Solar panels used in solar hot water heating for homes and businesses of all sizes are not hard to understand at all. By the time you finish this short article you’ll know exactly how the system works and why you might be throwing away your money if you don’t currently use a system like this. Three Types of solar collectors that are used for residential & some commercial applications:
- Flat-plate collector
Glazed flat-plate collectors are insulated, weatherproofed boxes that contain a dark absorber plate under one or more glass or plastic (polymer) covers. Unglazed flat-plate collectors—typically used for solar pool heating—have a dark absorber plate, made of metal or polymer, without a cover or enclosure. - Integral collector-storage systems
Also known as ICS or batch systems, they feature one or more black tanks or tubes in an insulated, glazed box. Cold water first passes through the solar collector, which preheats the water. The water then continues on to the conventional backup water heater, providing a reliable source of hot water. They should be installed only in mild-freeze climates because the outdoor pipes could freeze in severe, cold weather. - Evacuated-tube solar collectors
They feature parallel rows of transparent glass tubes. Each tube contains a glass outer tube and metal heat tube attached to a fin. The fin's coating absorbs solar energy but inhibits radiative heat loss. These collectors are used more frequently for commercial applications - The solar panels are made up of high technology tubing containing a fluid that is directly heated by the sun’s rays falling on the tubing
- This fluid flows down from the panels to your hot water tank
- This continues until your stored water reaches a set temperature and then shuts off. It turns back on only when there is a need for more hot water supply.
The key point to remember is that the solar panel using the energy from the sun replaces the fossil fuels used to heat conventional water storage tanks. You pay each month for the fossil fuels used but once your solar hot water system is installed the free sun energy doesn’t cost you a dime.
We have all turned on a water hose that was lying in the sun and been surprised at how hot the water becomes. This is solar heating and by adding a few bells and whistles to the system it can supply approximately 80% of your hot water needs.
Zager Plumbing and Solar, Inc. has installed these types of systems in large resorts that use 4,000 gallon water storage tanks down to the single family homes. If you have any questions please use our Contact Us Form and you’ll find all of our contact information on that page. We look forward to working with you.
Zager Plumbing and Solar, Inc
149 SE 4th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441
1-800-870-6321
954-481-2629
Fax: 954-481-1654
CFC 041677
CVC 56804
Florida Solar Energy
Industries Association
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