Description In Solar Hot Water

The shallow waters of a lake are generally warmer than the deeper waters. This is due to sunlight reaching the shallows, which, in turn, heats the water from the lakebed. This is a natural form of solar water heating. Heated water can be used in much the same way as for construction and swimming pools.

Most solar water heating systems for buildings consist of two main parts: a solar collector and a storage tank. The most common collector is known as a flat-plate collector. It is installed on the roof and comprises a thin, flat, rectangular, transparent cover facing the sun. A small tube through the box carries a fluid—either water or another liquid, for example, antifreeze—to be heated. The tube is connected to the absorber plate, which is painted black to absorb the heat. As heat accumulates in the collector, the heated fluid flows through the pipe.

The storage tank then holds the heated fluid. It may be just a modification to the water heater, but it is generally large and well-insulated. Using a fluid other than water, the systems typically heat the water in the tank, which is filled with a hot fluid through the coil tube.

Solar water heating systems can be active or passive, but the most common is the active system. The movement of the fluid in active systems relies on the pump between the collector and the storage tank, while passive systems depend on gravity and the natural circulation of the water as it is heated.

With a pool system, it's very simple. A pool filter pump is used to pump water through a solar collector, which is typically made of plastic or black rubber. The pool then stores the heated water.