Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Uncledave

In Israel, solar hot water is just a 55 gal drum on a roof. I’ll bet it is a lot more elaborate here.


81 posted on 06/22/2007 12:55:30 PM PDT by ClaireSolt (Have you have gotten mixed up in a mish-masher?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies ]


To: ClaireSolt
In Israel, solar hot water is just a 55 gal drum on a roof. I’ll bet it is a lot more elaborate here.

Same principle, but the systems use tubes of water vs. tanks. The tubes are heated and cycled to the hot water storage tank. There's some nifty ways the modern systems trap and concentrate the heat (glycol solutions, evacuated tubes, reflective parabolas, etc), but at their core they're simple systems. Not much to break, and quite efficient.

Although most applications are for domestic hot water use, you can supply a heating system as well which some folks do, such as with radiant floor heating. It might not be enough during the winter to heat the water fully to heat the whole house, but it can boost the water temp from 50 degrees to something higher than that, which saves energy.

82 posted on 06/22/2007 1:05:45 PM PDT by Uncledave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson