Tom Lane

Interview with Tom Lane - Conclusion

Submitted by Mark on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 09:00

This is the second half of my interview with solar pioneer Tom Lane, who was elected to the Solar Hall of Fame in 2006. Part one of the interview is here.

His company, ECS Solar, installs solar electric, hot water and pool heating systems in Florida. He wrote the book “Solar Hot Water: Lessons Learned 1977 to Today”, which some consider the bible of the industry. width=

Q- What pitfalls a homeowner should watch out for when buying a solar hot water system?

The biggest thing to be aware of is to make sure the homeowner buys a system with a 100% guarantee against freeze damage. Usually the best type of system is a drain-back system. Fundamentally, there are 2 types of solar heating systems: direct and indirect.

Direct means the water heated in the system is the water that comes out in your shower. That system should only be used in areas that have one freeze or less per year. If you’re in an area that has freezes, you should be using an indirect system, with a heat exchanger. The water that goes through the system is either a drain-back system that drains back when the pop cuts off or you’re circulating a pressurized anti-freeze system.

Interview with Tom Lane - Solar Power Pioneer

Submitted by Mark on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 08:47

When I attended the Solar 2008 conference in May, I had the opportunity to interview Tom Lane, a pioneer in the solar energy field. Tom started in the industry in 1973 and turned professional in 1977, doing solar hot water and electric. He was elected to the Solar Hall of Fame in 2006 (there’s been 47 people elected since 1976). His company, ECS Solar, does solar electric, hot water and pool heating systems in Florida. He wrote the book “Solar Hot Water: Lessons Learned 1977 to Today”, which some consider the bible of the industry, and contributes to Solar Today and Home Power magazines.

While Tom was very busy at the expo giving workshops and sitting on panels, he was gracious enough to sit down for 20 minutes and share his thoughts.

Q- What’s the state of the art now in solar hot water?

Solar hot water technology is at the apogee of its technology right now. Solar heating technology was invented in the 1880s and perfected in the 1980s. The only thing that’s improved since then is the digital controls that give a lot more automation and functions. As far as the basic collection of solar thermal energy from the sun, it’s a very simple technology.