Ohio Administrative Code › Title 4101:8 - Board of Building Standards: Residential Code of Ohio › Chapter 4101:8-23 - Solar Systems › Section 4101:8-23-01 - Solar thermal energy systems

Current through all regulations passed and filed through July 1, 2024
[Comment: When a reference is made
	 within this rule to a federal statutory provision, an industry consensus
	 standard, or any other technical publication, the specific date and title of
	 the publication as well as the name and address of the promulgating agency are
	 listed in rule
	 4101:8-44-01
	 of the Administrative Code. The application of the referenced standards shall
	 be limited and as prescribed in section 102.5 of rule
	 4101:8-1-01 of the
	 Administrative Code.]
SECTION
  2301
SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY
	 SYSTEMS
2301.1
General.
This section
  provides for the design, construction, installation, alteration and repair of
  equipment and systems using solar thermal energy to provide space heating or
  cooling, hot water heating and swimming pool heating.
2301.2
Design
  and installation.
The design and
  installation of solar thermal energy systems shall comply with Sections
  2301.2.1 through 2301.2.13.
2301.2.1
Access.
Access shall be provided to solar energy equipment for
  maintenance. Solar systems and appurtenances shall not obstruct or interfere
  with the operation of any doors, windows or other building components requiring
  operation or access. Roof-mounted solar thermal equipment shall not obstruct or
  interfere with the operation of roof-mounted equipment, appliances, chimneys,
  plumbing vents, roof hatches, smoke vents, skylights and other roof
  penetrations and openings.
2301.2.2
Collectors and panels.
Solar collectors and panels shall comply with Sections
  2301.2.2.1 and 2301.2.2.2.
2301.2.2.1
Roof-mounted collectors.
The roof shall be constructed to support the loads
  imposed by roof- mounted solar collectors. Roof-mounted solar collectors that
  serve as a roof covering shall conform to the requirements for roof coverings
  in Chapter 9 of this code. Where mounted on or above the roof coverings, the
  collectors and supporting structure shall be constructed of noncombustible
  materials or fire-retardant- treated wood equivalent to that required for the
  roof construction.
2301.2.2.2
Collector sensors.
Collector sensor installation, sensor location and the
  protection of exposed sensor wires from degradation shall be in accordance with
  ICC/900/SRCC 300.
2301.2.3
Pressure and temperature relief valves and system
  components.
System components containing
  fluids shall be protected with temperature and pressure relief valves or
  pressure relief valves. Relief devices shall be installed in sections of the
  system so that a section cannot be valved off or isolated from a relief device.
  Direct systems and the potable water portion of indirect systems shall be
  equipped with a relief valve in accordance with
the plumbing code as
  modified by Chapter 25.
For indirect systems, pressure relief valves
  in solar loops shall comply with ICC 900/SRCC 300. System components shall have
  a working pressure rating of not less than the setting of the pressure relief
  device.
2301.2.4
Vacuum relief.
System
  components that might be subjected to a vacuum during operation or shutdown
  shall be designed to withstand such a vacuum or shall be protected with vacuum
  relief valves.
2301.2.5
Piping insulation.
Piping shall be insulated in accordance with the
  requirements of Chapter 11. Exterior insulation shall be protected from
  ultraviolet degradation. The entire solar loop shall be insulated. Where
  split-style insulation is used, the seam shall be sealed. Fittings shall be
  fully insulated.
Exceptions:
1.
											Those portions of
  the piping that are used to help prevent the system from overheating shall not
  be required to be insulated.
2.
											Those portions of
  piping that are exposed to solar radiation, made of the same material as the
  solar collector absorber plate and are covered in the same manner as the solar
  collector absorber, or that are used to collect additional solar energy, shall
  not be required to be insulated.
3.
											Piping in thermal
  solar systems using unglazed solar collectors to heat a swimming pool shall not
  be required to be insulated.
2301.2.6
Protection from freezing.
System components shall be protected from damage
  resulting from freezing of heat-transfer liquids at the winter design
  temperature provided in Table 301.2(1). Freeze protection shall be provided in
  accordance with ICC 900/SRCC 300. Drain-back systems shall be installed in
  compliance with Section 2301.2.6.1. Systems utilizing freeze-protection valves
  shall comply with Section 2301.2.6.2.
Exception:
Where the 97.5 -percent winter design temperature is
	 greater than or equal to 48°F (9°C).
2301.2.6.1
Drain-back systems.
