Residential Solar Hot Water Systems

Water can be heated with a solar hot water system for homes for showers, baths, dishwashers and clothes washers.

Residential solar systems provide about 40-70% of the hot water needs. Federal tax credits are available for solar hot water systems that supply at least 50% of the yearly heating demand.

Even if you put in a solar water heating system in a single-family home, you will still want a traditional water heater as a stand-in. On overcast days your solar heaters will likely not produce sufficient hot water and that is why a back-up heater is essential.

The type of solar collectors you select to install will decide the number and size of the solar collector plates. Typically, flat plate collectors or evacuated tube collectors are intalled to heat water. The evacuated tube collectors are more efficient, especially in colder or overcast weather and climates. You will pay a premium for the more efficient evacuated tube collectors.

A storage tank is very important component of the solar hot water system. You will still need the back-up heater, as the solar storage tank does not replace this heater. I see the residential solar hot water system as a system that pre-heats the incoming cold water on most days. Sufficient hot water will be made, in a well designed system, to provide allmost all the hot water need on sunny days.

A adequate solar heating system will have the capcity to preheat the incoming cold water to about 80-100degF on foggy summer days or cold, clear winter days.   The preheated water will flow from the solar storage tank to the normal water heater, which will heat the water up to the required 130-140 degF.

Solar collectors can be a reliable, alternative energy option to supply most of your hot water needs at reasonable cost. Use the tax credits (and possibly local utility incentives) to help you decrease the installation expenses for the solar hot water heating system for your home.

Learn more about solar hot water heatings systems at www.greenandsustainablehomes.org

Originally posted 2010-07-24 05:47:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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