Solar Water Heaters: An Introduction

Posted by admin on Jan 11, 2014 in Posts

Earth has provided us different sources of energy, which can be utilized to a great extent if we have the technical know-how. One of the energy sources is the sun, which has huge potentials. It’s completely free and can be used to fulfill all our water heating needs. Solar water heaters exactly do the same thing.

Basically, there are two kinds of solar water heaters, the active and the passive type. The only difference between them is the way the liquid is circulated inside them; an active solar water heater consists of circulating pumps and controls, whereas a passive is simpler in design and working. This article will provide detailed information about Active solar water heaters.

Active solar water heaters are of two types viz. Direct and indirect. The difference between them is the procedure of heating water. Both of them consist of an insulated tank to store water and a solar collector. In direct system, water is pumped into the solar collector on the roof. The solar collector looks like a solar panel, located on the roof of the house where it can access the maximum amount of sunlight. It is made of various materials and come in a variety of setups, each having unique abilities. When the water is moved into the collector, heat is transmitted from the collector to the water. The water then moves into an insulated tank, from where it can be used for daily errands. During this process the water is heated outside the house, this system is best suited for areas where the temperature doesn’t go below freezing.

Another type of the active system is known as the indirect transfer solar system. Here, the water gets heated by exchanging heat with a heat transfer fluid which runs inside the tubes. In place of water, the heat transfer fluid runs through the solar collector and after exchanging heat, water is then transferred into the storage tank.

This method is very efficient in colder weathers, as without the water actually coming into contact transfer heat to the water. The water doesn’t need to move to the roof as it can freeze when the temperature is sub-zero.

As solar water heaters can save lots of energy and hence costs on electricity bills, they can completely pay for themselves in some 4 to 5 years, after which it will provide nearly free hot water.