Go Green, Economical, and Efficient with Solar Heat Systems

Many homeowners are looking for cost-effective and energy-efficient source of energy for their home and business. Different solar energy systems such as solar panels and solar heat systems are becoming popular because of their high efficiency. Many people consider that installing solar power system for their home requires very high price. Solar heat systems differ from solar photovoltaic systems. Solar photovoltaic panels produce electricity for your home where solar heat system is for water heating.  For water heating, solar heat system is less expensive and affordable way for an average homeowner.

Solar heat system proves to be an affordable and effective way of going solar, rejecting the high price tag of solar power system. In the case of traditional gas or electric water heaters, you pay thousands of dollars for their equipment, installation, and yearly maintenance. Solar water heaters, on the other hand, do not require such additional charges; instead they save energy every year recovering the installation costs. Energy saving opportunity every year gives you a sound reason to pay more initially for the installation of solar heating equipment in comparison with electric or gas water heaters. You can also qualify for federal tax credits and other local incentives in case of purchasing certain certified solar heat systems. The rebate or tax credit can reduce the costs for your solar heating equipment up to 30%.

A solar heat system is much advanced and energy efficient as compared to the traditional gas or electric water heater. It uses approximately 80 percent less energy than other typical water heating systems. This considerable reduction in energy consumption can save $500 per year for an average home. It is believed that after adding all incentives, tax credits, and yearly savings, solar heat system can pay back its initial installation costs within 5 to 7 years.

If you want to go solar, don’t make cost an excuse because long-term benefits of solar heat system compensate the initial installation costs for you within a few years. Smith Sustainable Design helps you explore different solar water heating options for your home. We guide our customers to find best solar heating system according to their needs and budget. 

OG-300 Solar Hot Water Heater System for Residential Use

It is important to look for Solar Rating and Certification (SRCC) seal on the solar hot water system you choose for your home. Collector certification (OG-100) and heating system certification (OG-300) are two major currently operating programs of SRCC. The OG-300 certification and rating program is a reliable and best choice for a new solar thermal systems for the residential use.  The complete package of OG-300 systems provides a solar thermal kit including collectors, storage tanks, and other components required for a safe installation.

Every product having OG-300 certification seal gives valuable information to the consumer about solar hot water heater system. We can assume from the OG-300 seal that the particular product has been tested and meets the requirements of SRCC standard. It means that the product operates efficiently, meets safety requirements, and provides a specific amount of solar energy. A comparison between different ratings of OG-300 systems can help you select the best system for your requirements. You can also examine how a rated solar thermal kit is more profitable than an unrated system.

You also qualify for rebates or tax credits if your purchase an OG-30 system. This incentive is from the federal government for those homeowners who select OG-300 systems for their home. You can receive about 30 percent of your costs as a tax credit by purchasing this system. You can apply for a federal tax if you choose to purchase a OG-300 Solar Hot Water Heater System for your new construction, existing home or primary or secondary residence (not for rental homes). Make your plans to purchase and install a new OG-300 solar hot water heater system because the tax credit incentive will end at the end of year 2016.

The Clean Energy Program in the state of New Jersey offers you financial incentives for purchasing OG-300. On buying a non-rated system, you may not receive rebates or tax credits offered by your utility company on installing SRCC rated system. SRCC do not rate low-standard and cheap solar hot water heaters, made overseas. You can be disqualified from extra benefits if you purchase these non-certified systems.

Smith Sustainable Design offer to install OG-300 solar hot water heater system for your residential use, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  Contact us for more information about the different available types and benefits of OG-300 systems. We will guide you to choose the best SRCC rated solar hot water heater system for your home. 

Standard and Rating for Solar Thermal Equipment and Systems

You must have heard about ratings and standards for different renewable energy products especially when purchasing appliances such as central heating and air systems, water heaters etc. ENERGY STAR is a very well known program in the U.S. to help everyone save money and protect the climate. So consider Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) when you decide to install solar hot water system or solar thermal equipment for your home or business. The organization SRCC provides rating and certification for different solar energy equipment like collector certification and heating system certification.

For an SRCC certified product, you can see the product rating for operating guidelines, product testing, and product standards. The purpose of this program was to test and rate the efficiency of the solar thermal equipment, by their manufacturers at the time of the production. This rating system guides homeowners about the efficiency and reliability of different types of solar thermal equipment, helping them to select an ideal solar energy system for their home. The rating system for solar thermal equipment has been working since 1980, trusted by the government of the United States for their reliable product information.

Similar to ENERGY STAR program, the SRCC rating program helps homeowners to make a decision about purchasing, giving them valuable information about the solar energy products. You can use solar rating system to evaluate different solar thermal products, comparing them side by side and selecting the one, which best suits for your home needs. The nationwide acknowledged, SRCC rating and certification program is a standard method for the comparison of solar thermal products.

A variety of collectors and solar thermal systems have been rated, receiving the SRCC seal. There are about 1,000 collectors and 2,000 solar thermal systems available in the market that are certified and rated by the SRCC. We at Smith Sustainable Design offer SRCC rated equipment such as collectors and solar thermal systems for your home. You can contact us for more information about the understanding and practical use of SRCC rating program.

Pool Heating through Solar Hot Water Systems

Everyone wants to have a heating system for their outdoor pools, but the expected cost of pool water heating makes them ignore the idea. You have no need to avoid the pool heating plan anymore because solar hot water systems provide a cost-effective and energy-efficient heating system for your pool. Solar hot water systems make use of the natural energy from the sun to maintain a consistent temperature of your pool.

