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Solar Hot Water

  • Solar Water Heating systems use the energy of the sun to heat water.
  • Enough solar energy is sent to the earth in three hours to meet all the world’s energy needs for a day.
  • Water heating accounts for 12% of all end-use CO2 emissions in the US and in a typical house can create a ton of CO2 per year.
  • Traditional water heating can account for over 25% of a homes energy use.
  • Solar water heating is different from photovoltaic (PV) systems that use the energy of the sun to create electricity.
  • A solar water heating system includes a storage tank and a solar collector or multiple solar collectors.
  • Solar collectors are typically placed on your roof top so that the sun can heat the water before sending it to the storage tank.
  • The solar storage tank can then pre-feed hot water to your existing hot water heating system or to a tankless water heater.

History of Solar Hot Water

  • The first commercial solar hot water heaters in the US were invented in the 1890’s in California.
  • Because of freezing issues, only California and Florida could use solar to heat water.
  • By 1954, Florida had produced more than 100,000 solar hot water systems. By the 1950’s, electric hot water heaters dominated the market and the solar industry faded.
  • In the 1970’s, better technology and government support because of the energy crisis brought a return of solar water heating.
  • By 1986, the tax rebate was slashed, oil prices plunged, and poor system installation resulted in the collapse of the industry. Over 95% of all solar hot water dealers went out of business.
  • There is a re-emerging market today with the need for renewable sources of energy. The technology is superior and well regulated.
  • Many countries around the world use solar as a primary source of hot water and never stopped developing newer solar hot water technology. In 2010 all new houses built in Hawaii will have solar hot water systems.

Types of Solar Hot Water Systems

    There are many different types of solar hot water systems in use today. Here is some common terminology used for solar hot water systems:

    Passive Systems- No pumps are used to move the heating fluid through the collectors as it relies on the natural rising of hot water.

    Active Systems- Use pumps to move fluid through the collector.

    Direct or Open Loop Systems    - Domestic hot water flows through the collector to the solar storage tank and is heated directly by the sun.

    Indirect or Closed Loop Systems- Fluid is heated by the collectors and sent through a heat exchanger which then heats the domestic hot water. This fluid is often a food based glycol and does not mix with the domestic hot water.

    We recommend using active, closed loop systems. These modern, closed loop heat transfer systems are superior for many reasons:

  • These systems are the best at preventing freezing in the system which can damage the system.
  • They are designed to prevent overheating issues.
  • They prevent natural thermosiphoning of hot water back to the collector at night.
  • They are plug and play systems that speed up the installation process and reduces the labor costs as well as the risk of leaks and defects in the system.
  • They prevent natural scaling found in open loop systems that can degrade the performance of the system.

Contact Enviro Pro Tech to learn more about the right solar hot water system for your home or business.