It is Hiking day, but not This Week

The Portal Rodeo hiking club is out enjoying a hike in the Chiricahua Mountains, but finishing other work takes precedence this week at the Painted Pony Resort.  The solar collectors are up and running and producing 110 degree water.  The hot water is circulating through the heat exchangers and heating the pool.  An additional purge valve was installed to make purging trapped air at the collectors easier.  For those interested, the angle of the collectors is higher to maximize winter solar energy collection and minimize summer collection. 

I note that while much is made of solar energy as a renewable resource it is really just nuclear fusion taking place 93 million miles away.  So the new heating system might be more accurately described as fusion powered.  While the idea of fusion powered pool heating may make some uncomfortable, it does sound high powered and futuristic.