Water Heating With Solar Power

When you convert your home's energy source to solar power you will need to make some adjustments to your appliances that use the power source. When you utilize solar energy to heat your water you may need to purchase a solar powered water heater. You may be able to adapt your existing water heater but what ever steps are necessary to convert it to use solar power will be worth it.

There are several methods of heating water using solar energy. You could even make your own solar power source. Water travels through pipes before it enters your home. Heating water with solar power will take place before the water comes into your home as it passes by the solar source that attracted the light. You may also have a tank to store water and that can be used to heat the water. In order to successfully heat the water you will need to have both a solar collector and a storage tank. 

A flat plate collector is the most common type of collector. It is designed as a thin, flat rectangular box which can carry fluid to be heated and has a see through cover. The fluid could be the water or it could be a solution, such as antifreeze that will prevent the water from freezing. Next the water runs through the tubes to an absorber plate. This plate is painted black in order to efficiently attract and absorb the heat from the sun.  When the collector gets hot, it heats the fluid as it passes through the tubes. After the water passes through the tubes it goes into the storage tank which holds the heated water. It should be well insulated so the water will retain the heat. From there the water flows into the home on demand. 

Solar water heating systems are categorized into two groups: Active and passive. Active heating systems are those that they rely on pumps or other mechanical devices to move the water between the flat plate collector and the storage tank. Active systems are the most common because they are quicker and more efficient. The passive systems rely on gravity to feed the water from the flat plate collector to the storage tank. This could be slow at times and may not be sufficient to keep up with the demand. Either method works and may be a matter of preference for you. Another factor you should consider is the angle of the flat plate collector and your storage tank. If not angled properly, gravity may not provide enough flow.

Heating water using solar energy is very affordable and can be installed fairly simply. Choosing to heat your water using solar power is a wise decision and a first step in helping preserve our environment. It can be easy to use solar power to do a lot of things, including heating our water.