Here are some pictures and drawings from a very competent builder.  This is one of the nicest home built hot water solar collectors I have ever seen.  He used aluminum and galvanized materials in areas that have traditionally been wood, eliminating the most  vulnerable spots that a DYI panel will see deterioration.

Thanks Wolfgang for an awesome pictorial of your panel.
Tom

Dear Tom,

Finally had time to get the other pictures done. Enjoy them and see whoever might have need for some ideas.

An earlier email during the planning stages after I requested pictures..

Well, I was contemplating to take pictures but then I thought I know exactly what I did and I didn’t think that anyone would have interest in what I’m doing, so I didn’t.

I will make some pictures that I will take of the finished collector with the glazing still off, so there is some detail to see but I can’t take them right now since I need another person to turn them over J

Here is the schematic of the collector. The obvious things aren’t sketched in such as the silicon beads that are everywhere where there are joints between metal and wood to the outside and the glazing and the metal.

The galvanized drip-edge is from Home Depot (2×3 inch) Construction Metals 2 in. x 3 in. x 10 ft. Galvanized Steel Roof Drip Edge Flashing 

and the U shaped galvanized steel that embraces the 2×4 cut down to 2×3 1/8 inch is a Home Depot Clark-Dietrich ProTRAK 25 3-5/8 in. x 10 ft. 25-Gauge EQ Galvanized Steel Track .

The steel track that I used doesn’t have the funny lip on it because the studs need to fit into it, so the picture is just an idea.

Here is the edge:

Here is the track:

Here is the sketch:

Thanks for your help.
Wolfgang Baeck

site last updated:
June 30, 2025