joule ACAPELLA User manual

1
ACAPELLA installation manual
ACAPELLA
joule acapella solar tubes installation manual

2

3
ACAPELLA installation manual
Table of Contents:
04 Introduction
05 Site survey
06 Risk assessment
08 Kit components
09 Mounting Options
10 Important Pre Installation Information
11 Roof Mounting Options
12 Collector Assembly
13 Inserting Tubes
14 Sloped Roof Bolt Mounting Kit
15 Sloped Roof Tile Mounting Bracket
16 Sloped Roof Slate Mounting Bracket
17 Flat Roof Mounting Frame
18 Collecting Flow and Return Pipework
19 Stainless Steel Solar Pipe
20 Pump Station
21 Safety Vessel Connection
22 Electrical Solar Controller
23 Standard Solar System
24 East/West Solar System
25 Dual Store Solar System
26 Commissioning
28 Servicing and Maintenance
3
ACAPELLA installation manual

4
Introduction
Solar hot water systems should be designed and sized correctly before commencing
the installation. Proper design will ensure that a system is correctly sized to provide
many years of optimised performance and most or all of the required hot water when
the most solar radiation is available. However a supplementary heating system such
as oil or gas boiler, heat pump or wood boiler is required for months which have less
solar radiation. This guide will illustrate and explain how a system should be installed
to conform to the Joule manufacturer guidelines for the Acapella product models. Us-
ing this guide Stages of a solar installation are described in the following pages, with
illustrations where necessary to explain how to install the relevant components, and
contains general recommendations and important safety information.
Handling Guidance
• Tubeandmanifoldboxesshouldbetransportedhorizontally.
• Heavygoodsshouldnotbeloadedontopofthekitboxes.
• Careshouldbetakenwhenopeningboxestopreventscratchesorsuddenshocks
to the glass.
• Donotusesharpobjectstoopenthetubeboxes.
Installation Guidance
• Unpackandinstalltubesonlyafterthemanifoldandpipeworkhasbeeninstalled.
• Donotleavethesolarcollectorexposedtosolarradiationwhenthesolarloopand
manifoldhavebeendrained.Collectorsleftexposedinadrystatemustbecov-
ered to prevent possible long term damage.
• Tubesmusthaveaminimumelevationof20˚andamaximumof70˚.
• Thepipeworkofthesolarcollectorloopistobeearthedandthecollectoristobe
lightening protected in accordance to local regulations.
A solar panel installation must be performed in accordance with all Health & Safety
legislationandlocalbuilding/planningregulationsfortherelevantjurisdiction.Further-
more,thenecessaryelectricalworkrequiredtoinstallcontrolequipmentshouldbe
undertakenbyaqualiedelectricalcontractor.
4

5
ACAPELLA installation manual
DegreeofOverShading
Shadingwillreducetheoverallperformanceofasolarsystem.Duringtheplanningstageofasolarsystem.Con-
sid-erationshouldbegiventothelocationofthecollectorswiththeaimofminimisingtheeectsofshadingfrom
high buildings, trees, etc.
none / little / a lot
CollectorFixingSurface
Is there enough room for the solar panels to sit on the required roof? (yes/no)
Is there enough between gulleys (top, bottom and both sides) to prevent leafs and debris from gathering
around the panels?
(yes/no)
OrientationofRoof&EstimatedTiltAngleofRoofforMountingSolarCollectors
WhatistheRooforientation(shouldbebetweenEastSE-WestSW)
Collectorshouldbefacingtheequator
Is an inclinded roof frame need to obtain required pitch? (yes/no)
Tocalculateoptimalangleoftiltmultiplelatitudex0.7fordomestichotwaterproduction
Birr37.16°,Cork36.3°,Dublin53.43°
EstimatingHotWaterDemand&SizeofSystemRequired
No. of people using hot water in the house
Any other exceptional water loads in the dwelling
No. of People SolarCylinderSize SizeofFlatPanelSystem SizeofEvacuatedTube
2PanelSystem(4m2) 30TubeSystem(2.83m2) 1-2people 200litres
3PanelSystem(6m2) 40TubeSystem(3.77m2) 3-5people 300litres
LocationofSolarPumpStation&SolarController
Ensurethepumpstationislocatedinanareawhereitcanbeeasilyaccessedforservicing&main-tenance (Conrm)
Ensurethatthereisadequatespacebothleftandrightofpumpstationtoalloweasyaccesstoremovepump
in future.
Ensurethatthesolarcontrollerislocatedinanareathatiseasilyaccessiblefortheuser (Conrm)
Ensurethatthecontrollerismountedattheocrrctheightforeasyviewing. (Conrm)
ExistingPlumbingSystem
What type of plumbing system is in the dwelling (vented or un-vented)?
Is solid fuel incorporated into the plumbing system?
Isthereadequateaccesstoroutepipeworkfromsolarcollectorsdowntocylinderlocation? (yes/no)
Is there space in the hot press to locate solar pump station? (yes/no)
Site Survey
5
ACAPELLA installation manual

