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What is Solar Water Heater?
The solar energy from the sun is utilised for heating water very easily to a temperature of 55-70° C. And hence, if you replace your conventional water heater with a solar water heater, you can save up to 70-80% on electricity. Besides, it operates at low costs and is eco-friendly. This is the reason why thousands of people are installing solar water heaters every year.
With no maintenance requirement, solar heaters provide a low cost long term solution to getting hot water. For cloudy days, solar water heaters have an inbuilt electric heating element for backup. Basically, solar water heaters do conversion of sunlight into renewable energy for water heating using a solar thermal collector.
There are two different types of solar water heater available in various capacities. So it’s worth spending 10 minutes reading this information and selecting the best type and capacity of water heater that meet all your needs.
How does a solar water heater work?
A solar water heater works by harnessing sunlight to heat water through a process known as solar thermal heating. The system typically consists of solar collectors, a storage tank, a circulation pump, and controls.
Solar collectors are usually mounted on rooftops or other sunny areas where they can capture sunlight effectively. These collectors contain an absorber material, such as metal or blackened surfaces, which absorbs sunlight and converts it into heat. There are two main types of solar collectors used in solar water heaters: flat-plate collectors and evacuated tube collectors. Flat-plate collectors consist of a flat, insulated metal box with a glass or plastic cover and an absorber plate, while evacuated tube collectors consist of rows of transparent glass tubes containing absorber tubes.
As sunlight strikes the absorber material, it heats up the fluid circulating within the collector. This fluid, often a mixture of water and antifreeze solution, absorbs the heat and is then pumped or naturally circulated to a storage tank.
The storage tank is insulated to minimize heat loss and holds the heated water until it is needed. When hot water is required for domestic use or space heating, it is drawn from the storage tank and replaced with colder water, which is then heated by the solar collectors.
A circulation pump may be used to ensure efficient heat transfer between the collectors and the storage tank, while controls and sensors regulate the system’s operation, such as activating the circulation pump when solar radiation is sufficient or activating a backup heating element during periods of low sunlight.