Most people are aware of using solar heating for hot water supply in the home. This is because about one third of our home energy bill goes towards hot water heating, as Florida State's electrical utility companies confirm. It is the third highest cost, following heating and cooling. Everyone thinks that solar energy is only economically feasible in southern US tropics or desert areas, but what about the northern states and Canada or even the Arctic? The dense population of the northern US and Canada can expect to recoup an average of 55% solar energy for their hot water needs..
Every solar thermal system functions well with existing home heating systems to give the required pre-heated water supply. If you need hot water at 140°F (60°C), your solar system will preheat incoming cold water to around 110°F (43°C) and reduce your fuel demands. In one year, you can expect your fuel bill for hot water to be greatly reduced. The solar system’s capital cost gives a good return on investment (ROI) which exceeds that of many other financial investments.
Before Installing A Solar Thermal System
A lot of energy is wasted when performing normal household tasks like taking showers, washing dishes and doing laundry as the heat is not completely extracted from the remaining water. If, after the task is completed, the water that drains away is cold, that means 100% energy efficiency. This seldom happens, as quite a bit of heat goes down the drain with the waste water.
You can salvage some energy from warm waste water by transferring it to incoming cold water for the hot water supply. A copper drainpipe is the basic vertical exit for waste water to flow to the sewer. On the way, the waste water “skins” along the pipe’s interior surface and causes its temperature to rise. Another, smaller pipe can be wrapped tightly in a spiral around the main exit pipe and the bottom or inlet can be linked to the cold water supply coming in. Thus, the waste water flowing down the main vertical pipe will transfer its heat to the cold water in the spiraled pipe and warm it before it is heated by the home’s solar or fossil-fuel heater. This further reduces energy requirements.
Of course, when you use less hot water at the start, you lower your energy costs.