Important facts about a solar domestic hot water systems

• A solar thermal can be used in any sort of climate. It may sound unbelievable, but that’s the truth.
• The system is fuelled by sunshine. That’s right. And the sun is absolutely free as we all know.
• A solar system reduces water heating bills for most homes by 50% to 80%. And with the energy costs surging worldwide, the amount in savings will be even higher.
• o Apart from reducing energy costs, a solar system protects you from energy increases in future. You will no longer have to rely on fossil fuels for your electricity.
• When buying, building or refinancing a house, a solar hot water system helps you to reduce overall costs and this, from an economic point of view, is important.
• Solar systems significantly reduce carbon emissions in homes. They reduce the usage of fossil fuels which pollute the atmosphere.
• A Solar domestic hot water can be installed together with a back up system. In deed, they can be installed just next to other existing water heating systems in homes and they enable the switch to traditional water heating at any time easy. This guarantees that there is always hot water at home.

How the solar thermal systems works

The sun provides the main source of energy for heating the water. Cold water from the water tank is pumped to collectors on the solar panel. Solar energy then falls on the collectors to heat up water in the process. And as the hot water flows to heated water storage tank, it goes with the heat from solar panels which ensure that water remains hot in the tank.

A few other solar hot water systems have also got shut off valves that close automatically after the sunset so that heat is retained in the water.

Types of solar domestic hot water systems

Basically, there are two types of solar energy technology for hot water systems; active and passive solar domestic hot water systems. Both these systems work in a pretty similar manner.

The only difference between the two is that the active solar domestic hot water system has a pump or some other mechanical means to move water through the system and the passive solar domestic hot water system basically depends on one of the principles of nature: warm water rising to the top with cold water sinking at the bottom. So with a passive solar hot water system, the storage tank must always be placed in a position above the solar collector.

Active solar thermal hot water

The active solar system is made into two designs. It all depends on the climate one lives in when choosing the best system for one’s home. The first type of water heater is called the ‘indirect circulation system’ and the other one is called the ‘direct circulation’ system. The indirect circulation system is ideal for colder climates while the other one works well in milder climates.

Passive solar thermal hot water

Passive solar systems are often cheaper compared to active solar hot water systems because they neither need pumps nor controls to circulate the water. But they are generally less effective than active systems. These systems are however known to be reliable and ideal for warm climates.

Cost and Installation

A number of factors make the total cost and installation of solar hot water systems vary. Factors like the manufacturer of the system, the type of system, the size, the installer and whether the water heating system is being installed in an existing house or as part of a new building determine the cost and installation of the system. The amount of money invested on a solar domestic system will also play a very significant role in determining the overall monthly energy costs.

The costs of installing solar domestic hot water systems will vary depending on the various sizes of storage tanks and the total surface areas of the collectors. The cost of installation can be as low as $8000 for a given household and up to a high of $18000 for another household. And all the costs depend on the storage tank sizes, collector surface areas and of course the sizes of households.

Related Posts

• Solar Photovoltaic Systems
• Solar Energy Advantages and Disadvantages

Modern alternative energy solutions such as solar energy products and equipment have enabled people to generate power for their homes’ needs using the free sun. Many homeowners are now turning to solar energy products and equipment to help them cut down on their monthly electricity bills and they are certainly reaping maximum benefits from this natural source of renewable energy.

Over the years, solar products together with the equipment have undergone improvements in so many ways in order to offer great value for homeowners. New ways have been discovered for making these products and as a result their efficiency has improved. It is now possible for modern solar photovoltaic systems to produce more than enough energy for households, while using less equipment to achieve that, than it was in the past. Therefore, this has allowed homeowners to lower their investments in solar panels.

Even though solar energy is said to be very environmentally friendly, it has its own advantages as well as disadvantages, just like any other source of energy. Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy:

Advantages of solar energy

Solar energy may be used for central heating, electricity, and cooking, heated water and even for desalination of salt. Solar energy is obtained from the rays of the sun. It is also known to be very eco-friendly.