6
SafeRoofAccessToWork
Isthereadequateaccesstoareaofhousetomountscaoldingorladders? (yes/no)
Istheresteadyandsecurebaseonwhichtomountscaoldingorladders? (yes/no)
Arethescaoldingandorladderstforuseintended? (yes/no)
Allinstallerstrainedinworkingatheights? (yes/no)
Areallharnessandothersafetyequipmentworkingcorrectly? (yes/no)
Allworkcarriedoutshouldbeinaccordancewithallrelevantgoodpraticesandorcurrentbuildingstand-
ards.Allcurrentregulationsshouldbefollowedinrelationtoworkingatheights.Nothingstatedinthisguide
takespre-sedenceovercurrentstandards.
ConditionofRoof
 Whatarethecentresofroofrafterswheresolarcollectoristobemounted(eg400mm)? (mm)
Whatisthesizeofroofrafters(eg6x2”,7x2”,8x2”)? (inch)
Are roof rafters cross braced? (yes/no)
Is any of the timber showing discolouration (indicating rot)? (yes/no)
To determine the total load on the roof you must get the total weight of the collectors and divide this weight
bythenumberofroofxingboltsoranchorsusedtoholdthecollectorontheroof.Thiswillgiveyouthe
weight of the solar panels on each point of the roof. You must then carefully review the points where the col-
lectorsareconnectedtotherooftoensurethattheseexactpointscantaketheanticipatedload.
Wherethereissignsofdiscolourationacloserexaminationwillberequried.Ifblackspotsarefoundonthe
timberthisindicatesaleakwhichneedsattention.Ifthetimberappearsbrownandakythen thetimber
may need to be replaced. If the situation is unclear a structural engineers report should be obtained prior to
completinganyfurtherwork.
EectsofSnowLoads
What is the estimated annual snow fall for this part of the country? (mm)
TheestimatedsnowloadforallpartsofirelandmaybefoundfromhistoricaldatalocatedonMetEireann’s
website. www.met.ie
What is the total extra weight to be assumed from a snow fall? (kg)
Irishsnowweighsapprox150kgperm3.Todeterminetheextraweightthesnowwilladdtothesolarpanels
you may assume the following formula. (snow fall in meters x area of panel on the roof in m2x150kg/m3)
Whenyoundoutthetotalextraweightofthesnowaddittothetotalweightofthecollectorontheroof.
The using this new weight examine the roof structure to ensure its suitability. You do not need to consider
the snow load when installing evacuated tubes.
EectsofWindLoad
The evacuated tube collector is exempt from consideration of wind loading for the same reason as the snow loading.
Whenconsideringatpanelswindtestshavebeenconductedthatensurethattheyandtheirxingbracketscanwithstandall
recorded wind forces in Ireland when mounted on a four storey house or less.
Risk Assesment
6

7
ACAPELLA installation manual
Pipework&Liquids
Isantifreezebeingusedasthesolarsystemuid? (conrm)
Ensuresolderjointsarenotusedthroughouttherentiresystem (conrm)
Ensurehightemperatureinsulationisusedthroughtallpipeworkinsolarsystem (conrm)
Ensurewhitepasteandhempisusedonallttingconnectionsthroughout (conrm)
EnsureyouuseJoulecopperoverowanddischargevesseltorecoveruidfromsafetyvalve (conrm)
Water Quality
Water sample visually inspected and no signs of contamination visible (yes/no)
Wheninstallingthesolarsystemitisimportanttocheckthequalityoftheexistingincomingwatertothehot
watercylinder.Ifyouareindoubtastoitspurityasampleshouldbesentotothedepartmentofhealth
for testing.
FireSafety
Ensurethatthereisnoobviousrisktorepreventionbyinstallingthesolarsystem. (conrm)
Ensurethatallwiresarenotindirectconnectionwithanyun-insulatedpipeworkorplantthatcouldcausea
riskofburning
(conrm)
Legionella / Bacterial Growth
Ensurethatthereisnodeadlegsintheexistingplumbingsystemthatcouldinducethegrowthoflegionella. (conrm)
Ensurethatthestatscontrollingtheboilerandthestatcontrollingtheimmersionaresetto60°Corabove. (conrm)
Ensurethattheclientunderstandstheriskoflegionellaandthestandardproceduresforreducingtherisk
of it forming. Also ensure that the client understands that you are their to install a solar thermal system and
thatyoudonottakeanyresponsibilityforauditingtheirhotwatersystemforriskoflegionnellaforming.
Thatyouwillendeavourtominimisetheriskofitformingbytheworkthatyoucarryoutbutanyexisting
riskshouldbedealtwithacertiedprofessional.
(conrm)
7
ACAPELLA installation manual

