Posts Tagged ‘solar water heater’

Solar Water Heaters: Keeping Your Money Employing a Solar Water Heater at Home

February 6th, 2010

Solar water heaters or, as they are likewise known as, solar domestic hot water systems, have the ability to become a cost efficient strategy to generate hot water in your home. They can be employed in any environment, plus the fuel that they work with – the sun’s rays – is 100% free.

The potential uses might possibly break down your resistance to the idea of buying a solar water heating system that becomes a component of establishing an eco-friendly residence.

What They’re Made Of

Solar powered water heating devices include things like storage tanks and solar collectors. There are two kinds of these heating systems: active – which have circulating pumps and controls – and passive heating systems, that don’t.

Passive heating devices are generally less expensive than active devices, though they’re usually not as economical. Nevertheless, passive systems are able to end up being even more dependable and may not wear out as quickly. With regard to active systems, you may want to talk over the maintenance necessities together with your system provider and check with the system’s owner’s manual.

Going Down the Tank

The majority of water heaters that run on sun power call for an insulated storage tank. Solar storage tanks come with an extra outlet and inlet linked to and from the collector. With double-tank designs, the solar heater warms up water just before it enters the standard water heater. In single-tank models, the backup heater is joined with the solar storage in a single tank.

Electrical Power When the Sun Isn’t Out

Solar water heating devices almost always need a backup device for cloudy days and times of heightened usage. Traditional storage water heaters normally provide backup and might already be a part of the solar heating system bundle.

A backup system might also be a portion of the solar collector, just like rooftop tanks along with thermosyphon designs. Because an integral-collector storage product already keeps hot water in addition to gathering solar heat, it may be grouped together with a backup water heater.

Starting Considerations

Before you purchase and install a solar powered water heating system, you should really take into consideration the overall costs of solar energy devices, assess your site’s solar resource, ascertain the correct system dimensions and energy efficiency, and read your regional rules and restrictions.

The right assembly depends on your solar resources, weather, local building code standards as well as basic safety challenges. It is advisable to get a knowledgeable, solar energy systems contractor set up your system.

Routine servicing on basic systems could possibly end up being as sporadic as every 36-60 months, and preferably maintained by a solar service provider. Designs with electric parts generally need a replacement component after 10 years.

The Payback

Although you may experience minor problems with existing solar water systems, the technological innovation is quickly becoming even better. As a customer, these systems are a sensible investment on the grounds that the expenses will be recouped within a small period of time, therefore lowering your utility expenses.

Moreover, a number of government authorities offer rebates to customers who invest in eco-friendly solar power systems. As well as saving funds, you can simultaneously be environmentally friendly by simply decreasing your need for standard fuels.

For specifics on practical home energy cost savings choices, see www.energysavingsoptions.com – a popular site providing good insights about energy cost reducing measures, such as Garage Door Insulation – a handy Portable Furnace – and quite a few more suggestions!

Conserve Cash With A Solar Water Heater

January 10th, 2010

If your electric or gas bill is too high due to the cost of keeping water hot, why not install a solar water heater and have free hot water. In many locations solar water heating systems can provide seventy percent or more of the water needed for the home.

There are a couple of designs of water heaters that depend on the sun and both work well, especially in warmer climates. A passive solar tank is simply a black tank that is installed on the roof that allows the water to be warmed by the sun. An active solar water heater will have collector panels on the roof and these collector panels are connected to the cold water supply and the storage tank in the home.

With the passive solar water heater, the tank is black as this allows for the most heat to be absorbed from the sun. The amount of water in the tank is controlled by a float mechanism which regulates the amount of water in the tank. Heated water flows into the home using gravity pressure. As the hot water is emptied from the tank, it is replenished using cold water from the supply line.

The passive solar tank may require that you strengthen the roof structurally to hold the weight of the tank and the water. The solar collectors are light enough that there should not have to be any structural changes.

The passive systems are not appropriate for colder climates.

One way to install a solar water system is to use it as a pre-heater so that your tank is not filled with cold water but water that has been warmed by the sun in the collector panel. This water then fills a normal water heater that is fueled with gas or electricity. Other systems use a pump to draw cold water from the storage tank and pass it through the collectors to be heated. In either of the cases, if the solar system is not able to keep the water at the correct temperature, the secondary source of heat will come on so that water is always at the correct temperature.

With active systems, it is important to face the collector panels so that they get the most heat gain. They work very well on flat roofs, but if you do not have a flat roof, then they should be on the south facing side of the home’s roof.

