Pricing

Collectors are available in Stainless Steel or Aluminum manifolds... SRCC Certified...

SFB-20's (47mm x 1500mm) are $475.00.  "Hyper" reflectors add $47.50

SFB-30's (47mm x 1500mm) are $690.00.  "Hyper" reflectors add $72.50

SFB-15's (58mm x 1800mm) are $425.00.  "Hyper" reflectors add $35.00

SFB-20's (58mm x 1800mm) are $575.00.  "Hyper" reflectors add $47.50

SFB-30's (58mm x 1800mm) are $795.00.  "Hyper" reflectors add $72.50

All collector tubes are HRG (Hail Rated Glass). This is new and improved giving the glass better resistance to hail and other impacts.

Spare glass tubes (HRG, Glass only) 47mm x 1500mm are $10.00 ea. Spare glass tubes (HRG, Glass only) 58mm x 1800mm are $15.00 ea. The handling/packaging fee for spare glass depends on how many tubes are purchased.

There is a $37.50 testing/handling fee on all collectors. This covers basic handling and pressure testing of the units.

The crating fee on 47mm collectors is $77.50, and $97.50 on 58mm collectors shipped with "Shock Watch" (tm). This covers special hand made SAC's to minimize glass breakage. This fee applies ONLY to units that are shipped through the freight system.

Qty discounts (10+ units) are available as well as large qty (30+ units) special pricing. 

Every manifold is pressure tested by me to 160 PSI for at least 5 minutes before they are shipped. This gives a double Q&A result, being executed by the MFG and the distributor, guaranteeing that no bad manifolds go to the customer.

All solar collectors include: 15, 20 or 30 tube Stainless Steel or Aluminum manifold, 15, 20 or 30 full glass collector tubes, Stainless Steel or Aluminum mounting frame, Stainless Steel nuts and bolts for frame, rubber (or Nylon) end cups for collector tubes, Stainless Steel worm gear clamps (or snap in cups) to hold bottom of collector tubes to frame, thermal grease, one spare glass tube, assembly instructions and recommendations. FIVE year mfg. warranty.

NEW SERVICE!! Evacuated tube manifold leak repair. Complete manifold dis-assembly, repair, re-assembly,thermal and pressure tested to 250 PSI. Any of the common sizes $195 + crating and shipping fees. Repairs guaranteed.

Goldline GL-30 temperature controlers available for $99.99.

Bolt on SB sensors $12.00 each
Immersion SC 1/4"NPT sensors $15.00 each.

Circulating pumps are available upon request at 15% above total cost, TACO or Grundfos. Armaflex pipe insulation is also available upon request at 15% above total cost.

Underground Urethane insulated type "L" copper pipe available. All sizes available. All pipe in 10' lengths. PE jacketed. 3" sealing tape available in 50' rolls.

"Clean Tanks" system!! Bacteria creation and buildup can be a BIG problem in non pressurized solar hot water tanks. Solar hot water tanks are not allways above 130 DegF so bacteria can form.  The AB chunk goes a long way preventing bacteria formation but there is still one aspect that is not covered, so to speak.

Bacteria creation in treated tanks occurs as follows: Water from the surface inside the tank evaporates at a rate based on its temperature. The higher the temp, the faster the evaporation. The water evaporates and travels 2 or 3 inches to contact the underside of the tank lid, where it condenses. When enough builds up, it starts to drip back into the tank. The distance the water falls is very short (usually 2 to 3 inches). This allows the pure water (Water that evaporates is basically distilled) to lay on the surface of the treated water. A very thin layer, a millimeter or two develops on the top surface of the tank water. This is plenty thick enough to sound the "dinner bell" for bacteria. Over time, a thick layer of live and dead bacteria will develop a "mat" like surface. This produces one smelly mess which does nothing to help the heat transfer in the tank. This sequence of events is most prevalent in tanks which use heat exchangers exclusively to transfer heat as opposed to active circulation of tank water. Tanks with only heat exchangers have minimal turbulence to the interior water so it leaves the pure water surface mostly undisturbed.

By combining the AB chunk with the special "Clean Tanks" surface agent, evaporation is eliminated. The layer of pure water never forms so NO BACTERIA! It also allows dissolved air to escape from the tank water as its heats, but inhibits its return leaving the tank water with less dissolved oxygen and therefore less corrosive capability. A true WIN, WIN situation. The amount of surface agent needed is determined by the top surface area of the water. Usually, 1 block is sufficient for 15 sqft. The AB chunk is viable for 3 years or so depending on the original tank water. The surface agent is good for many, many years.

Bactericide agent for non pressurized storage tanks is available in solid form. One solid chunk treats 500 gallons. $37.50 a chunk. Cannot over treat. Contains corrosion inhibitors as well for Copper and Steel. Also compatible with glycol. Surface agent is available in blocks for $39.50. 

Please Note!! NO CREDIT CARDS are accepted at this time. Payment must be made by either regular check, bank check, bank draft, money order or financial services drafts all two weeks in advance or direct wire transfer. Cash payments are not encouraged. Additionally, regarding product sold outside of the USA, Fitch Consulting is NOT RESPONSIBLE for customs fees or inspections from the receiving parties country. Fees of such, must be paid by the receiver of the goods.....

