SHI Codes Compliance & Performance Testing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ASHRAE standard provides guidelines for the testing and rating of solar collectors used in domestic water heating systems?
- ASHRAE 90.1
- ASHRAE 93 (Correct answer)
- ASHRAE 55
- ASHRAE 62.1
Correct answer: ASHRAE 93
ASHRAE 93 establishes methods of testing for rating solar collectors used in liquid-cooled and air-heating systems.
Question 2: Under the International Residential Code (IRC), a solar thermal system installed on a roof must be designed to withstand which load combination?
- Dead load only
- Live load only
- Dead load plus wind load
- Dead, live, wind, and snow loads as applicable (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Dead, live, wind, and snow loads as applicable
The IRC requires rooftop-mounted solar equipment to be engineered for all applicable load combinations including dead, live, wind, and snow loads.
Question 3: Which organization certifies solar water heaters and issues the OG-300 certification mark?
- ASHRAE
- SRCC (Solar Rating and Certification Corporation) (Correct answer)
- UL (Underwriters Laboratories)
- ANSI
Correct answer: SRCC (Solar Rating and Certification Corporation)
SRCC OG-300 is the industry-standard certification for complete solar water heating systems sold and installed in the U.S.
Question 4: When a solar thermal installation requires a building permit, which document typically accompanies the permit application to show the system layout?
- MSDS sheet
- Solar site survey report only
- Scaled installation drawings or plans (Correct answer)
- Manufacturer's warranty card
Correct answer: Scaled installation drawings or plans
Building departments require scaled installation drawings showing equipment placement, piping routes, and structural attachments before issuing a permit.
Question 5: A solar thermal system's thermal performance is often expressed as the annual solar fraction. What does a solar fraction of 0.70 mean?
- 70% of the system components are solar-powered
- The system provides 70% of the annual water heating load from solar energy (Correct answer)
- 70% of sunlight hours are captured
- The collector efficiency is 70%
Correct answer: The system provides 70% of the annual water heating load from solar energy
Solar fraction represents the proportion of the total annual water heating energy demand supplied by the solar system.
Question 6: Which plumbing code section most directly governs the pressure-relief valve requirements on a solar thermal storage tank in the United States?
- UPC Section 608
- UPC/IPC sections covering temperature and pressure relief valves on water heaters (Correct answer)
- NEC Article 690
- NFPA 54
Correct answer: UPC/IPC sections covering temperature and pressure relief valves on water heaters
The Uniform Plumbing Code and International Plumbing Code both include T&P relief valve requirements applicable to solar thermal storage tanks.
Question 7: During acceptance testing of a drainback solar water heating system, which functional test verifies that the system protects itself from freezing?
- Stagnation pressure test
- Drainback verification — confirming all fluid returns to the reservoir when the pump stops (Correct answer)
- Glycol concentration measurement
- Collector tilt angle check
Correct answer: Drainback verification — confirming all fluid returns to the reservoir when the pump stops
A drainback system relies on gravity to empty the collectors and exposed piping when the pump stops, so verifying complete drainage is the freeze-protection acceptance test.
SHI Codes Compliance & Performance Testing 2
Which ASHRAE standard provides guidelines for the testing and rating of solar collectors used in domestic water heating systems?