Who Else Wants a Great Solar Water Heating System?

February 4th, 2011 by Guest Contributor

Solar hot water systems can save a lot of money and decrease a family’s environmental footprint. Deciding to install solar panels, however, is a huge undertaking. The first step of installing a solar hot water system is to evaluate one’s home’s solar resources. Is the home exposed to enough sun that installing a heater would be economical? Will daily heating needs be met by the amount of sun the panels will utilize? This can be found by either using the evaluation tools at energysavers.gov or by contacting your local solar contractor.

If the site receives enough sun to continue with the project, it must next be determined what kind of system is appropriate for the circumstances. If the system is to be installed in a warmer environment where the temperatures are rarely below freezing, direct circulation systems are best. This system pumps water through the solar collectors on the roof directly through the home, slightly increasing the efficiency but also increasing the possibility of frozen water and burst pipes. Alternatively, indirect circulation systems pump heat-transfer liquid through the solar collectors and then transfer heat into pipes in the home. This is better for colder environments where the water in a direct circulation system would freeze.

Once the type of system is determined, the rest of the parts, such as the heater and the solar collectors, must be selected. Different types of systems, such as active and passive heating systems, are better for different homes. The most important metric to keep track of when choosing parts are the system’s solar energy factor (SEF) and solar fraction (SF) The SEF is the ratio of the energy delivered by the system to the energy required to power the system. This ranges from 1.0-11, with higher numbers being ideal.

The SF is the decimal percentage of heat delivered directly by the solar panels. A rating of 0.75, for example, means that 75% of all heat in the home is delivered through the solar panels. The remaining 25% is being heated by a backup hot water heater. Other things to consider are the size of your home, total overall cost, and ease of installation.

Finally, one must consult with a solar contractor in order to obtain the parts for the home. Although it is possible to install the system individually, obtaining professional installation ensures an easy installation and lessens the probability of injury. Overall, however, the price of the professional installation will be offset by the savings obtained by using this environmentally friendly hot water system.

Shannon Marie Combs contributes articles for the Residential Solar Panels blog, her personal hobby blog centered on ideas to aid home owners find solar installers and learn how to to conserve energy with solar power.

This post was syndicated by Nathan Brown. He is the green building job recruiter for Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, as well as a provider of going green ads, and info on how to build your own solar panels.

Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.

Tags: energy savings, green building, Green buildings, lean energy, renewable energyc, SEF, SF, solar energy factor, solar fraction, solar water heating, solar water heating systems, water heating systems

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Guest Contributor

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Thanks bro.I really like your writing style, excellent information, thanks for posting.and i agree with your point of views most people looking.
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Wonderful site. Plenty of useful information here. I am sending it to several friends ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks to your effort.
http://www.tru-serve.com/residential-maintenance-services/ Janey Henery

If you’re planning to keep a solar panel for your water-heating system, you should remember to keep it clean all the time! Removing dusts on your solar panel will make sure that you get the best out of your daily sunlight. You should also make sure that your hot water plumbing doesn’t have any problem (leaks, and the likes) to save even more energy.
Plankton

nice!
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Solar water heater is one of the most important investments you will ever have the opportunity to make. By installing this system, you will find that you make significant savings on your power bills through the creation of renewable energy, with an additional benefit of helping the environment.
http://www.solarwater.org.uk/ solar water

By using sunshine to heat or preheat your water, you can cut your water heating bill in half. This means that you can actually save a lot money on a monthly basis. Plus, you are helping the environment become cleaner because you are not contributing to any carbon emissions.
http://www.expsolar.com solar water hyeater

I am very interest in the solar water heater system.
Dr.A.Jagadeesh

I read with interest the Solar Water heaters mentioned in the article. Solar water heaters are the simplest form of Thermal systems. When the technology is so simple, how is it the developing countries in the sunbelt countries are not catching up? The reasons are clear.1. The exorbitant cost.2.It necessitates pressurized water system(Overhead tank). In Apartments such a system is difficult to operate.

In people’s technologies more than technology, social and cultural factors have also to be taken into consideration. In Japan there are 6 million solar water heaters even though the maximum ambient temperature there is the minimum in some Sunbelt countries. The success story is Japanese have the habit of taking bath in the evening and as such do not need overnight storage.

More over most of the solar water heater designs (for example, in India) are adopted from Europe. We don’t need so much of sophistification.

I have designed a vertical and cylindrical solar water heater which costs Rs 6000(about US$ 135) compared to commercially available soar water heaters $450.

The unit consists of two cylindrical drums of 50 liters capacity (Stainless steel) coated with mat black (for absorption) and placed one over the other with insulation at the bottom. There is an opening at the top to pour cold water. The bottom of the top drum is connected to the bottom of the lower drum through a pipe. There is a vent at the top of the drum to create pressure. There is an outlet (Tap) at the top of the bottom drum as hot water rises up. There are three concentric rings attached to the drums at 3cm spacing and over it transparent polyethylene cover to simulate green house effect. At the bottom of the drum a lotus shaped (Omni directional (stainless steel reflector is placed which increases the temperature in the bottom drum. There is a drain (Tap) to take out the water completely from bottom drum. Hot water, + 25 degrees ambience is obtained in South India.(If the ambient temperature is 30 degrees celsius,55 degrees hot water). A bamboo basket slightly bigger than the system covered with polyethylene sheet covered is placed on the system to prevent overnight cooling. Hot water is poured in the system (if tap is available one can connect it)at 9 am and bamboo basket is covered at 4 pm. The hot water can be used in the evening or next morning. In 12 hours of storage drop of 6 degrees Celsius has been found. The unit is mobile. All the parts can be made locally in workshops. Stainless steel drums have been chosen as hot water from the solar water heater can be used as Pre-Heated water for cooling.

The details of the system can be had from:

Dr.A.Jagadeesh
Renewable Energy Specialist
Nellore(AP),India
E-mail: anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com
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