It is estimated that the normal family home spends a lot of money on hot water " or rather the fuel that is required to heat water. This has traditionally been done by utility companies that use coal or other fossil fuels (or even nuclear power) to power a hot water element or boiler in your home. There are various methods and devices that make this system as efficient as possible but the bottom line is that fossil fuels are getting harder to find and will get harder to find in the future. Consequently the costs are rising and will continue to rise. Alternatives are being looked for by utility companies, governments and the individual consumer. One alternative is to use solar power to heat your water. This article will discuss how a solar power water boiler works and how it could be the alternative to high energy bills whilst being an environmentally friendly option too.
Using the sun to heat water has been used for thousands of years. It is still one of the more popular ways to use solar energy even today and the basic principle remains the same. It is simply a matter of placing water in a location where it can be exposed to the suns thermal rays. There are two common approaches to doing this. They are called the flat plate collector and batch collector systems.
Flat plate collectors are simply a series of pipes that are placed in a part of the home where there is direct sunlight (generally a south facing roof). Water is passed through the pipes and is heated by the sun in the process. The pipes are designed to take maximum advantage of the thermal heat.
A batch collector system is a water tank that has been modified to get the most out of the sun's energy. This includes black surfaces that absorb the thermal energy. The tank is located in a place that will get lots of direct sunlight and is close to the house. The roof is a popular location.
The heated water will then be passed into the regular plumbing system of the home where it can be used for showers, baths, doing the dishes or whatever else you need hot water for. Although the home will still use electricity to heat water, the solar heated water passed to the plumbing system will use less electricity than ordinary water. This can produce quite a saving on energy bills.
Purchasing and installing each system will cost a bit of money but the maintenance cost is low and the system will last anywhere from 10 to 25 years. Depending on how much hot water you use and how efficient your home is in terms of storing hot water, you could pay off the purchase and installation costs within 5 to 7 years. After that you would be saving money. You would also be doing your bit in decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases pushed into the atmosphere.
Using the sun to heat water has been used for thousands of years. It is still one of the more popular ways to use solar energy even today and the basic principle remains the same. It is simply a matter of placing water in a location where it can be exposed to the suns thermal rays. There are two common approaches to doing this. They are called the flat plate collector and batch collector systems.
Flat plate collectors are simply a series of pipes that are placed in a part of the home where there is direct sunlight (generally a south facing roof). Water is passed through the pipes and is heated by the sun in the process. The pipes are designed to take maximum advantage of the thermal heat.
A batch collector system is a water tank that has been modified to get the most out of the sun's energy. This includes black surfaces that absorb the thermal energy. The tank is located in a place that will get lots of direct sunlight and is close to the house. The roof is a popular location.
The heated water will then be passed into the regular plumbing system of the home where it can be used for showers, baths, doing the dishes or whatever else you need hot water for. Although the home will still use electricity to heat water, the solar heated water passed to the plumbing system will use less electricity than ordinary water. This can produce quite a saving on energy bills.
Purchasing and installing each system will cost a bit of money but the maintenance cost is low and the system will last anywhere from 10 to 25 years. Depending on how much hot water you use and how efficient your home is in terms of storing hot water, you could pay off the purchase and installation costs within 5 to 7 years. After that you would be saving money. You would also be doing your bit in decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases pushed into the atmosphere.
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For more information on solar water heating visit www.solarpowerappliances.com. You will also find swimming pool solar heating systems and solar garden lighting.
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