Drain-back systems shall be designed and installed to allow
  for manual gravity draining of fluids from areas subject to freezing to
  locations not subject to freezing, and air filling of the components and
  piping. Such piping and components shall maintain a horizontal slope in the
  direction of flow of not less than one-fourth unit vertical in 12 units
  horizontal (2-percent slope). Piping and components subject to manual gravity
  draining shall permit subsequent air filling upon drainage and air venting upon
  refilling.
2301.2.6.2
Freeze-protection valves.
Freeze-protection valves shall discharge in a manner
  that does not create a hazard or structural damage.
2301.2.7
Storage tank sensors.
Storage tank sensors shall comply with ICC 900/SRCC
  300.
2301.2.8
Expansion tanks.
Expansion tanks in solar energy systems shall be installed
  in accordance with Section 2003 in solar collector loops that contain
  pressurized heat transfer fluid. Where expansion tanks are used, the system
  shall be designed in accordance with ICC 900/SRCC 300 to provide an expansion
  tank that is sized to withstand the maximum operating pressure of the
  system.
Exception:
Expansion tanks shall not be required in the collector
	 loop of drain-back systems.
2301.2.9
Roof
  and wall penetrations.
Roof and wall
  penetrations shall be flashed and sealed in accordance with Chapter 9 to
  prevent entry of water, rodents and insects.
2301.2.10
Description and warning labels.
Solar thermal systems shall comply with description
  label and warning label requirements of Section 2301.2.11.2 and ICC 900/SRCC
  300.
2301.2.11
Solar loop.
Solar loops
  shall be in accordance with Sections 2301.2.11.1 and 2301.2.11.2.
2301.2.11.1
Solar loop isolation.
Valves shall be installed to allow the solar loop to be
  isolated from the remainder of the system.
2301.2.11.2
Drain and fill valve labels and caps.
Drain and fill valves shall be labeled with a
  description and warning that identifies the fluid in the solar loop and a
  warning that the fluid might be discharged at high temperature and pressure.
  Drain caps shall be installed at drain and fill valves.
2301.2.12
Maximum temperature limitation.
Systems shall be equipped with means to limit the
  maximum water temperature of the system fluid entering or exchanging heat with
  any pressurized vessel inside the dwelling to 180°F (82°C). This
  protection is in addition to the required temperature and pressure relief
  valves required by Section 2301.2.3.
2301.2.13
Deleted.
2301.3
Labeling.
Labeling
  shall comply with Sections 2301.3.1 and 2301.3.2.
2301.3.1
Collectors and panels.
Solar thermal collectors and panels shall be listed and
  labeled in accordance with ICC 901/SRCC 100. Factory-built collectors shall
  bear a label indicating the manufacturer's name, model number and serial
  number.
2301.3.2
Thermal storage units.
Pressurized water storage tanks shall bear a label
  indicating the manufacturer's name and address, model number, serial number,
  storage unit maximum and minimum allowable operating temperatures and storage
  unit maximum and minimum allowable operating pressures. The label shall clarify
  that these specifications apply only to the water storage
  tanks.
2301.4
Heat transfer gases or liquids and heat
  exchangers.
Essentially toxic transfer
  fluids, ethylene glycol, flammable gases and flammable liquids shall not be
  used as heat transfer fluids. Heat transfer gases and liquids shall be rated to
  withstand the system's maximum design temperature under operating conditions
  without degradation. Heat exchangers used in solar thermal systems shall comply
  with
the plumbing code as modified by Chapter 25,
and ICC
  900/SRCC 300.
Heat transfer fluids shall be in accordance
	 with SRCC 300. The flash point of the heat transfer fluids utilized in solar
	 thermal systems shall be not less than 50°F (28°C) above the design
	 maximum non-operating or no-flow temperature attained by the fluid in the
	 collector.
2301.5
Backflow protection.
Connections from the potable water supply to solar
  systems shall comply with
the plumbing code as modified by Chapter
  25.
2301.6
Filtering.
Air provided to occupied spaces that passes through thermal
  mass storage systems by mechanical means shall be filtered for particulates at
  the outlet of the thermal mass storage system.
2301.7
Solar
  thermal systems for heating potable water.
Where a solar thermal system heats potable water to supply a
  potable hot water distribution system, the solar thermal system shall be in
  accordance with Sections 2301.7.1, 2301.7.2 and
the plumbing code as
  modified by Chapter 25.
2301.7.1
Indirect systems.
Heat
  exchangers that are components of indirect solar thermal heating systems shall
  comply with Section
the plumbing code as modified by Chapter
  25.
2301.7.2
Direct systems.
Where potable water is directly heated by a solar
  thermal system, the pipe, fit-tings, valves and other components that are in
  contact with the potable water in the solar heating system shall comply with
  the requirements of
the plumbing code as modified by Chapter
  25.