Solar Heating Systems

Solar Hot water systems are environmentally friendly and can now be installed on your roof to blend with the architecture of your house. More than 1.5 million homes and businesses in the United States have invested in Solar Heating Systems, and surveys indicate that over 94% of these customers consider the systems a good investment.
Our rating was the highest of any of the freeze-protected solar hot water systems using less than 95 square feet of collector area. Our systems used just 2 solar heating panels or 64 square feet of collector area. The SEF rating given to the SolVelox translated to a solar fraction of 86%! The key to this system is the SolVelox - SOLARHOT's pre-packaged, integrated solar thermal core - designed for maximum efficiency

In addition to domestic hot water, solar can heat a home, pool or hot tub. Solar heating beautifully supplements hydronic heating systems, such as radiant floors, radiant baseboards and panels. Hot water and space heating together account for close to half of an average home energy consumption. Solar hot water replaces that energy consumption with clean, free energy from the sun.

A huge percent of our national energy consumption comes from our homes. Solar heater can and will make enormous progress toward a cleaner world and toward preserving natural resources.
Commercial and Industrial- With no caps for solar thermal installations and accelerated depreciation on solar equipment, businesses today reap all kinds of significant tax benefits in addition to decreasing their energy costs for space heating and water heating.

Solar Water Heating systems almost always require some kind of thermal storage for solar heated water. Tanks used in solar water heating systems are available in two basic types: pressurized and atmospheric.

Pressurized tanks, constructed of stainless steel or welded steel with a baked-on glass liner, are made to withstand city water pressure without rupturing. Polyurethane foam insulation is used in between the metal skin and interior tank to minimize heat loss. Pressure relief valves are included in the design of pressurized tanks. If the pressure builds up too high inside the tank, the relief valve opens and water is released. Pressurized tanks range from about $500 for an 80 gallon capacity to about $17,000 for a 1,000 gallon capacity. The life span of a pressurized tank around 13 years but can vary depending on local water conditions and tank maintenance (changing the anode rods regularly).

Atmospheric tanks are basically just non-pressurized containers to hold solar heated water. Since they are not completely sealed from the surrounding atmosphere, they should be well insulated. An atmospheric tank that is filled beyond its capacity will overflow. In addition, atmospheric tanks will lose water through evaporation. A variety of materials are used in the construction of atmospheric and include stainless steel, EPDM lined steel, EPDM lined wood, polypropylene and fiberglass. Tank costs and longevity vary with material selection.

A two tank solar water heating system consists of a solar storage tank (it can be atmospheric or pressurized) and a pressurized backup tank. A one tank solar water heating system uses a pressurized tank which serves both as the solar storage tank and the backup water heater.

Simply stated, when using an atmospheric solar storage tank in your design, heat from the collectors is delivered first to the atmospheric tank, then on to the pressurized tank. When no atmospheric tank is used in the
design, with only a pressurized tank, the solar heat can be sent directly to the one pressurized tank.

Should you incorporate an atmospheric solar storage tank in your solar thermal design? Your Solar Equipment Manufacturer should be able to help you decide what is best for your individual needs. However, if your tank capacity needs to be over 240 gallons, it may make sense to include an atmospheric tank for economic reasons.

Solar Hot USA | Making Solar Make Sense

P O Box 1154 - 2800 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite A - Morrisville, NC 27560
Telephone: 919 439 2387
Email: sales@solarhotusa.com
website: http://www.solarhotusa.com/