Solar Panel Facts

Energysavers.gov tells me that these are also called solar domestic hot water systems. Really? I’ve never heard them called that. Solar water heater, solar powered water heater, passive solar water heater, yes. But solar domestic hot water systems? No.

But I digress. Whatever you call them, solar powered water heaters are one of the growing ways that residential consumers are using solar power in their homes. They can be either passive or active, depending on whether the water just sits there passively or circulates via a pump actively.

In some cases, the solar water heater preheats the water, which still circulates through a secondary water heater. There are several different kinds of collectors and a few types of systems (both active and passive) available for residential use.

In some cases, a solar powered water heater will save you money. In others, the savings are so long-term that you’re better off choosing an alternative, if economics is your primary motivation for choosing solar. Of course, if you’re planning a home that is completely off the grid, money isn’t the biggest concern.

This article is just an introduction, and I’ll cover more of the details about solar water heaters, including things to consider in choosing a solar powered water heater, how much should you plan to spend and non-solar alternatives.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 7th, 2009 at 7:03 pm and is filed under Solar Powered Water Heater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.