Snow melt system for solar collectors
AssigneeSnowlar LLC
InventorBrendan T. NICKEL
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar collector system having several evacuated tube solar collectors arranged together, a conductor arranged on the solar collectors, a power source for sending electricity through the conductor, and an indicator connected to the conductor to indicate when electricity is flowing through the conductor. A snow sensor connected is connected to the conductor adjacent the evacuated tube solar collectors and a controller is connected to the snow sensor. The controller controls the electricity flow through the conductor and allows electricity to flow when the snow sensor senses snow covering the snow sensor, and stops the electricity flow when the snow sensor is no longer covered. The electricity flow heats the conductor, which in turn melts the snow on the collectors.
Claims11
A solar collector system comprising:
- at least one evacuated tube solar collector;
- a conductor arranged on the solar collector;
- a power source for sending electricity through the conductor;
- an indicator connected to the conductor to indicate when electricity is flowing through the conductor;
- a snow sensor connected to the conductor and being disposed on or adjacent to the at least one evacuated tube solar collector;
- and
- a controller connected to the snow sensor, and conductor said controller controlling the electricity flow through the conductor and allowing electricity to flow when the snow sensor senses snow, and stopping the electricity flow when the snow sensor does not sense snow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.