Posted by admin on Jan 16, 2014 in Posts
This is a question whose answer any homeowner will want to know before spending heavily on a solar power plant. In very simple words, a solar water heater is energy free, eco- friendly water heater which uses the energy from the sun’s radiation to heat water in specially designed collector tubes. When the total electricity savings over its entire lifetime is calculated, they seem to be more economical than a conventional water heater. The initial cost of a basic solar heater is twice that of a conventional heater, but its energy savings are substantial. Usage of fossil fuels at unchecked rates can destroy the earth’s natural balance by depleting the non-renewable sources of energy and annihilate life on earth. We must shift to renewable sources of energy to keep Mother Nature healthy, and using a solar water heater is the best that one can do. Solar water heaters bring to us great benefits and cost savings. The significance of a solar heater is as following: Uses Renewable Source of energy The sun always shines bright except during nights and cloudy days, and this energy being utilized by solar water heaters is its biggest strength. It has been observed that a typical portion of a roof facing the sun, receives more energy than required for water heating needs for more than a year. The best part of it is that the source of energy is completely free and inexhaustible. Cost effective Solar water heaters actually prove to be very reasonable in the long run, as it doesn’t use electricity. It can provide 80 to 100 gallons of water easily in a day, which is sufficient for a family of four. The only deterrent fact is its initial cost of setup and installation, for which banks provide loans at very low interest rates. The Active kind of solar system is costlier than the passive one as it uses its own pumping system and auto controls, whereas the passive depends upon gravity and physics. A solar system can provide more than 50% savings on electricity costs and also makes your home green. Save Environment A solar water heater system eliminates your dependency on electricity supplies, which in turn reduces greenhouse effect and lessens your carbon footprint. A typical family of four can reduce Carbon dioxide emissions by 3 to 4 gallons every...
Read More »
Posted by admin on Jan 15, 2014 in Posts
There is huge potential for solar water heaters in India. States like Rajasthan, where the sun shines all through the year and is extremely hot during the day, can utilize this free source of energy to meet their hot water requirements. Looking at the prospects and sustainability of solar water heater, the Rajasthan government is about to start a campaign and is going to launch a policy. According to the policy, to acquire a power grid connection from the state electricity board, solar water heater implantation will be mandatory for a building. This step will ensure that energy saving need is met along with promoting solar power. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of India along with the state government have decided to boost up solar power by giving a 30% subsidy on solar powered products. Manufacturers of solar products calculate that solar water heater segment will increase rapidly in the upcoming years. On an average, this market has seen growth rates of more than 15%, in the last two years. According to a survey, the water heater market is currently valued at Rs.1200 crore. Electric heater dominates the division and accounting for half of the market share, whereas, the solar water heaters have a market share of Rs.400 crore. This campaign started by the Rajasthan Government will surely end the power woes in the state. Looking at the success of this campaign, other state governments have also made it compulsory to install a solar water heater, and thus increasing the overall heater...
Read More »
Posted by admin on Jan 13, 2014 in Posts
Solar water heater converts solar energy into heat energy for making water warm. This can be achieved by using solar water heating panels instead of photovoltaic panels that convert heat energy into electrical energy. Use of Solar Energy for water heating is quite efficient, economical & pollution free method. A typical solar water heater consists of solar collector panels containing tubes or coils with water. They are placed in an area of abundant sunlight where it collects the Sun’s energy and transfers it to water for making it warm. For effective absorption of solar energy, the collector is made with black color & is properly insulated. There are two types of System. One is called Passive and another is Active. In a passive system, natural circulation is used for flow of water where water when gets hot, has a tendency to rise upwards and gets collected in a storage tank. While in Active system, forced circulation is used through an external pump, for hot water circulation. The solar water heater system works best in the sunny climate, but it doesn’t mean that it will not work in other climates. However efficiency may change accordingly. In cold climates, tubes are filled with non toxic antifreeze, to improve efficiency of the solar water heating system. Solar water Heaters can also be used as pre-heaters, and additional temperature can be achieved by using electric or gas water heater. This process saves a lot of money as the hot water heater does not have to increase as much temperature of the...
Read More »
Posted by admin on Jan 13, 2014 in Posts
When we think about solar energy, the first thing that comes into our mind is harnessing the power of the sun’s radiation to produce energy or heat water as per requirements. A solar water heater consists of solar thermal collectors and a fluid system which runs through interconnecting pipes and moves the heat from the collector to the tank. The power rating of a traditional water heater is approx. 4500Watts(4.5 Kilowatts). To reduce running costs, it might only be turned on for an hour daily to meet your daily needs. If we assume that the heater is used for 365 days a year, the total usage of electricity goes up to a whopping 1642.5kWH. This when multiplied with the current electricity cost, makes it US$657, which in any way is a big amount for a middle class family to bathe comfortably every morning. A solar hot water system includes a collector panel and a collecting tank to heat and store hot water. There are two types of solar water heater, and within each type there are two main subtypes. There are active solar water heaters and passive solar water heaters. Of the active solar water heating systems, you have direct circulation systems and indirect circulation systems. Of the passive solar water heating systems, you have thermo siphon and integral collector-storage systems. The passive type of solar heater is the most simple, durable and reliable type of heater and is less costly than its active counterpart. It uses simple physics, and gravity to move hot water in tubes and pipes. The use of a solar water heater can provide abundant water supply for all domestic needs. The location and typical climate of the area determines the type of solar heater that should be installed and the capacity of SWH depends upon the family...
Read More »
Posted by admin on Jan 13, 2014 in Posts
Hot water is required by everyone, and a water heater is an essential need of a family. A conventional water heater uses a good percentage of electricity to meet the water heating needs, which proves to be really costly in the long run. An approximate amount of 6000 kilowatt hours is consumed only by an electric heater in a year when used by an average family of four. This amount of electricity when multiplied by all the homes using the water heater, will amount to huge amounts of electricity being produced and wasted and production of more carbon dioxide, than automobiles do. Carbon dioxide causes the greenhouse effect and increases the heat inside the atmosphere. All this can be controlled by using a solar water heater as it doesn’t use electricity or any other fuel, only the sun’s energy, which is absolutely free. Solar energy is very friendly to the environment and does not create any type of waste and does not pollute the atmosphere. That is the reason why it is ecologically acceptable, as well. There are mainly two major types of solar water heater. One is an active solar water heater and the second are passive solar water heaters. The difference lies in the types of heating systems. In case of active solar water heater, water is heated by using direct and indirect circulation systems whereas in passive water heating systems water is heated by integral collector storage and thermo siphon system. A solar water heater has a high initial cost, the price, which can easily be provided by any nationalized bank, at very low interest rates (3% to 5%), which in turn brings huge savings for your family. A solar water heater typically has a life span of more than 25 years and if properly installed doesn’t require servicing and maintenance. Different factors determine the amount of hot water provided by solar water heater, the principal one’s are: The amount of sunshine the site can access. The type and the size of the solar heater to be installed are considered according to family requirements. The weather of the area. .Basic design of the building, where it has to be installed. Electric water heaters consume a large (15 to 20%) proportion of electricity which as the time runs adds up to large amounts. Home owners who have installed a solar water heater unit keep on praising it and are overwhelmed that they did. They save money on a monthly basis and have an abundant amount of hot water for their...
Read More »
Recent Comments