Category: solar heating

Solar hot water heating units are becoming more popular as energy costs have risen over the last ten years. Technology for solar water heaters has also become more advanced and efficient, as well as the fact that the cost of the devices has lessened, thus becoming more of a viable option for an expanded base of people. These solar water heating units utilize the sun’s power to heat up the water before it comes into the home. They are often used in combination with a traditional water heater so that the water is pre-heated before it enters the traditional heater, thus saving on energy cost, but still providing nice hot water to the home.

Types of Heaters

There are two main types of solar water heating systems: one uses a circulating pump and controls and the other does not. Both types of solar water heating units require high insulation so that the benefits of the sun’s heat do not get lost out the sides of the water tank while awaiting use. There are also two types of systems that are used: one only has a single tank which combines the solar water heating with the backup heater, and the other system has a solar heating tank that pre-heats the water before it goes into the traditional water heater.

There are several different types of solar collecting materials that are used in solar water heating. One is a flat plate collector which is a glazed, water proof box that contains an absorber plat that is under some glass or plastic covers. Another type is the ICS or Integral Collector Storage system which also uses a glazed box, but this type of system contains black tubes or tanks in the box rather than an absorber plate. This allows the water to pass through the solar collecting system so that it can be heated on its way to the backup water heater.

In active solar water heating, the water is moved through the home by the system. In the direct circulation system, the water moves through the solar collectors into the home through the use of pumps. In a passive system, the water flows through the system because of the natural heating of the water, since the colder water sinks to the bottom and the warmer water rises to the top. There are other types of solar water heating systems in both the passive and active types that are used commercially and for specialized situations such as the heating of pools.

Solar heating has been around for a long time, yet is becoming more and more efficient as new technology finds ways to make it easier to heat an entire house or fun certain aspects of the home based on solar heating. There are solar roof tiles, solar water heaters and other solar powered devices that can be implemented into the home to make it more energy efficient. This can help save on cost as well as being a more environmentally friendly choice in the home.

Choices

Solar heating can be achieved through the use of solar roof tiles or panels that are usually placed on the roof of the home. Although all homes that have sunlight can use them, they are especially efficient in homes that have a large section of roof that is facing south, so that it is exposed to sunlight for the majority of the day in all seasons of the year. There are different types of solar roof tiles that can be used to provide energy to the home so that it is heated by solar energy. The roof tiles catch the energy from the sun and convert it to the energy needed to power the different systems in the home. Often individuals can work with the power company so that their home only pulls energy from the power company when there is not enough gathered from the sun. When there is an excess of energy, it can often be sold to the power company for use in other people’s homes.

There are also solar heating devices that can be used to heat the water for the home. There are two different types of devices: passive and active. The passive devices do not have circulating pumps and controls to move the water around and heat it from the sun. The active solar heating systems for water have these devices and are a more effective method of heating the water in most situations. These solar heating devices work best when there is adequate insulation around the water heating device so that all the heat collected is not lost through the tank.

There are two types of systems that are used in solar heating for water. One tank systems have a back up heater in the same tank as the solar storage portion. In two tank systems, the solar heater preheats that water before it goes into the conventional water heater so that less energy is expended in keeping the water hot.