Using the power of the sun to heat your domestic hot water is another approach to saving the environment and reducing the cost of your domestic heating costs.
Solar Hot Water Panel
Unlike photovoltaic solar panels where the suns energy is converted to electrical power, hot water flat plate solar panels draw on the suns rays to directly heat water. The water flows in a closed system through the panels and down to your domestic hot water system. Depending on the exact set-up of your solar hot water system, the heated water can either pre heat the cooler water entering your system or directly heating the water in your storage tank. The solar heated water flows in its own system and never directly enters your fresh water system. A small amount of chemical may be added to the water to avoid the build up of lime scale and antifreeze may be needed for locations where the outside temperature may drop to freezing levels. Like domestic solar panels for producing electricity, the location of the installation of your flat plate solar panels should be in direct sight of sun to achieve maximum efficiency.
The solar power benefits
Hot Water Shower
Firstly anything that reduces or eliminated the need for carbon based fuels is a benefit to the world that your children will grow up in and probably at the rate of CO2 released in the the atmosphere the world you live in now.
But as we are all human and have sometimes more important priorities and the main one is will it save me money? Most certainly it is a big YES here. Results will vary depending on your location on this world and your local climate along with the type of installation and your current consumption of hot water. Solar water heating could provide around 20% of your hot water needs in winter and rising to 80% in summer time, that is a summer time reduction of 80% hot water fuel costs.
Initial costs of installation here could be as low as $2000 or less. With around a 20 year lifetime and low maintenance costs solar hot water heating will save you money.
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