Solar Panel Parallel install multi patches

[ethermal]

I have a rather small house but rather large pool, i have two small roofs and one larger roof and want to heat my pool. See attached file for basic layout. I have 2 4 x20 panels and 2 4'X12' panels. I'll be installing the two 4' x 20' panels (panels 1&2 in diagram) together as one patch on the large roof and one of the 4'x12' panels per small roof (panels 3&4 in diagram). I've been reading various posts on solar panel installs and everybody mentions parallel install. my question is specifically how is the parallel achieved. Bring one large pipe up to a common spot on the roof then branch it in 3 directions (do they sell a 3 way pvc branch?) then the return lines from the 3 patches all converge back into one pipe then into my pump shed? or do i branch all three lines right from the pump shed? I should mention I will have 3 patches, 2 of those patches ( 1 small and the 1 large) are at the same level one storey up, the third patch (panel 4 in diagram) is 1.5 storey up. My assumption is I would bring the return lines from the two lower patches up to meet the return line from the third patch at the highest point, but not sure if that is best.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Guest]

You do want to do parallel. Meaning you want all your panels to have the water feed coming from the pool directly into the panels and then the output of the panels directly feeding back to the pool return.

You do not want to string the output of one panel to the input of another panel. That would be a series install.

It is really simple. You bring one feed line from the pool and branch it off to feed every panel. You then collect all the output lines into one line and return that to the pool.

There is no such thing as a 3 way pipe joint you are asking about. You create a "manifold". That is you have the feed pipe on which you put in a T, then add a short piece of PVC pipe to the hole across the top of T and then add another T. You can continue this multiple times until you have enough branches (the other hole on the T fittings). For the last feed you need from this you can use just a 90 degree angle piece to feed the last line.

 

[ethermal]

Do you think there is any value, combining the return lines at the highest point or just combine them at any point?

 

[JasonLion]

The idea behind combining the returns at the highest point is that you want the water to travel the same distance, regardless of which panel it goes through and at the same time you want all the pipes to go up turn and go down, without any spots where they go up down up or down up down, ie no where that either air or water can be trapped.

There are other ways to get the same effect, though usually combining everything at the highest point is the simplest approach.

 

[ethermal]

great thanks for the advice.