The interest in harnessing natural power for domestic use has grown in recent times with the growing concern about planetary waste and more recently with the effect of the global recession which has turned people towards a more economic solution to domestic energy. By using hot water solar panels the sun’s natural energy can be harnessed for domestic energy requirements.
Solar heaters use heat-transfer fluids, similar to anti-freeze which gets hot without boiling, to transfer heat through tubes of solar collectors.
The fluid circulates through tubes in a highly-insulated holding tank containing water to be heated. With each cycle, more heat gets transferred and the fluid then returns to the solar collector to be re-heated.
There are two distinct types of solar water heater systems:
- Active systems use pumps and controls to regulate the passage of water
- Passive systems combine the collector and storage elements in one unit
Solar heating can be the sole source for a domestic supply or it can supplement conventional systems where there is a high demand, dependent on the household’s water equirements.
Because of the simplicity of design of solar water heaters they are very low-maintenace. The systems are dependent on the local climate and special consideration should be given to freeze-protection requirements. There are various designs and qualified solar water heater distributors can help to identify the best combination of units to use. The industry provides alternative solutions to your needs depending on the climatic regional requirements and there are accreditation schemes to ensure consumers are getting the best designed system for their needs.
A solar water heater will save you money but it will also help protect the environment. Conventional domestic heating can produce one to two tons of carbon dioxide in a year and other pollutants, such as sulphur dioxides, carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides are also displaced when a homeowner makes the switch and taps into natural solar power.
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