What a source of power the Sun is? It can even heat the water and provide hot water. Undoubtedly solar water heater remains one of the best mechanisms to get a supply of hot water for the home. How about investing money on the sun and solar energy?
Yes, it is regarding solar heater that will ensure sustainability and will not deplete the natural sources. There is a lot to be gained with the help of solar energy. The solar water heater works on the principle of solar radiation and utilizes sunshine to heat the water.
It is one of the cheapest methods because there is no cost involved in heating the water. Solar water heaters are defined as per the collector type and the system of circulation. Previously, the solar water heater worked upon a simple formula.
It was basically a large black container because black is a good conductor of heat and absorbs energy, thereby heating the water in the container.
The method was simple but requires a lot of time as several hours were undertaken to heat the water. In the case of a normal solar water heater, the thermal energy is being utilized to provide warm water.
As the hot water comprises of lower density it tends to surge upward while the cold water that consists of higher density settles down owing to the gravitational force.
With the advent of technological updates, new mechanisms came to the forefront such as solar cells, solar panels, etc that made things easier and effective.
In the new system, the mechanism remained the same but comprised of a system that was sophisticated containing pumps, insulated tanks, valves that were anti-freeze and solar collector.
The new system is able to absorb more energy from the sun thereby heating the water in a quick span of time.
moreover, solar water heater comes up with a support that is back up the gas or electric water heater that has two main uses: heating the water on days that does not have sufficient sunlight or enhance the process of heating the water when if it’s not hot
Active and passive water heaters
The active system comprises of direct, as well as indirect circulation. When it comes to a direct system, the circulation of the water from the pump happens through the collectors.
On the contrary, indirect systems are not able to circulate households through the collectors rather pump a non-freezing heat-transfer liquid via the collectors. The anti-freeze fluid travel via the heat exchanger that happens inside the storage tank and the heat is transferred to the water.
The indirect system is complex in nature however, it is better in a climate where the freezing temperature helps in freezing a direct system.
Passive Solar Hot Water System
The passive system can be said to be less expensive as compared to the active ones as they are not efficient in the transmission of heat. The heated water in this scenario is unable to be circulated quickly. However, the major advantages this system carries are being less expensive ones, reliable and have high durability.
Each system has its own pros and cons and hence, it is important to know which water solar system best describes your needs. In the case of a passive system, the warm water rises while cold water sinks to provide circulation to the hot water through the system.
It is an active system that pushes the water with the aid of a pump. On the other hand, an active system needs more equipment that is circulating pump and other components, hence more expensive and prone to errors. In this case, electricity is needed and hence ranks low when it comes to energy efficiency.
On the other side, it has the potential to provide surplus and regular hot water as the pump keeps on circulating water through the system.
Passive Solar Hot Water System
The passive system can be said to be less expensive as compared to the active ones as they are not efficient in the transmission of heat. The heated water in this scenario is unable to be circulated quickly. However, the major advantages this system carries are being less expensive ones, reliable and have high durability.
Each system has its own pros and cons and hence, it is important to know which water solar system best describes your needs. In the case of a passive system, the warm water rises while cold water sinks to provide circulation to the hot water through the system.
It is an active system that pushes the water with the aid of a pump. On the other hand, an active system needs more equipment that is circulating pump and other components, hence more expensive and prone to errors. In this case, electricity is needed and hence ranks low when it comes to energy efficiency.
On the other side, it has the potential to provide surplus and regular hot water as the pump keeps on circulating water through the system.
The technology for solar water heater happens with the aid of an evacuated tube collector. Such a system attribute glass tubes that are transparent, metal absorbers and fins that are coated. Being highly driven by technology the collector reduces the loss of heat via radiation.
There are different styles that employ glass tubes within tubes or comprises of a metal absorber tube linked to a fin. With the help of fin’s coating, solar energy is absorbed but inhibits loss of heat.
This leads to the creation of a vacuum inside the tube that removes heat loss of conductive and convective type that leads to a reduction of the efficiency of the collector system. The vacuum-style collectors are able to attain high water temperatures that might go beyond 300 degrees F.
The system of Integral collector storage contains a glazed, insulated box; however, it uses one or more black tubes for the process of heating water. The water that is preheated is sent to the conventional backup water heater where the storage takes place.
The outdoor pipes are at stake to freezing hence this set up is not a good option when it comes to a region having severely cold winters.
Circulation system
The circulation system comprises of four different systems: