot Water Technologies

2. Solar Domestic Hot Water Technologies

Understanding the Technology Types of systems are broken down in two

areas:– 1. The system type – classified by the type of

freeze protection used: Seasonal – potable water is heated directly – similar

to a conventional water heater Drain Back – water is used as the heat transfer fluid Closed Loop – an anti-freeze heat transfer fluid is use

– 2. The type of solar collector used: Flat plate Evacuated tube

Systems types can use either flat plate or evacuated tube collectors

Year-round Systems

Drain back and closed loop systems

Collectors on the roof – tank in the utility room

Solar Hot Water System Schematic (Simplified)

Photo Credit: NRCan

Seasonal Systems

Tank is on the roof Potable water is heated

directly (and stored in tank)

Drained in winter In some climates a

seasonal system is used year around – however there is no “automatic” freeze protection

Some systems use heat tape to provide limited freeze protection

Solar Collectors

Two types of collectors– Flat plate– Evacuated tube

There is no consensus of what type of collector is better (flat plate or evacuated tube)– Evacuated tube may work better

in marginal light conditions but will not self melt snow cover

– Flat plate is less flexible in sizing and if broken will need to replace a larger part of the system

Solar on the Roof – Roof Conditions

Two roof types– Flat roof– Sloped roof

Two roof structure types– Rafter– Truss (prevalent in homes built after 1990s)

Two system types– Tank on roof (seasonal)– Tank in the utility room (year round)

Solar on Sloped Roofs

Solar Neighbourhoods in an older downtown neighbourhood– Older buildings tend to have structurally stronger roofs

Solar on Flat Roofs

Solar Neighbourhoods in an older downtown neighbourhood– About 30% of installations done on flat roofs

Higher concern of water leakage Increased wind loading Variety of roof covering

Seasonal Systems (tank) on Roof Limited experience with in Solar

Neighbourhoods as no sales of this product were made– However the developed product span table for one

seasonal system is comparable to span tables for systems with just the collector on the roof

– Seasonal systems are about ½ the size of year around systems

3. Toronto’s Interest in Solar3. Toronto’s Interest in Solar

Toronto’s Solar Initiative

Action item from the Climate Change Plan (2007): “develop a pilot residential solar domestic hot water program”

Prior to 2007 30-50 SDHW systems (estimated) were installed in Toronto annually (without building permits)– Austria: 10,000 systems annually for equivalent population base

(2.5 million) The Toronto Solar Neighbourhoods Initiative was developed to identify challenges and support barrier resolutions

Target of 100 system sales in one neighbourhood

Report will be available later this spring

Reason for Interest in SDHW: Climate Change Targets

To stabilize CO2 concentration under 400 pap:

– Global CO2 emissions peak by 2015

– Reduction of Canada’s energy related CO2 emissions from today’s 15.8 Gt/a to approx. 2 Gt/a by 2050

Per capita emissions of approx. 1 t CO2/capita Canada needs a reduction of “4 in 5”

0 5 10 15 20

Africa

India

China

Canada

OECD

World

t CO2/(Kopf, Jahr)

Residential Hot Water’s Role in CO2 Reductions SDHW Systems can provide 0.4 – 0.7 t CO2/year

reduction in Toronto (but more in high carbon energy jurisdictions)– Over system life (20 years) = 8 -15 t CO2

It is the single largest reducer of CO2 that a homeowner can make– Plus it is highly visible (unlike caulking or weather-stripping)Lifetime GHG Reductions

-

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

TorontoElectricity

TorontoNatural Gas

PEI Electricity PEI Oil

C)2

(to

nn

es)

Red

uce

d

Canadian Financial Support for Solar Hot Water is Growing

Support has grown rapidly over the past two years.– In 2008 total was $500

As of March 2010 total is now $2,500 (31% of cost)– Typical support

internationally is 50%

Average SDHW system cost

$8,000

Solar Neighbourhoods incentive (Toronto only – program now over)

-$1,000

Federal ecoENERGY rebate

-$1,250

Ontario Home Energy Savings rebate

-$1,250

Total support for early market transformation

$3,500

Costs after discounts and rebates

$4,500

Costs after incentives financed at 0% over 10 years

$37.50 per month

Where is Solar Neighbourhoods?

