Water heating is one of the biggest energy users in the home. Thankfully, today’s energy-efficient models can result in significant savings in heating costs.
Solar Hot Water Heating
Solar hot water heating is a very economical way to harness the sun’s energy. A solar water heater can provide enough hot water to meet about half of your water heating needs.
Solar hot water systems consist of three main components: a solar collector, which converts solar radiation into useable heat; a heat exchanger/pump module, which transfers the heat from the solar collector to your water supply; and a storage tank to store the solar heated water.
Many solar water heaters use a small photovoltaic module to power the pump needed to circulate the heat transfer fluid through the collectors.
Solar hot water heating systems can also be used to heat pools, or even to pump hot water through a radiant in-floor heating system to help heat your home.