| Solar Hot Water | | | | collectors have hundreds of feet of tubing inside them |
| A lot of folks out there think of one thing when they | | | | in which the water is circulated. When the sun shines |
| hear the term "solar power". They think of electricity. | | | | on the solar panels, the water in the tubes in the |
| Actually, two kinds of solar power exist - solar electric | | | | collectors gets very hot and returns to the solar heat |
| and solar thermal. Solar electric uses photovoltaic (PV) | | | | exchange tank. The domestic water is pumped |
| panels that transform light photons to electricity. Solar | | | | through a coil of copper tubing and this coil is inside the |
| thermal heats water. | | | | solar heat exchange tank. The heat from the water in |
| Solar thermal has many uses. It can be used to heat | | | | the tank is transferred to the potable water in the coil |
| the water that is used for showers and laundry. It can | | | | of copper tubing, heating the domestic water that is |
| be used in a radiant heat system to heat floors or living | | | | later used for household processes. |
| spaces. It can also be used to heat swimming pools. | | | | Solar thermal has a much quicker payoff than solar |
| How Does It Work? | | | | electric - usually 5 to 7 years. It is especially effective |
| There are many different types of solar thermal | | | | where a large concentration of people reside, like a |
| systems, so for the sake of simplicity we will discuss a | | | | dormitory, fraternity, sorority, or even a jail. These |
| simple drainback system. This system consists of solar | | | | examples tend to be the most popular installation sites |
| collectors, a heat-exchange tank, a pump, and a | | | | for solar hot water systems. The system |
| controller. Solar fluid - in this case, tap water - resides | | | | configurations for these types of locations usually |
| in the heat exchange tank (that looks like a traditional | | | | consists of one 120-gallon solar heat exchange tank |
| hot water heater) and is pumped up to the solar | | | | with a pump and controller, and four or five 4' x 10' |
| collectors on the roof (or wherever the panels are | | | | solar collectors. |
| located - they do not HAVE to be on the roof). The | | | | |