Design and consulting services will be billed at the rate of $75.00/hr, preceding product purchases. Design and consulting services subsequent to product purchases will remain complementary, within reason, regarding the job product was purchased for. All unpaid invoices over 30 days are subject to 18% per year times invoice amount charge, compounded daily at the discression of Fitch Consulting.

Last Updated 10/02/2024

2023 is another PV Record Buster !!

 

Its official! 2023 is also a PV production record buster. The main tracking array produced 18.887 MWH's which is about 1.1 MWH's less than last year. However, the gorund test array added another 3960 KWH's to that, totaling 22.847MWH's, an increase over last year of 2.249 MWH's total.

UPDATE 6/23: Kia Nero traded in for Kia EV6.

 

UPDATE 9/22: New 40+ KWH battery backup installed with coming 4.6KW direct feed array. See details under 'My Solar Home', Solar PV.

 

********************************************

BLOG site for "open" topic writings, by myself!

********************************************

Where to Find Us:

www.WeAreSolar.com (Fitch Consulting)

1072 Fowlersville Rd
Berwick, PA 18603

Phone: 570-752-4827

 

Email: fcfcfc@pa.metrocast.net

 

Peak solar production for my house in one day is about 130KWH.

What's New

01/12/2021 My new GEO heat pump is finally installed. I have been "tweeking" it until today, 01/16/2021. It works GREAT!! Unlike it predecessor's, it actually performs up to its submittal sheet. LOVE IT!!

I finally finished my electric overhead to underground conversion along with the transformer upgrade (15KW to 50KW).

 

May Monthly Production Record  Gets blown away in June at 2517KWH !!

 

Made changes to my PV tracking system. The main PV inverter was upgraded from an SMA SB-US-8000 to a Fronius Primo 11.4 (11,400 watts). Additionally, the PV arrays were upgraded with 20 SunPower 327 watt modules leaving 16 of the original Canadian Solar 255 watt modules, bringing the total output of the array from 9.18KW to 10.620KW. The combination of the inverter upgrade coupled with the array KW upgrade, should generate an additional 2 to 3 MWH a year. I hope this will compensate for the increased cloudiness being produced by Green House Gas Heating Climate change. It took a fair amount of work to do all this....

 

UPDATE: All 36 modules are being changed out which will result in an array output of 11,772 KW. On a very sunny year, 20 MWH should be within reach.

 

PV Yearly Production Numbers

 

2021 PV Production is 19.325 MWH which just misses the record breaker last year. Across the year, 2021 was much cloudier but crazy super sunny March made it almost even. Since the system has been running, we have produced over 129 MWH's total.

 

2020 PV Production is  19.375 MWH which is a new record buster.!! The only month that did not gen more than last year was October. Our usage was up due to more driving and general increases, which the increase in production was able to satisfy. That production defers about $2000.00 worth of power from the grid.

 

2019 PV Production is 16.787 MWH.

2018 PV Production is 12.463 MWH.

2017 PV production is 14.293 MWH.

2016 PV production is 15.629 MWH.

2015 PV production is 14.543 MWH.

2014 PV production is 7.711 MWH, first year partial production. 9.374 MWH were produced through the entire startup test phase of the system before certification.

 

2019 production was a record breaker, do to the upgrade being active for 1/2 the year along with being decently sunny. Most likely, if the array upgrade had been active for the whole year, 17 or 18 MWH's would have easily been had.

 

2018 production was the worst production ever, not only for PV but for all solar. The rain and cloud cover was unpresidented! WE blew right through the 13 Megawatt range and landed in the low 12's. An increase in array capacity might be necessary to adapt to the GH GH'ing realities causing climate change, to resore a slight electrical surplus.

 

2017 production down 1.34 MWH from last year. All months produced less except for December which is the cloudiest month of the year.... Ironic...

 

Electric  car miles for the fifth year are 15863 saving 690 gallons of gas at an avoided cost of $1932, bringing the five year total to  $9172.00. Covid-19 reduced mileage, but a third car (Bolt) and a third driver beginning in August, over turned the shortfall.

 

Electric car miles for the forth year are 14037 saving 610 gallons of gas at an avoided cost of $2014.00 bringing the four year total to $7239.00. Gas went up and down over the period.

 

Electric car miles for the third year are 13,220 saving 575 gallons of gas at an avoided cost of $1955.00 bringing the three year total to $5225.00. Gas prices steadily climbed throughout the year. Total number of gallons not used stands at 1790.

 

Electric car miles for the second year are 14,830 saving 645 gallons of gas at an avoided cost of $1870.00 bringing the two year total to $3270.00. Not bad for only 2 years at fairly low gas prices...

 

Electric car miles for the first year ran about 13,000 miles of energy free driving. The gas saved which would have been burned by the car that the Leaf replaced equals about 570 gallons at an avoided gas cost of $1400.00.

 

Total mileage across the three years equals 41,050 miles. At a gross electric usage of 3 miles per KWH year round, this translates to 13.68 Megawatt hours of electricity, or 4.56 Megawatt hours per year. With the addition of the Ford C-Max plug-in Hybrid over the last year, the total transportation electric load is increased by about 2 megawatt hours more, bringing the household trans electric yearly load to about 6.6 megawatt hours.