8
Kit Components
Solar Pump SolarController SolarExpansionVessel
Standard Kit Components
Mounting Options
SolarTubes&Proles
BoltMountingOption TileBracketOption SlateBracketOption
Roof Flashing Options
LeadRoofFlashing AluminiumRoofFlashing 4”RubberGasketSet
SolarFluid
8

9
ACAPELLA installation manual
Mounting Options
Piping Options
DN16DuoPipe DN20Pipe StainlessTails&Copper
Optional Accessories
InstallationHoseMountingSet OverVoltageLightning 3/4”ThermostaticMixingValve
CoolingVessel
9
ACAPELLA installation manual
DischargeVessel

10
Important Pre Installation Information
Sizing of safety equipment
Componentsizesarerelativetothevolumeofliquidinthesystem.
Pipe sizing(minimumof15mmdiameterpipeworkmustbeused)
Collector
Area (m2)
FlowRate
ltr/hr
PipeDiameter
CopperExternal
(mm)
Acapella20Tube
(mbar)
Acapella30Tube
(mbar)
Acapella40Tube
(mbar)
2 120 15 8.54 1.18 4.11
3180 15 12.57 2.87 10.74
4 240 15 17.08 2.36 8.22
5 300 22 21.11 4.05 14.58
6 360 22 25.14 5.74 20.94
8 240 22 33.68 6.92 25.05
EXPANSIONVESSSELSIZING
Model CollectorArea
(m2)
SystemVolume
(ltrs)
Static Height VesselSize
Acapella20Tube 24
Acapella30Tube 24
Acapella40Tube 24
10

11
ACAPELLA installation manual
Roof Mounting options
TheAcapella productrangeisavailablewithachoiceofroof xingoptions tosuit
manyrooftypes,seediagrambelowforthemostcommonxings.Themostcommon
xingsareillustratedandexplainedinthefollowingsectionandmaybeeasilysecured
toslate,tileormasonrynishes.
Metal Roof Fixings
Joulealsosuppliesroofxingkitsformetalandothercommercialroofs.Twooptions
available utilise appropriate clamps so the fabric of the metal roof is not penetrated -
seepagexx.Notetheminimumandmaximumdistancesoneachxingkit.
Option Code Describtion
1a RF-PA-MT-BO-X Slopedroofboltkitoption
1b RF-PA-MT-SL-X Slopedroofslatemountingbracketoption
1c RF-PA-MT-TI-X Slopedrooftilemountingbracketoption
2 SOL-FRF-X-25 25Degincreaseroofinclinedbracket
3SOL-FRF-X-45 45Degatroofinclinedroofbracket
X=2,3,4,5,6
11
ACAPELLA installation manual
1a
1b 1c
2
3

12
Collector Assembly

13
ACAPELLA installation manual
Inserting Tubes
Aftertheframehasbeencompletelyassembledandthesystemhasbeenlledand
commissioned the evacuated tubes can be inserted into the manifold.
1. Holdingthetubeinonehanduseyourotherhandtoslidetheheatpipeoutofthe
glasstubebyabout6”.
2. Byapplyingforcetothemetalheatpipeguidethebulbintothemanifoldinthe
nextavailablesocket.
3. To ensure the bulb has been inserted fully, twist the metal heat pipe to remove
any friction.
4. Onceyouaresurethatthemetalheatpipeandbulbareinsertedcorrectlyslide
the glass tube up towards the manifold.
5. Toeasetheglasstubesealinginsidethemanifoldsocketrublubricantaroundthe
rimoftheglass.Waterwillsuceiflubricantisnotavailable.
13
ACAPELLA installation manual
1
22
34

14
Sloped Roof Bolt Mounting Kit
Mounting parallel bench srew mountingsystem
12
1 )
2 )
3 )
4 )
General Note: Points 9-12, 17 and 18 of these instructions only apply
when mounting more than two collectors!
1: A = 1540 mm ±10 mm
Measure the mounting points (for a suggestion see previous side)
2: Drill tiles - Ø 14mm (Note: On roofs with corrugated tiles
do not drill boreholes in the tile trough!)
3: Drill rafters - Ø 8mm
4: Fasten bench screw, minimum screw depth ≥100mm
Roofxingboltsaredrilleddownthrough
the slate or tile covering the roof. The rub-
bergasketontheboltkeepsthepenetra-
tion point in the roof weather proofed.
The bolt is connected to the prole by
use of a stainless steel L plate and nuts,
bolts and washers. The bolt head slides
throughtheproletothedesiredlocation
andtheLbrackettoxedusingthenut
and washer.
14

