Solar Water Heaters

Posted by admin on Jan 23, 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 water.