Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Solar Water Heater for your Timber Frame Home - the Vitosol 300

I know we primarily write about timber frames homes and the timber frame industry on our Davis Timber Frame Blog, but because we are striving to be a sustainable and green company, I enjoy posting about products and information that can help just about everyone!


I've been searching for a great solar solution for my own home for a while and was pleasantly surprised when one of our timber frame reps handed me an informational packet on the Vitosol 300, by Viessmann Solar.


Living in Vermont, I need something rugged that can maximize the few days of sunlight we receive per year. I think this is finally the solution I've been looking for!


A solar system captures solar radiation through a collector and then heats up a heat transfer fluid (usually an anti-freeze of some type) which is inside the collector. Then the fluid is pumped to a heat exchanger where the absorbed heat is transmitted to the drinking water or heating circuit. The cooled heat transfer fluid is then pumped back to the collector to await the repeat of the cycle.

The Vitosol 300 uses vacuum tube solar collectors with an absorber surface area of 22 and 32 sq.ft - 2 and 3 sq.m. It's the most environmentally-friendly method of domestic hot water heating, as well as a backup/supplement for low-temperature heating purposes.
Thanks to the highly effective Sol-Titan coating, the vacuum tube collector Vitosol 300 can even utilize diffused solar radiation. It is therefore suitable not only for domestic hot water applications, but also as a backup for central heating purposes.

The benefits at a glance:
  • High level of operational reliability and a long service life thanks to the use of high-grade, corrosion-resistant materials such as special solar glass, copper and stainless steel. Durable, vacuum-tight glass-to-metal seal.
  • High efficiency thanks to the Sol-Titan coated absorber and vacuum collector tubes.
  • Energy-efficient Duotec wrap-around pipe heat exchanger, which almost completely encases the condensers to facilitate better heat transfer.
  • The condenser has a flexible connection to the vacuum tube via a stainless steel corrugated pipe. The individual tubes can be adjusted for optimum alignment to the sun during original placement.
  • The dry connection of the collector tubes allows for individual tubes to be mounted and disassembled without having to drain the solar heating system.
  • Proven Viessmann plug-in system for connecting several collectors to form one collector panel with a total surface area of up to 65 ft2 - 6 m2.
  • A fully integrated solar system package available:
    • Vitosol 300 vacuum tube collectors
    • Vitocell 100 or 300 hot water storage tank
    • Solar-Divicon pump station
    • Vitosolic control unit
    • Solar expansion tank, Tyfocor solar fill
    • System fill manifold

For more information, please visit the Viessmann site.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Building a barn timber frame post and beam home

Interested in Building a Beautiful Timber Frame Barn Home?

Although at Davis Frame we specialize in custom timber frame design and building, we also offer a unique line of barn homes that we call our Classic Barn Homes line.

My Favorite Home We've Ever Built


I can't really place my finger on it, but the Classic Barn Home we built nestled in the hills of Vermont (pictured) is by far, one of my favorites. It's also frequently asked about by our clients when thinking about what style timber frame barn home to build.

The timbers are crafted from beautiful doug fir, with fully housed joinery. The curved beams and decorative beads only enhance the warm feeling that this fir species emits. The customer used hemlock siding and wonderful cedar shingles to complete the look.

What's the Difference Between a Davis Timber Frame and Classic Barn Home?

Our Classic Barn Homes line is a collection of standard timber frame homes and post and beam homes by Davis Frame Company, designed to reflect the simple honest spirit of early American timber frame barns and post and beam barn homes, evoking the feelings of harvest, shelter, and safety.

Our timber frame barn home line are all designed with flexible floor plans, which means you can "design your own" timber frame home to match your personality and lifestyle. Please feel free to browse through our models, tour our gallery of client homes and feel free to ask questions. We're here to help you live your dream. Call us today at 800.636.0993!