The first and probably most important advantage of solar energy is the fact that it is clean, that is, it doesn’t cause pollution. You only need the rays from the sun in order to make electricity or even heat with solar energy. You don’t need fossil fuels in addition to the sun’s rays to produce heat or electricity. All you need are solar power panels or a solar energy collector in order get solar energy from the sun.

Solar energy is less expensive compared to the regular electricity. This is another good advantage of solar energy. It saves people money they would have used on heating. In the end, they also pay smaller amounts in electricity bills. They will also not need to maintain heaters or even furnaces.
For people who reside in rural areas, there are hardly any power lines and the best energy solution would be solar energy.  There are some rural areas where even power companies cannot access. Solar energy is thus a great alternative as it provides all energy solutions for heating, electricity supply, or even cooking.

Desalination is also another excellent use of solar energy. In areas where there is hardly any fresh, drinkable water, solar energy can be used to desalinate water so that it is fit for human drinking.

While those are some of the advantages of solar energy, there are disadvantages of this source of energy as well:

Disadvantages of solar energy

The main disadvantage of solar energy is its diluteness, meaning that so many solar collectors are needed in order to collect the energy from the sun’s rays. While solar energy is really cheap, the collectors on the other hand are very expensive and need to be maintained on a regular basis so that they work efficiently and properly.

Another major disadvantage of solar energy is that without the sun’s rays, one cannot use solar energy. This could be a big problem especially for those who live in areas where there is often less sunlight. In some other areas, there is always cloud cover over the sun’s rays making the work of solar energy collectors very difficult. Before anyone buys a solar energy system, they have to make sure that there is always more than enough sunlight in their homes for the better part of the year.

Solar energy systems can also be very costly and the whole process of buying the equipment and installing is quite expensive. But most of the expenses incurred will just be one-off and there will be no further running costs.

All in all, the sun shines only in the day. Therefore, for people who would like to have hot water and electricity at night, like many people do, there might be a problem. There’s always need for a back up system such as an electricity company. Also, the electricity from solar energy can be stored for future use. Battery systems are available in the market and they make it possible to store electric energy that may be used at night.

There are systems where the battery does not exist and the PV panels generate electricity directly to a load. In other cases this is fed directly to a grid

However the most common setup will include a battery which is charged by the PV panel when there is sunlight and stores the power so that the system remains working at night and even when there is no sunlight directly falling on the PV panels. A charge controller is vital in this situation because it can automatically sense when the batteries are fully charged and cuts off electricity charging it. This ensures that the storage batteries are not over charged which enhances their efficiency and guarantees their long life.

Additionally in a situation where the energy in the batteries has been used up, the charge controller also senses that the battery is low and cuts off further current discharge. This also helps a great deal to conserves the battery because it is never allowed to be drained completely.

Some solar photovoltaic systems will also include an inverter. Usually most household lights and appliances are not designed to use the electricity which comes out directly from the PV system which is direct current (DC) and are instead supposed to use Alternating current (AC) which is the most common type of current produced off the grid. And so this wonderful device called an inverter changes the DC current to AC current which then enables you to use the lights and other AC appliances.

What levels of electricity can a photovoltaic system produce? Actually a PV system can easily produce 4 to 50 kilowatts. The bottom line is that with enough solar panels and plenty of sunlight a photovoltaic system can power a home and even buildings. Admittedly adjustments will have to be made where appliances consume large amounts of electricity to be replaced by energy saving appliances and those specifically designed for use with PV solar systems. Solar systems are very commonly used for electric fences, gates and traffic signs.

One of the big advantages with this kind of solar system is the fact that if designed and installed properly it can give very many years of service with minimal maintenance. We are talking about 20 years or even more.

A commonly asked question is whether PV modules can generate electricity even when it is cloudy. Although the answer to this question is yes, the amount of electricity generated is a tiny fraction of the usual because on a cloudy day the PV panels will tend to receive only at 5 to 10per cent of the usual energy from the sun.