Solar Neighbourhoods was a pilot program of the City of Toronto to overcome barriers to early deployment of residential SDHW systems

Ward 30: “Riverdale”– About 15,000 single

family homes– 1 of 44 wards in

Toronto Expanded to 3 other

wards in October 2009 Program is now over –

preparing report to Council

Accomplished – the Highest Density of SDHW Systems Installed in Canada

100 SDHW systems sold– 1 in every 150 homes

(100/15,000)– Prior to program there

were 10 systems in ward (estimated)

If we did this in all of Toronto – 4,400 systems sales

But remember Austria – 1 out of every 7 homes– That level would equal

2,200 installations in the ward!

4. Toronto Building’s Requirements for SDHW Systems

4. Toronto Building’s Requirements for SDHW Systems

The Cost of Regulatory Compliance in Toronto

Item Cost Contractor Time

Certified Plan development $700 - $2,000Done by a P.Eng - Only done once Should be done by manufacturer

?

Building Permit Application (Note reduced requirements under the GEA are only for PV)

$96 2-3 hrs

Roof Structure Report 1 hr

Backflow Preventor (DCAP type)Prior to OBC change in requirements this cost about $300

$25 1 hr

Thermal Expansion Device $25 (TER valve – use instead of an expansion tank @ $125)

Site inspection (with Toronto Building inspector)

2 hrs

Total $150 6-7 hrs

Toronto Process to Regulating SDHW Systems Plan Review

– Compliance to CSA F379– Compliance to Ontario Building Code

Structural Backflow Prevention Other system components

– Site Review (compliance to zoning bylaws) Inspection

– Compliance to CSA F383: Installation of Packaged Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems

– Compliance verification to the Ontario Building Code

Toronto Solution: Installations to Codes and Standards

To insure that SDHW installations are installed according to:– The Ontario Building Code – Manufacturer’s Instructions – CSA F383

Toronto Solution: Toronto Building requires that installations by done by CanSIA certified Solar DHW installers or inspected upon completion by a P.eng

Toronto Solution: Development of a commissioning document which complies with CSA F383

– Note – F383 does not provide good guidance to regulators and needs improvement

However – CanSIA certification is not provincially recognized– Work needs to be started to develop a

provincially sanctioned training certificate

CanSIA’s Canadian SHW Installer Certification

Toronto Solution: Certified Plans for SDHW Systems Toronto Solution - Certified Plans

– Stamped engineer drawings and letter stating that the system is in conformance to F379

– Acceptance that this is a “standard product” rather than a one-off site-specific engineered system

– Extensive review by Toronto Building of support documentation Normal charges are waived for the review during the Solar

Neighbourhoods Initiative – normally this would cost in range of $2,000– 7 systems have been issued certified plans

Step 1: Contractor works with a professional engineer– Reviews both mechanical and structural requirements in the OBC

– City of Toronto developed guidelines for this review

Step 2: Contractor submits documentation to Toronto for review Step 3: Toronto Building issues a Certified Plan which is kept on

file Step 4: When contractor submits for a building permit, no plan

review is required

Toronto Solution to Backflow Protection Changes to Ontario Building Code in January 2010

clarified requirements:– Where potable water is used (seasonal system) no

backflow preventer is required– Where a single walled heat exchanger and heat transfer

fluid is relatively harmless, then a DCAP backflow preventer is required

– All others – an RP backflow preventer and an inspection by a certified backflow preventer inspector

As part of the submission to obtain a certified plan contractor must submit:– A letter confirming that the heat transfer fluid is relatively

harmless– The heat transfer fluid’s safety data sheet

The Toronto Solution to Roof Structure City of Toronto’s Building Department has

developed a simple methodology to determine if the roof conditions can withstand the structural loading of the renewable energy project for rafter roofs

Truss roofs require a different solution Step 1: Development of product structural

drawings– Stamped structural drawings

Span Table

– Sample load calculation (for review by Toronto Building)– Letter of conformance by P. eng.

