Solar Water Heating
Solar Water Heating in San Diego: Free Hot Water from the Sun
​With San Diego's abundant sunshine, solar water heating makes excellent sense for homeowners looking to reduce energy costs and get hot water FREE from the sun.
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How Solar Water Heaters Work
A solar water heater works like a battery, storing the sun's energy as hot water that's ready when you need it. In fact, solar water heating is the original solar energy storage technology. Like solar battery systems, solar water heaters capture and store solar energy for later use — but solar hot water heating may be the more affordable option for many San Diego homeowners.
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Types of Solar Water Heating Systems
Solar water heating systems include storage tanks and solar collectors. There are two main types:
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Active solar water heating systems use circulating pumps and controls for optimal performance
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Passive solar water heating systems operate without pumps or mechanical controls
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Indirect circulation systems (Closed-loop active systems)
Pumps circulate a non-freezing, food-grade, heat-transfer fluid through the collectors and a heat exchanger. This heats the water that then flows into the home.
Benefits:
a) Not susceptible to freeze damage - even in our geographical area this can be a concern
b) Very little heat loss or thermosiphoning
c) No calcification inside collectors due to propylene glycol/distilled water mixture
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Uses 80 gal. or 120 gal. solar storage tank - with or without a back-up heating element.​
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Manufacturer: Sunearth, Inc., Fontana, CA
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Integral collector-storage passive systems (ICS)
These work best in areas where temperatures rarely fall
below freezing. They also work well in households with significant daytime and evening hot-water needs.
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Replaces the well-loved "Servamatic" dome-type systems from the 80s.
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Copperheart ICS - by Sunearth, Inc., Fontana, CA
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Functions as a 'pre-heater' to the standard electric or gas water heater.​
Thermosiphon Solar Water Heating System
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These passive solar hot water systems, where the tank is installed on the roof, use the 'Thermosiphon' principle to collect heat from the sun and transfer it to your water. The Thermosiphon principle is based on two naturally-occurring phenomena:
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Objects - collectors or evacuated tube arrays -absorb heat
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Hot water rises into the tank
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CleanTech Energy Solutions Inc. installs 2 systems:
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The Sunbank - Davis, CA
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PV-Powered HYBRID SOLAR WATER HEATING SYSTEMS
PV-powered solar water heating systems are hybrid systems where (1) heating element is powered by 4-8 solar electric panels and a 2nd heating element is connected to the grid and serves as a booster when there is lack of sufficient solar power to heat the water to the desired temperature.
The solar panels are NOT connected to the grid and, therefore, do not fall within the limits of the service panel and operate during power outages.
There are 2 system currently on the market:
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SunWater - by Sunearth, Inc. - Fontana, CA
