Introduction
Solar Hot Water describes active and passive solar technologies that utilize the sun’s freely abundant solar thermal energy in order to heat water for a desired application.
If you have ever felt hot water trickle out of a garden hose that’s been sitting in the sun, you’ve experienced solar hot water in action.
Essentially, a solar hot water system is made up of a solar thermal hot water collector’, a well-insulated storage container, and a system for transferring the heat from the collector to the container vis-à-vis a fluid medium, which in some circumstances is the water to be used itself.
Appropriate Techology
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.