Be sure that you follow all instructions for the system regarding freezing weather. If there is danger of a freeze, unprotected systems may suffer major damage or have to be replaced.

In very cold climates, you may find a heat exchange system is the best investment. This system is filled with antifreeze and has a heat exchanger in the storage tank. A pump moves the solution through the solar collectors and then the heat exchanger to warm the water. The solution continues to circulate to bring the water to temperature.

If your electric or gas bill is much too high due to the cost of keeping water hot, why not purchase a solar water heater and have 100 percent free hot water. More info on solar water heaters now a click away.

Residential Solar Power Is Becoming An Increasingly Popular Option for Homeowners

October 5th, 2009

Residential solar power is becoming more popular every day because it can help you save a significant amount of money on your energy bill every month. There are many reasons why solar power is becoming more popular every day.

Knowing these reasons can help you see why so many people are choosing to use this type of power for their homes. Here are the reasons why residential solar power is so popular.

One: Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why people choose solar power is because once it has been installed, it requires hardly any maintenance and as such, the cost and upkeep is negligible.

Two: Solar panels are known for having a long life span, which means that you wont have to replace them all the time. This will save you money in the long run.

Three: Solar panels are made in all different shapes and sizes, which means that no matter what your homes design is, you can pretty much install solar power almost anywhere.

Four: Solar power in recent years has seen great strides, which means that it is becoming more affordable for everyone. Gas and oil prices continue to rise, so more and more people are turning to residential solar power to help them save money.

Thanks to modern technology we now have the ability to convert the sun’s energy into electrical power using solar power systems. When one considers that the sun can provide us with such an abundance of energy, it only stands to reason that solar energy is a more cost effective alternative to what we currently use.

These are not the only reasons why residential solar power is becoming more popular every day, but they are the most important ones. Now that you know why it is becoming popular, you need to know some important factors to take into consideration before you decide to use solar power for your home.

One: How much sunlight does your home get? This is important because if your home is always in shade, or it is cloudy and rainy all the time where you live, then solar power may not be your best choice.

So, you have to take the weather and how much sun your home receives into consideration because this will make a difference in how well it works to provide energy for your home.

Secondly, one also needs to take into consideration the local laws and by-laws due to the fact that solar power may not be allowed in certain areas. For this reason it’s always a good idea to seek advice from neighbors or from your local authority with regards to installing solar power.

Now that you’re aware of the main reasons why people choose solar power and also what factors you need to take into consideration, you’ll be able to make an informed decision as to whether or not residential solar power is the right choice for you. Remember, while it may be ideal for some, is not the best choice for everyone.

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How Do You Decide If You Should Be Using Home Solar Power Systems For Your Home?

September 25th, 2009

Are you considering investing in a solar power system? If so then you need to realize that you’re not alone because they are in fact thousands of people choosing solar power as an energy source to power their homes.

You need to take the time to decide a few things and also to figure out if home solar power systems would work to get your home the electricity you need. This article is going to tell you how you can decide if solar power is right for your home.

Before making a decision with regards to solar power being installed in your home, one should take the following things into consideration:

One: First of all, you need to be relatively sure that you intend living in your home for a long time because essentially, once solar power has been installed in a home, it stays in that home. In other words, you need to be sure that you intend living in your home long enough in order to benefit from your investment.

Two: Is there an adequate amount of space on the roof of your home to allow for the installation of solar panels, and in such a way, that they will be exposed to a minimum of six hours of sunlight per day? Ideally, solar panels should be for installed on an area of the roof that gets the most sunlight each day. Never have them installed on any part of the roof that is in the shade of nearby trees.

Three: Are you confident enough to walk around on the roof or do you have a fear of heights? Of course, this is important particularly if you intend carrying out the installation yourself because as you can imagine, you will need to be on the roof. If you’re not 100% certain, then perhaps it would be better if you got someone in to do the job.

Four: Another important decision to make is whether or not you intend doing the job yourself or having someone else do it for you. This is important for two reasons. First, if you decide to use a company you’ll first need to locate one which is reputable. Secondly, you need to realize that the cost of a residential solar power system can be significantly more expensive when you make use of a company for the installation.

While the four factors discussed above of the most important things you’ll need to consider, you should also invest a suitable amount of time into learning whatever you can about home solar power systems. Only then should you go ahead and actually have one installed. Above all, make sure that you do consider those points which have been discussed in this article.

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