Solar Hot Water Panels:

Captures the Sun’s Free Energy

Solar Hot Water Panels… the heartbeat of solar water heater systems collects solar energy for water heating, space heating, and space cooling.

A solar water heater panel is one component of a solar water heating system that captures the Sun’s free solar energy and to heat water.

Simply stated, solar heating systems collect the Sun's free solar energy to heat water/ non-toxic antifreeze or air. The air or fluid then transfers solar heat directly or indirectly to your water supply. Go to How Actives and Passive Solar Heating Systems Work to learn more.

Advances in solar heating technologies are prime for significant growth in solar heating today. The building industry recognizes the value of solar heating and are incorporating solar heating into building designs.

Solar heating, both water and air can almost always compete with gas and electric heating systems. Find solar incentives in your state at Solar incentives and financing have been tailored specifically to make solar heating more affordable for residential and commercial applications.

Some utilities provide incentives for solar water heating as a demand-side management strategy.

Use the solar payback calculator to evaluate different solar heating options.

In brief… all solar hot water heater systems perform five basic functions:

• Collection: Solar heating panels collect, absorb, and transfer solar energy to a working fluid like water or a non-toxic antifreeze. See how a solar panel works.
  
  
• Transfer: Moves the heated water or glycol fluid from the solar hot water panel to the storage tank then reticulate the fluid back to the solar panel to start the recirculation process over again. The transfer can be natural or with pumps.
  
  

  See passive solar heat or active solar heating systems to understand the transfer process.
  
  

• Storage:Solar heated water is stored in a well-insulated storage tank often with an electric or gas water heater storage tank as a backup source for hot water.
  
  
• Controller:When needed for active solar heating a controller turns on a circulating pump to move water or glycol fluid through the solar heating panel on demand. These controls are not required in passive solar heating because they circulate heated fluids naturally.

Go to How Solar Hot Water Panel Work to learn more.

In order to understand solar hot water heater systems you will also want to go to Active Solar Heating and Passive Solar Heating

There are significant differences between Active and Passive system.

Solar Water Heater Panel Types

Solar heating lets you take advantage of free solar energy reducing dependency on fossil fuels.

The different solar hot water panels or solar collector types meet a variety of different applications to heat water or air.

Flat Plate Solar Panels

They are well suited for residential and commercial applications to make solar hot water. These panels work in warm and even cool climates.

Because they are not as efficient in converting solar energy to heat as evacuated tub solar panels. But, they get the job done.

The glazed flat plate panel, is covered with safety glass trapping solar energy and prevents heat loss. These panels are used extensively for residential and commercial heating needs.

The unglazed flat plate panel is almost exclusively used for swimming pool solar panels. Water is heated to a temperature less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another type of unglazed panel, perforated plate panel heats the air for commercial buildings and drying crops.

These panels can heat water to low or moderate temperatures.

They accommodate most residential and light commercial applications.

They are well suited to humid climates where sunlight can be more, diffuse and hazy. The flat plate solar collector heats water to be 86-158°F (30-70°C.

A flat plate panel is a rectangular box containing fluid tubes mounted on a black absorber plate and covered with a glass or plastic glazing, which holds solar radiation inside the panel increasing its efficiency.

Were just getting started… Learn more about flat plate solar panels. Start with glazed flat plate panel, swimming pool solar panels and perforated plate panel.

Evacuated Tube Solar Panels

Evacuated tube solar panels fall into two main groups, direct flow tubes and heat pipe tubes.

Evacuated tube solar panels are suitable for higher temperature application such as, high temperature application that requires cooling equipment or industrial processes that require a large amount of solar hot water.

These solar heating tubes can reach very high temperatures, in the range 170°F (77°C) to 350°F (177°C).

These panels perform more efficiently than other solar panels. Small diameter metal pipes act as absorber inside a large evacuated glass tube. Learn more about evacuated tube solar panels

Integral Collector Storage (ICU) or Batch

They also are ideal for summer homes or camps where the system would be drained and not function during the cold months. These are very simple panels made up of one or more black storage tanks in an insulated glazed box.

The storage tank needs to be drained when freezing temperatures occur to prevent damage to pipes.

Cold water first passes through the panels, which preheats the water to less than 100°F, and then continues to the conventional backup water heater.

Other Solar Hot Water Panel Resources