Local Knowledge About Active Solar Water Heating

Solar water heaters use a solar energy collector, usually mounted on the roof of the house, to heat a fluid such as water, which is pumped through it. The hot fluid is stored in a tank, usually located in a basement or utility room, and the cool household water is piped through a heat exchanger in the tank to heat it. The hot household water can then be stored in another tank, or it may be piped into a standard water heater, which can serve as both a storage tank and a backup water heating system. There are five major components in active solar water heating systems: collector(s) to capture solar energy, circulation system to move a fluid between the collectors to a storage tank, storage tank, backup water heating system, and a control system to regulate the overall operation.