Solar hot water
- Slovak term: Slovenský termín
- Solar hot water is water that is heated by converting direct solar radiation energy into thermal energy and transferring that energy to raise the temperature of water (World Plumbing Council Working Group 2008).
Explanation
Solar hot water refers to a water heater which is heated by direct renewable solar energy. Solar hot water systems are generally composed of solar thermal collectors, a fluid system to transfer heat from the collector to storage. A solar hot water system may be used to heat domestic hot water for a home or for commercial uses, including energy input for building space heating and cooling (World Plumbing Council Working Group 2008).
Example
Solar hot water systems can be divided into two system types. A compact or thermosyphon system that utilizes the density changes of the heat to achieve circulation between the solar collector and storage, or a split or pumped system which relies on a pump to transfer the heated fluid from the solar collector to storage (Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand 2000).
Both types should include an auxiliary energy source such as an electric heating element or connection to a gas or fuel oil heating system which is activated when the water in the storage tank falls below a minimum temperature setting such as 50°C (Councils of Standards Australia and New Zealand 2003).
References
- Councils of Standards Australia and New Zealand (2003). Plumbing and Drainage. Part 0. Glossary of terms. Australian/New Zealand Standards.
- Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand (2000) National Plumbing and Drainage AS/NZS 3500 Part 5 2000. Domestic Installations.
