Reduce Your Energy Bill with a Solar Hot Water Heater
The Economy of Solar Hot Water Heaters
By Jacob Mintz
Conversion of Sun Radiation to Heat
The physical principle of converting sun radiation into heat was known for generations. For many years people knew that liquid bottles are heated up when they are exposed to sun radiation. Greenhouse agriculture is known for centuries. As of the 20th century, Solar Hot Water Heaters based on the greenhouse effect were developed, and in countries like Spain or Israel almost every dwelling building is equipped with a Sun powered Water Heater System.
Water Heating is cheaper than Solar Power Generation
Residential Solar Power generation is based on the photovoltaic effect. Although the effect was known for over 200 years and was explained in the 1920s by Albert Einstein, commercial exploitation started seriously only in the 90s of this century. Solar Power generation is still an expensive technology because it is not as matured as the conversion of sun radiation to heat using the greenhouse effect. It is expected that within the next 5 to 10 years residential photovoltaic power generation panels will be sold at more affordable prices. Solar Water Heating systems are sold at very affordable prices right now, even the most expensive evacuated tubes collector type that is recommended for use in the colder less sunny regions carries a very affordable price tag. In most countries, the payback time on sun powered water heaters is 3 to 5 years, even for the most expensive systems
The Benefits
A typical household spend about 20% of the home energy bills on heating water whether the water heater is operating on electricity, gas or other fossil fuel. A sun powered water heater can eliminate 80% of this expense for the 15 to 20 years life span of the solar heater.
The household once equipped with the sun powered heater contributes to the environment by the evident reduction in CO2 and pollutants emissions.
North America
I share my time between Israel and Southern California. In Israel I can see the solar collectors on almost every roof. When I come to sunny California I am surprised to see very few homes with installed solar water heaters. To me, it is like sitting on a gold mine and not exploiting it. I checked into the US statistics, and found that only 3% of the households have solar water heaters. Widespread installations of sun radiation powered water heaters can cut the nation energy consumption by 2 to 3%. Just imagine how many new power plants can be deferred and how many barrels of crude oil can be saved.
Jacob Mintz
http://www.solar-energy-for-home.com/solar-water-heating.html
http://www.solar-energy-for-home.com/solar_hot_water_heaters.html
