Introduction
Solar Hot Water describes active and passive solar technologies that utilize solar insolation – the sun’s naturally abundant and free solar thermal energy – in order to heat water for a desired application.
Appropriate Techology
The Numbers
Essentially
Potential Applications
System Types
Availability of Solar Thermal Energy
Direct solar heat gain is one of the most efficient ways to heat water (in terms of energy/waste), as it requires no energy conversion, unlike electric-resistance heating or fuel burning. It is a simple transfer and concentration of heat energy from one place to another.
Hot water can be used for a number of applications, including sanitation (it's easier to wash a lot of things with hot water), and space heating.