Solar
Hot Water Heating
USING
SOLAR ENERGY FOR RESIDENTIAL WATER HEATING
Using energy from the sun to heat water is one of the oldest uses
of solar energy. Today, several million homes and businesses use
solar water heating systems. These systems are providing consumers
a cost-effective and reliable choice for hot water. How you heat
the water for your home is an important consideration. The U.S.
Department of Energy estimates that you will spend over $500.00
a year to heat water with electricity in an 80-gallon tank. When
considering a solar water heater, you may ask: How is a solar
water heater competitive with conventional heaters? How does a
solar water heater work? What about maintenance? Do I live in
an area with enough sun to heat my household's water?
HOW
IS A SOLAR WATER HEATER COMPETITIVE WITH CONVENTIONAL HEATERS?
Prices for complete solar water heating systems range between
$2,000 - $4,000 depending on your hot water requirements and the
climate conditions in your area. This is a higher initial investment
than required for an electric or gas heater but when you add all
of the costs involved with heating water in your home, the life-cycle
cost of a solar water heating system is at least 20% lower. Remember
that your system runs on an energy source that is free! Savings
can be even greater if you are building a new house and the system
cost is included in the mortgage.
HOW
DO SOLAR WATER HEATERS WORK?
In a solar water heating system, a heat-transfer fluid flows through
the tubes of solar collectors, where it is heated and transfers
the heat to the household water. The heated water is then stored
for use in a tank. A solar water heating system can be used as
the sole source for hot water or may include a back-up conventional
system to meet heavy or unusual hot water requirements throughout
the year. Systems are usually sized according to the number of
bedrooms, people and household water needs. There are several
different configurations of solar water heating systems. In general,
however, there are two main types: active systems which have pumps
and controls to deliver solar heat to the storage tank, and passive
systems which combine the collector and storage in a single unit.
WHAT
ABOUT MAINTENANCE?
The simplicity of solar water heating systems means that maintenance
is minimal. Required maintenance will depend on what type of system
you own. Solar systems should be designed for your local climate
conditions. An important consideration when designing a system
is the freeze-protection requirements. The size of the industry
and the variety of available solar water heating systems means
that you can find a system that is appropriate for your region.
All solar systems will provide significant savings all over the
United States. There are a number of Qualified solar water heater
installers and distributors in your area who can determine and
provide the most appropriate system for your house. To ensure
high quality and satisfactory performance of solar water heating
systems, authorized rating and certification programs have been
established to test systems, rate their performance, and ensure
the integrity of their design. These criteria have been established
to assure customer satisfaction and to simplify the purchase of
a system. A solar water heater will save you money but it will
also help protect our environment. One to two tons of carbon dioxide
are generated by a single conventional water heater every year.
Other pollutants, such as sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxide and
nitrous oxides are also displaced when a homeowner decides to
tap into a cleaner source of energy - the sun.