However it should be noted that photovoltaic modules are more efficient at lower temperatures meaning that in cool weather with enough sunlight it will generate a lot more electricity than in similar sunlight but in extremely hot or warm weather.

Because these systems are so much affected by shade where output is reduced a number of precautions and corrective measures to address this need to be taken during installation. You need to remember that there are many different types of shade that could affect the performance of a PV module. Fallen leaves on the panel, snow, and all kinds of dirt can also create shade on the solar panel. One of the ways of easily dealing with this is to pay special attention to the angle of the panels. Tilted at least 12 degrees, most solar panels should be able to provide enough tilt for the panel to self clean as dirt is easily blown away by the wind and rain water washes off any persistent objects providing shade that is not required to the panel. And then the snow on the panel will tend to melt much faster than the snow on the rest of the roof.

Occasionally you will have to clean the panels and the best way to do this is to use plain water. Detergents and cleaning tools should be avoided as these may create scratches which could damage or diminish the efficiency of panels and solar photovoltaic systems.

There are various ways, as to how solar energy is used today. Check out some of these common methods that you should be knowledgeable:

• Residential purposes- One of the most common uses of solar energy is for household use. This is becoming the choice of many household owners because they can minimize their monthly electricity bills. Just imagine the vast amount of money you can save if you utilize solar energy that comes from the sun, instead of getting power from electricity.

• Business usage- A lot of businesses and industries are starting to shift into the employment of solar energy, in order to save power and money. Running a business may entail a huge amount of expenses and bills, but with the help of solar energy, every business can save a vast amount of money. This is certainly the most practical move to do when you own a business.

• Vehicle purposes- A lot of vehicles are now obtaining energy from sunlight to make their vehicles work and run. Although, it still requires a lot of research on how to develop a solar powered vehicle with a similar performance and function with diesel and gas powered car. Solar powered vehicles are recommended because they eliminate pollution problems.

• Water heating- In the United States, most Americans would use electricity to heat water every single day. This also means that their electricity bills are soaring high because heating water with electricity can be expensive. The perfect alternative for this is solar energy. You can possibly heat water by simply getting energy from the sun. This will undoubtedly reduce your electrical costs every month.

• Road signs and signals- Nowadays, most traffic and roadways signs are obtaining power from sunlight. Most of these signs are used 24/7, so it is much effective to get powered from the sun. At least, the government can also save a huge amount of money when they choose this option instead of using the conventional electricity.

• Hobbies- If you have hobbies of collecting and playing items, which functions with a battery, you can definitely acquire supply of power from solar energy. One example of hobby is by playing airplanes, train, and boats that are powered by batteries.

These are some of the common methods on how solar energy is used today.  Indeed, getting power and energy straight from the sun offers many benefits to everyone the reason why this energy source is popular and in demand nowadays.

How dependable is solar energy? You might be wondering if solar power is truly reliable or not, right? The answer is Yes. Solar energy is very reliable, but the advance technology techniques being utilized nowadays by turning the sun’s rays into energy is not that fully dependable. Probably, scientists and researchers are still finding ways on how they can come up with a technology that will assist the globe in obtaining energy from the sun in the most efficient manner.

There are several sun power generation techniques that you can apply. Check these out:

• Solar panels- The use of special solar panels works by absorbing sunlight in order to produce power and energy for home, business and vehicle use. This is considered the most popular type of solar energy because they are being utilized all over the world.

• Solar powered turbines-This technology is the latest one that is being employed to generate power from the sun. This method works by heating a liquid with solar energy and the steam will whirl a turbine that is responsible in the production of electricity.

With these technologies, getting energy from the sun is fast, convenient and easy. Sooner or later, probably a lot of people in the entire world would transfer to solar energy because this method is the most practical thing to do. You get to reduce your electricity bills, which will provide you with savings you need.