Solar water heating

[molo]

Does anyone have any experience with these? If so, what is it?

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/.../mytopic=12850

[Rancher]

I've used a couple of kinds of solar hot water heaters over the past 25 years, what's the question.

That's currently how I provide my hydronic floor heat.

Rancher

[Pewterpower]

I love mine. I have two huge panels on the roof and a 120 gal tank. It has an elect backup, but in 10 yrs I don't believe that it has ever been needed nor have I ever run out of hot water. The only time the water has ever been slow to heat was on the 4th cloudy day in a row. Luckily, I'm in FLA so the sun is intense and that doesn't happen that often.

[Mikey]

I have a single collector and an 80 gallon tank. The house and surrounding trees aren't positioned well for solar, so I was hopeful but not overly optimistic. It was first installed in November, as I remember, for about $3K after tax credits and incentives. During the installation and testing, somehow we neglected to turn the power back on, and it ran for a month or so without electricity. After a few days of cloudy weather, showers got a little tepid, so I checked things and turned the power back on, but I doubt it's being used much.

I'd like to make the collector adjustable for the varying elevation of the sun, and provide for "docking" the thing during hurricanes, but that's a ways down my list right now.

[Pewterpower]

The hurricanes have always worried me, too. But in 10 yrs that we've had the panels, we haven't seen a hurricane. Several Tropical storms, though. But no damage at all. Those things are anchored to the roof pretty damn good.
Btw, how did it work so long with no power? Don't you need power to run the recirc pump?

[got_nailed]

I have 2 closed loop 50 gallon tanks. I use them as pre heat tanks. They feed a 30 gallon hot water heater. During the winter it’s to cold out side for them to work so I feed water in off my wood boiler.

I bet he didn’t turn the power on to his hot water heater. But because he was testing the system the pump was on.

[kelvinwong]

They are solar hot water heating systems. And I think collector of evacuated tubes with heat pipe in is better than flat plate collectors, for they are no water in the collector no fear of freeze. and evacuated tube collectors is of high efficiency.

For cold areas, you will need heat exchanger(usually copper coils in the tank) for heating exchanger. Before using, you should filling anti freeize into the pipeline. And that is called indirect circulation system.