Structural Drawing (example)

SAMPLE

Structural Drawing (example)

SAMPLE

Toronto Solution for Rafters – Solar Roof Report

Roof inspection report is done showing the conditions of the roof at site of proposed solar installation

Last Step

Verify that the solar span table is inside the actual roof conditions

Solar Neighbourhoods Experience

Through Solar Neighbourhoods TAF has evaluated 65 Roof Reports

There are projects that were approaching the max

Only 1 project ran into structural challenges (rafter span greater than required by the solar span table)

– Project was able to proceed by moving the collectors onto the flat roof

– No contractor reported that a sale was lost due to inadequate roof structural conditions – however it appears that some were “pretty close”

Flat Roof % of Max Span

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0 5 10 15 20 25

Sloped Roof % of Max Span

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

5. Inspection Requirements and Process

5. Inspection Requirements and Process

Toronto Building’s Process for Permitting SDHW Systems Toronto Building’s Solar Working

Group has developed a number of forms and documented procedures to facilitate inspection:– SDHW System Report– Solar Roof Structure Report– Solar Backflow Prevention Report

But it’s still a work in progress!

Inspection Bulletin

Covers 3 main areas:– Installation

on the roof– Backflow

prevention– Plumbing

safety

On Site Inspection - Roof

Procedure Comments

1.1 The system has been installed

1.2 The location of the solar collectors is as shown on the roof structure report

To ensure that the rafters have been evaluated at location of collectors

1.3 The slope of the roof is as indicated on the roof structure report

Racks are for flat roof (<16o) or sloped

1.7 Where structural alterations (as required by the permit) have been made, an inspection will be conducted to determine compliance. If the area of work is not accessible or accessibility is limited by H&S policy a report may be requested. The report may be provided by an Architect, P. Eng or a person having a BCIN.

Installing solar collectors is not a structural alteration – only where the roof needs additional support (i.e. blocking) is there a need to evaluate for compliance.

1.8 Fastening and securing of the roof top equipment is not included in the Inspection Service Level, as reliance will be placed on the Certified Installer

Certified Installers are qualified to install the solar collectors

On Site Inspection – Roof Report

Verification that roof conditions meet solar span table requirements is part of plan review

Inspection verifies that location of solar collectors is as shown on drawing– Best Practices: contractors

should be taking pictures of their roof installations

Particularly if not visible from ground

On Site Inspection – Plumbing Safety

Procedure

1.5 A thermal expansion device has been installed downstream of the backflow preventer

Only required when a back flow preventer is installed

1.6 A mixing valve has been installed to limit the hot water to a maximum of 49 degrees C, in accordance with Subsection 7.6.5 of the Ontario Building Code

Normally installed after the back up water tank. Note: some tankless water heaters need a set temperature input and hence the mixing valve is installed between the 2 tanks

On Site Inspection – Backflow Prevention

Procedure Comments

1.4 A backflow prevention device has been installed and the direction of flow is correct

There are 3 levels of backflow protection – none, DCPA or RP; will be on certified plans

2 Confirm the submission of the completed Backflow Prevention Device Test Report and attach it to the permit folder

Only if an RP backflow preventer is required

#3: Review of the Completed SDHW Inspection Report The inspection report is

to verify conformance to F83

There are some additional elements (i.e. regarding structure) added to the inspection report

There is no need to verify items – responsibility rests with the Certified Installer

Comparing F383 Tests to Toronto Building’s Inspection Report There needs to be some significant changes to

F383 section 13: System Tests to make it a valuable tool for commissioning and regulatory inspection

