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What is solar hot water heating?

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Solar hot water

Solar hot water describes heated water achieved through the usage of solar energy.

Solar heating systems are generally composed of solar thermal collectors, a fluid system to move the heat from the collector to its point of usage, and a reservoir to stock the heat for subsequent use. The systems may be used to heat domestic hot water or a swimming pool, or to provide heat for a heating circuit. The heat can also be used for industrial applications or as an energy input for other uses such as cooling equipment.

In many climates, a solar heating system can provide a very high percentage (50 to 75%) of domestic hot water energy. In cooler countries, combined hot water and space heating systems are used to provide 15 to 25% of home heating energy.

Residential solar thermal installations can be subdivided in two kind of systems: compact and pumped systems. Both typically include an auxiliary energy source (electric heating element or connection to a gas or fuel oil central heating system) that is activated when the water in the tank falls below a minimum temperature setting such as 50 °C. Hence, hot water is always available.

You can view the full article on Wikipedia.org

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