Domestic solar hot water systems are probably familiar to most readers. They depend on solar collectors typically mounted on the roofs of homes. The solar collectors capture solar energy to heat water for use inside the home.
Most domestic solar hot water systems are designed to provide 40 percent to 80 percent of a household’s annual hot water needs, although 100 percent is possible. (This requires using the most efficient solar panels and is typically achieved in the sunniest locations.)
Domestic solar hot water systems are usually integrated with conventional storage or tankless water heaters. (Be sure to purchase a tankless water heater that’s designed to operate in conjunction with a solar hot water system.) As you shall soon see, when operating in conjunction with a solar hot water system, conventional storage or tankless water heaters become secondary heat sources. That is, they back up the solar hot water system.
Although this chapter deals with systems for domestic hot water, these systems can also be designed to provide space heat for homes. Solar hot water systems can also be designed to heat greenhouses and swimming pools. They can even provide hot water for hot tubs, saving homeowners tons of money and dramatically reducing the environmental impact of using conventional heat sources.
But that’s not all. Solar hot water systems are also installed for what may seem like an even more frivolous need—melting snow on driveways. In the upscale ski town of Aspen, Colorado, for example, many wealthy homeowners install solar hot water systems to de-ice their driveways.
Read more about tankless water heaters .
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