Solar Water Heater – Price, Types, and Specifications

by Vivek Choudhary Nice life

A solar water heater is a solar-powered device that utilizes the energy from the sun to heat water. Ideally, it consists of a system installed on the rooftop that collects the incident sunlight, which is then used to heat water stored in an insulated tank. This system isn’t connected to a power supply and hence doesn’t have an on-off switch. The sunlight it collects throughout the day is used for heating the water tank. Then, this water can be used for any application as desired.

Depending on the type of collector used, Solar Water Heaters can be classified into the following three categories:

These are the most basic type of solar water heaters manufacturers available. They can be described as a tank under the sunlight. They get their name from the fact that the water is heated and stored one batch at a time. They’re also known as “ICS,” or “Integrated Collector and Storage.” A solar batch heater can warm the water enough to help you go without using electrical heaters, especially during sunny afternoons.

Batch water heating is appropriate for a household of 2-3 and can be an excellent low-cost investment. But, since they hold your hot water storage on the roof overnight, the storage tank must be fully sealed. It’s also advised to have only about one-third of the collectors tubing exposed above the insulation to prevent convection of the hot water back into the atmosphere, acting as a sort of reverse radiation.

Flat plate collectors have been widely used since the mid-1900s and still stand out from all the modern advancements. They comprise a safeguarding panel, painted metal, for example, copper – connected to channels where water or a heat exchange fluid goes through. This is encased in a metal casing, encompassed by reliable protection to help hold the collected heat, and secured by a sheet of glass or coating, which likewise protects airspace.

FPC solar water heater is long-lasting, as they are metallic. But they tend to be on a slightly expensive side. They work seamlessly well even in colder regions with sub-zero temperatures but need an additional antifreeze solution, increasing the overall cost. FPC systems find extensive use in places with salty water to desalinate it. It’s essential to avoid the large-scale deposition of salt that can impact the heating capability of the system.

ETC solar water heater is relatively newer in the market, and our world got acquainted with them as late as the 1970s. The most commonly used evacuated tubes consist of a heat pipe encompassed by a glass tube that is under vacuum. This glass tube further comprises two layers of glass. Sandwiched between these layers is the air that is evacuated. Some additional pressure is exerted on the heat pipe to permit the fluid (water) to bubble quickly, even at lower temperatures (around 70-80 F). The bubbling of water is a signal that the collector has collected heat to its maximum potential. Then, this heat is absorbed by water or any other fluid that flows through the inner tube.