Energy Savers: Solar Panels and Solar Water Heaters

 

With the current cost of utilities continuing to spiral higher and higher people are starting to look for alternative ways to power their homes. One of the first things we tend to think about when we hear about ways to cut down on our energy bills is solar energy. This inexhaustible supply of energy can be harnessed to help cut down on all of our energy need with the use of solar panels and solar water heaters.

 

Even when you live in a more northerly climate like Derby and Nottingham in the UK you can still save money on your hot water bills. Green plumbing has become very popular as not only does it help provide you with low cost or free energy and hot water, but it makes great strides in helping to reduce your carbon footprint.

 

There are several different types of solar water heaters on the market today. Some of them you can build and install yourself and others that will require the services of licensed plumbers to install so that they work properly. The most efficient way of having plenty of fresh hot water is to have a professional install one of the latest solar hot water heating systems using evacuated tube systems to heat the water. While this type of system can cost you a little more in the beginning due the extra cost of plumbing supplies the extra level of efficiency will pay for itself rather quickly.

 

The efficiency of this type of solar water heaters comes from the design of the collector tubes in the solar panels. Each tube consists of two different tubes, the outer one being made from clear borosilicate glass and kept clear to allow the suns radiation to pass through it. The inner tube is also made from the same glass but is coated with a special paint that absorbs the sun's radiation. This coating actually allows for up to 90% of the heat from the sun to be absorbed by the inner tube.

 

The two tubes are assembled by welding them together and then they are sealed with a vacuum between the inner and outer tubes. Vacuum is considered to be one of the best insulators and can help raise the water temperature in the inner tubes to as high as 150°C while the outside tubes stay cool to the touch. Another reason that this particular type of solar water heating system is popular is that it works very well in the cold.

 

Not everyone lives in an area where the temperature stays above freezing and this can lead them to wonder if they can still take advantage of solar panels and solar water heaters. This is where the evacuated tube solar hot water heating systems come intotheir own. While you are going to have to have licensed plumbers install them due to the nature of the plumbing supplies needed, they do not freeze in the winter. They will keep you supplied with hot water all year round as long as the sun shines and cut down the cost of your monthly utility bill significantly.