15
ACAPELLA installation manual
Sloped Roof Tile Mounting Bracket
Adjustable tile roof mounting brackets
are an ideal solution when xing a so-
lar collector to a thick roof tile. The top
piececanadjusttoincreaseordecrease
the height of the collector above the roof
tile.Thebracketisconnectedtothepro-
le  using nuts, bolts and washers. The
boltheadslidesthroughtheproletothe
desiredlocation andthen thebracketis
xedusingthenutandwasher.
15
ACAPELLA installation manual 15 ACAPELLA installation manual

16
Sloped Roof Slate Mounting Bracket
Slate roof brackets are an ideal bracket
for xing the solar collectors to thin at
slates.Thebracketisconnectedtothe
proleusingnuts,boltsandwashers.The
boltheadslidesthroughtheproletothe
desiredlocation andthen thebracketis
xedusingthenutandwasher.
16

17
ACAPELLA installation manual
Flat Roof Mounting Frame
Theatroofframecreatesapitchof35Deg
from a horizontal base. The frame is manu-
factured from 30x30mm angle aluminium.
The frame consists of triangle nunber A
frame  pieces with two back and sloped
bars.EachAframeconnectstothecollec-
torprolesusingnuts,boltsandwashers.
The frame is xed to surface by installer.
Preferredmethodfxingtoatsurfaceis
dependent on type of surface and available
supports.
17
ACAPELLA installation manual

18
Connecting Flow & Return Pipework
18
Connecting Flow & Return Pipework
Tails – 075m Stainless Steel
Eachtailhasbeenmanufacturedwithaswivelnutoneachend.Thisswivelnutscrews
directlyontoonesideofthepanelsystemwherethe¾”atfacedmalethreadcon-
nectionis.A¾”x¾”atfacenipplemustbeusedbetweentheswivelnutonthecol-
lector and the swivel nut on the tails.
Stainless Steel Solar Pipe
Whenusingsolarpipeasowandreturnpipeworkthenitisadvisablethat0.75m
longtailsarenotusedalsoasthisincreasesthenumberofjointsinthesystem.The
solar pipe should be reated as normal and be prepared for connecting. (see solar pipe
pageforfurtherdetails).Theswivelnutttingonthesolarpipewillscrewdirectlyonto
onsideofthecollectorsystemwherethe¾”atfacedmalethreadconnectionis.A
¾”x¾”atfacenipplemustbeusedbetweentheswivelnutonthecollectorandthe
swivel nut on the solar pipe.
Connecting Panels Together
TheAcapellacollectorhasa¾”atfacemalethreadononesideandaswivelnut¾”
female on the other side. This means that each panel connects directly to the panel
besideit.Abrewashermustbeinsertedbetweentheatfaceofthemalethreadand
the internal of the female swivel nut.
Insulation.

19
ACAPELLA installation manual 19 ACAPELLA installation manual
Stainless Steel Pipe Specication
Silicone Cable Specication
Insulation Specication
Stainless Steel Solar Pipe

20
TheJouleproductrangeoersbothasinglestreamandadualstreampumpstation.
Theowraterequiredonasystemistypically1litreperminute,persquaremetre
installed.Thereforea2-12litrepumpstationwillbesucientforsystemsupto12m².
1. Insulatingbox(back)inEPP
2. Safetyunitconsistingof:manometer0/10bar,solarsafetyvalvescali-
bratedto6bars,3/4”connectionforexpansionvessel
3. Security clips
4. Shutovalveswithintegratedthermometersandcheck-valves
5. Solarpump
6. Visualowbalancingvalvewithllinganddraingroup
7. Hoseconnection
8. InsulatingEPPbox(cover)
Connectionsofowandreturnpipeworktothepumpstationaremadevisthe¾”at
face thread connection on all points apart from the connection directly underneath the
pump.Thisconnectionistobemadewith22mmsmoothtube.
When locating the pump station consideration should be given to future access for
maintenance. It is best practice to locate the pump as far downstream the system as
possibleawayfromthecollectorstohelpreducetheamountofhightemperatureuid
that comes in contact with the pump station. If the distance between the collector
andheatstoreisshort(>5m)thenrunningextrapipeworkoverandbackinsidethe
attic space to increase the linear distance between pump station and collectors is
recommended.
Pump Station