Heating Water Efficiently With Solar Power

Due to frustration with utility companies more and more people are looking for way to make a switch to efficient and affordable homemade energy. One of the first steps in significantly lowering your costs is making the transition to a solar powered water heater.This is done by installing solar photovoltaic panels.This is much more efficient today because of affordable home solar panel kits.The use of solar power now allows you to heat your water efficiently and affordably.

Many people don't realize the number of options they have when making the switch to homemade energy. Solar panel kits can be built in your own back yard and used to heat your water.Before the water enters your home it passes through a series of pipes heated by the solar collector. You will also need a storage tank to help keep the water warm before it is used in your home.

The most common collector is a flat plate collector. It is designed to be a thin, flat rectangular box that has a transparent cover and it can carry fluid to be heated. The fluid can be water or it may be a solution, such as antifreeze that will prevent the water from freezing. Next the water moves through the tubes to an absorber plate. This plate is painted black to attract and absorb the heat from the sun. When the collector gets hot, it will heat the fluid that passes through the tubes. The water will then pass through the tubes and then to the storage tank. This tank holds the heated water. It is usually well insulated so the water will stay warm longer. Then the water flows into the home on demand.

Solar Hot Water Systems are divided into two groups:

1. The active water heating system is quicker and more efficient making it the most common system. Relying mainly on a pump or some type of mechanical device, the water is moved from the flat plate collector to the storage tank.

2. A passive water heating system relies on gravity feeding the water from the flat plate collector to the storage tank. It may be slow and not able to keep up the demands of hot water. It is important to also note that your flat plate collector and your storage tank need to be angled right for the gravity to feed the liquid through.

Solar power is an efficient and affordable alternative for heating water and requires some knowledge and minimal efforts. You can take the first step to living off grid by choosing to heat your water using solar power.

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