As electricity is becoming more and more expensive, solar water heaters are used to heat water. If the solar heaters are used in wide spread then it can save a portion of convectional energy as solar power is free of cost.
Working of solar water heater
The working principle of the solar water heater or solar hot water system is easy to understand. The black surface on top gets heated up in the presence of sun. Generally the black has a very good absorption property which is used to improve the absorption effect in the solar heater. The collector absorbs the radiation from the sun and transfer the solar energy into heat energy. The different types of collectors used in solar water heater are ICS or batch collectors, flat plate collectors, unglazed or formed collectors and evacuated tube collectors(ETC). The water in collector gets heated up. The hot waters are collected in the tank. The tank is insulated in order to prevent the loss of heat.
Types of solar water heater
There are five types of solar water heaters or solar hot water systems. They are:
- Thermosiphon Systems
- Direct-Circulation Systems
- Drain-Down Systems
- Indirect Water-Heating Systems
- Air Systems
Advantages of solar water heater
The benefits of using solar water heaters are given below:
- There is no fuel cost since the solar water heater uses solar energy which is totally free of cost.
- Solar water heater requires less care.
- Solar water heater does not produce any hazard to the environment.
- Life time of the solar water is high.