TB Inspection Report F383-08 Section 13

Comments

1. Flow Verification Test Same

2. Pressure Leakage Test Same

3. Freeze Protection Test Same

4. Controller Test Same

5. All plumbing connections to collectors, pumps, heat exchanger and other components have been connected properly

Same as 13.1 a

6. All safety equipment such as temperature and pressure relief valves are present and installed in the correct manner

Same There needs to be testing of the safety equipment

TB Inspection Report F383-08 Section 13

Comments

7 . All pipes are adequately sloped to ensure complete draining of the system

Same

8. The correct amount of insulation is installed and is adequately secured and protected against water damage

Same Need to add animal damage and mechanical damage

9. Structural conditions are as shown in roof report and structural attachments are in accordance with structural drawings and F383

13.1.e Roof penetrations are adequately sealed

This is the only measure linking to structure and mounting on roof

10. Local of solar collectors and or tank are as shown in the structural roof report

See above

11. All wiring meet the Ontario Electric Code and is properly fastened to protect it against mechanical damage

Same

12. All instrumentation and test points are installed properly Same

13.1.h relief valves are plumbed to drains or catch basins

Not in this as its in the Ontario Building Code

13. System controller is properly located and in the automatic position

What purpose does this serve

14. Monitoring equipment is present and operational Missing

15. Manual is complete and on site Missing

16. Operation instructions are complete and on site Missing

6. Installation Issues and Best Practices

6. Installation Issues and Best Practices

Going Beyond Building Permit Inspection Toronto Building inspection is to

verify that the SHDW system is installed according to codes and standards (as related to safety)

Solar Neighbourhoods looks at a wider range of items related to performance and durability

Solar Neighbourhoods Inspection and Commissioning

All systems required to be commissioned by contractor

Form is similar to Toronto Building’s inspection form (it was used as the model)

Each contractor goes through a minimum of 4 system inspection by a Solar Neighbourhoods inspector

Solar Neighbourhoods Inspection Report

This was modeled after a similar report developed by SolarBC – A solar initiative

in BC This is an

extensive 5 page inspection

The intent is to identify best practices – and where they

are not followed provide for corrective action

Solar Neighbourhoods Inspection Repot

Solar Neighbourhoods Inspection Report – Outline of Deficiencies

Solar Neighbourhoods follows up with a Notice of Deficiencies (if required) outlining needed changes to comply with best practices

Some Solar Neighbourhood Learning Outcomes on Best Practices

While there are some “solar professionals” there are a lot of “beginners” to the industry

Utility Room #1

There are a lot of pipes – not always well laid out

Poor labeling of pipes – so hard to trace through (for inspection or trouble shooting)

Utility Room #2

Tempering valves may be a problem – not working?

Valves not labeled Mounting of various balance of

system component (i.e. pumps) not well done

Learning Outcomes

Temperature expansion relief valves can be used instead of an expansion tank – saves $100 on cost of installation

Some tankless water heaters do not work well with solar

Overflow Connection to Drain Overflow pipe run to

drain is an area that needs improvement– Buckets!– Hidden (in wall or

under construction materials)

Pipe Run Through Wall

Area of challenge for contractors– How to ensure pipes are

insulated yet connection maintains weather tightness

Lack of wall sleeves for this application

Some are using unused chimney flues– Issue of pipe support

Pipe Run up Wall #1

Insulation covering – generally good – coverage – downspouts or

ABS drain pipe Connection to wall – some

installations inadequate – attachments <8 ft apart

Pipe Run up Wall #2

Proper pipe brackets not often used

Problems running pipes over roof overhang

Roof Installation #1

Connection of pipes

Connection of rack to roof

Mounting of racks appears to be well covered by contractors

Roof Installation #2

However installation of piping needs better practices– Poor insulation coverage– Poor roof attachment

Animals like to eat the insulation

7. Open Discussion7. Open Discussion

Thank you

Thanks to the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and Natural Resources Canada for their support of this project

City of TorontoContacts

Rob McMonagle SolarCity Program ManagerToronto Atmospheric Fund

416-393-6371rmcmonagle@tafund.org

www.SolarPermits.ca

Solar Neighbourhoods Information Line

416-393-6370 www.solarneighbourhoods.ca

Toronto Buildingwww.toronto.ca/building