 |
|
|
Solar Hot Water Heaters Save Money...Choosing a solar hot water heater. Solar heater panels ... Two features, a collector and a storage tank, characterize most solar water heaters. Beyond these common features, solar water-heating systems can vary significantly in design. The various system designs can be classified as passive or active and as direct (also called open loop) or indirect (also called closed loop). Solar Water HeatersBy using specially constructed solar systems, energy from the sun can be used to heat water for household use. Depending on climate and water use, a perfectly constructed and maintained solar water heater can meet all of a home's hot water needs. Passive water heater systems function without pumps and controls and can be more efficient, last longer, easier to maintain, and cheaper to operate than active systems. Active solar water heaters combine pumps and controls to move heat-transfer fluids from the collectors to the storage tanks. Heating Your Swimming Pool With Solar Energy Heaters... Both active and passive solar water-heating systems often need normal water heaters as backups, or the solar systems function as pre heaters for the ordinary water heater units. A direct solar water-heating system circulates household water through collectors and is not suitable in climates in which freezing temperatures occur (i.e. below 0 degrees). An indirect system does not experience problems with freezing because the fluid in the collectors is usually a form of antifreeze. If you want to buy a solar water-heating system, you should compare products from various manufacturers. The Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) has setup a standard for comparing the performance of some solar water heating systems. The SRCC occasionally publishes performance ratings of both solar water-heating systems and individual solar collectors. These ratings are the results of independent, third-party laboratory testing of these products. Systems that will have the SRCC label will have been tested and certified by the SRCC... Which Companies Supply Electric Storage Tank Hot Water Heaters? An SRCC label does not mean the product is good...Having an SRCC label does not mean that the product is of superior quality. Read the SRCC label information on different brands and models to make sure that you know the of projected performance. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) also supplies useful data on solar manufacturers and contractors. It also has a database where it keeps solar equipment testing facilities and publishes performance ratings for solar water heating systems. You can not only select a solar water heater simply because it has good ratings!. Consider the design, size, installation, and maintenance costs of the particular water heater before you buy it. Although the purchase and installation prices of Solar water heaters are generally much more expensive to install, however they carry lower operating costs when compared to conventional water heaters... For more information about solar water-heating systems, contact the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse How much money saved by converting from storage propane to tankless natural gas? These will provide you with enough detail to be able to check out any sales pitch or at least ask very important questions about hot water heaters be they tankless heaters or storage heaters. Gardening and ponds and water The one common factor in choosing any system is the cost of the energy source. Note that this can change dramatically in a short space of time and especially in winter months. A second factor is the energy factor which really determines how efficiently the equipment utilizes the energy used to heat the hot water. You can read a wide range of water usage articles. They discuss the use of water in the house and home ... topics covered include filters, heaters, softeners and water in the garden. |
|