Solar water heaters, which harness the sun's energy to heat your home's hot water supply, are an effective and affordable way to use renewable resources. You can save on utility bills by installing solar heating systems, especially if the state or local government offers tax credits.
There are many types of solar water heaters to choose from, so you'll need to consider your budget and the amount of hot water your family uses on a daily basis. The system you choose should be able store enough power to meet your long-term needs.
The best solar water heaters have a low upfront cost and a high payback period. These solar water heaters are also easy to maintain, and they can provide you with hot water almost for free.
Duda Sunbank and iSolar are some of the most popular brands. The customer reviews are excellent and the support is also top-notch.
The perfect solar water heat can be found for any size system. These solar water heaters range in size between 30 and 80 gallons. They are available with single or double coil collectors.
Solar water heaters made of black panels are designed to be installed on roofs that face south. This allows them to receive as much sunlight as possible. The panels are also insulated to protect them from the elements.
Solar water heaters most commonly use flat-panel solar collectors. The panels are made of a glass-like black material, with an absorber and flow tubes which transfer heat from the absorber into a heated fluid. The fluid then circulates through the flow tubes to heat your home's potable water supply.
These are usually paired with a storage tank to hold the heated fluid until it's needed. There are systems that combine a heat transfer and a tank into one unit.
The Indirect Circulation (ICS) system is best suited for colder climates. They pump an antifreeze-propylene glycol solution into the solar collectors.
Closed-loop systems circulate fluid in a closed loop between collectors and heat exchanging elements. The fluid is kept warm, preventing it from freezing during cold weather.
This is one of the more efficient types of solar collectors, as it allows water to be heated even when there's no sunshine. It uses a blower to force the air inside the vessel towards a heat exchanger. This then transfers the warm water to your home's plumbing fixtures.
A drain-back indirect system combines a heat exchanger that converts air into water with a conventional hoop. It heats your water, even when it's cloudy. This system is especially useful in areas with extreme cold temperatures where freezing protection is needed.