Different components of solar hot water system for your pool heating include a solar collector, a pump, a filter and a flow control valve. Solar collector receives water from your pool after getting pumped and passing through the filter. Water gets heated in the solar collector and returns back to your pole. The same process works in hot climates by operating during the night time for the purpose of cooling pool water.

A number of factors determines the size of the solar hot water system suitable for your pool. These factors include the pool size, desired temperature of the water, pool cover, length of swimming season, and the average temperature of your location. By considering all these factors, you can easily determine the size of solar collector and pump of your solar hot water system.

The charges are exorbitant when you use typical gas or electric heaters for your pool water. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it may cost $2,000.00 per year to heat an average sized residential pool by the traditional heating methods. Every year, maintenance of these systems will charge you much more than their initial installation costs.

On the contrary, solar hot water systems require very low annual operational cost helping you to recover the installation costs within few years of use. With solar water heaters, you can enjoy warm pool water the whole year without paying large amounts for the operational cost of your heating system.

You can consult Smith Sustainable Design for installing and designing an ideal solar hot water system for your pool. Leave your current gas or electric pool heater and enjoy warm water using solar hot water system without worrying about operating costs. If you are planning to install a pool, we can help you have an ideal pool heating system making use of the natural energy from the sun for heating your pool water. Contact us today if you are in Pennsylvania or New Jersey and looking for a pool heating system. 

Maintenance for your solar water heating system

Maintenance is a very important factor to make your solar water heating system effective and long lasting. It is very important to keep a check on the maintenance of your solar water heating system, so it may sustain its efficiency for a long period of time. We will discuss some maintenance tips in this post to make it possible for you to get the maximum out of your solar water heating system.

Cleaning is the simplest and important way to keep your solar water heating system in good working conditions. You will be required to clean solar heat panels sometimes to make their surface clear to collect maximum sunlight.  

Make sure that all parts of the system are intact. Repair or replace if the glass cover and outer seals of the solar heat panels have cracks or any other damage. 

Make sure that your solar water heating system are perfectly secured to your structure. Check the nuts and bolts, to see if they are properly fastened to the solar heat panels and your roof.

Most types of solar heat panels use a safety valve which regulates the pressure of water. Make sure that the pressure relief valve is working.  You can easily examine the working of a valve. Release the valve to let the fluid flow, if it doesn’t then replace the valve. Never forget to close the valve after inspection. It is recommended by many manufacturers of solar water heating system to check the functioning of valves every six months.

Maintenance of the solar hot water pumps are very important for the steady working of a solar water heating systems. Examine the working of the hot water pumps during the peak sunlight hours to check if it works properly. If the pump doesn’t circulate the water, it means some of the parts of the pump are not working and require repair or replacement.

Flush your system occasionally to keep it clean and free of any settled sediments in the tank.  In order to clean your storage tank attach a water hose to the drain valve of the tank. Flush the storage tank until all settled sediments at the bottom of storage tank flow out. Repeat the process of flushing at least two times in a year.

If you are looking for more information about the maintenance of any type of solar water heating system, you can contact Smith Sustainable Design. We can guide you how to make your residential solar water heating system work effectively for a longer time. 

Types of solar thermal systems

Energy from the sun can be utilized to meet your hot water needs with the help of highly energy efficient solar hot water systems. There are different types of solar hot water systems designed for different applications. Let’s discuss the types and working of the variety of solar hot water systems.

Passive Solar Water Heaters

Passive solar water heaters are the most simple and affordable design of solar hot water systems. Their efficiency is not comparable to active solar hot water systems, but they are inexpensive, reliable and long-lasting. This system also requires considerably less maintenance as compared to the other available designs. The passive system does not need moving parts to circulate water which makes it less expensive and maintenance free. There are two types of passive solar water heaters.

1.       Batch systems

2.       Thermosyphon systems

A batch system or integral collector storage system is suitable in conditions where temperature does not fall below freezing point. This system can meet your hot water needs in a day time and also during the evening peak hours. The storage capacity of a batch system is about 20 to 40 gallons of hot water per day.

In thermosyphon systems, an insulated water storage tank is used in combination with flat plate solar collectors. This type of solar hot water systems is also appropriate in climate where temperature rarely drops below freezing. Thermosyphon systems meet your hot water needs providing 30 to 80 gallons of hot water every day.

Active Solar Water Heaters

A pump is used in active solar hot water heaters to circulate the hot water within the system. This addition of pumps makes it more expensive than passive solar water heaters. This system also protects the collectors and tank from freezing. Active water heater systems also have two types.

1.       Open loop systems

2.       Closed loop systems

Open loop systems or direct circulation systems are appropriate in the warm climate, where temperate often remains above freezing. In this system, you can receive 40 to 80 gallons each day for your household hot water needs.

Closed loop systems or indirect circulation systems are suitable in freezing temperatures. The hot water capacity for this systems is also large. You can get 40 to 120 gallons of water every day to meet your hot water requirements.

All the types of solar hot water heaters are reliable and productive. Smith Sustainable Design takes great care of all factors required to be considered in planting solar hot water heaters. We guide you to decide suitable type of system design which serves you the best. We design energy efficient solar hot water system to make you comfortable about hot water needs throughout the year.

Components of Solar Thermal Systems

Solar thermal is an advanced and energy efficient technology that can meet all your hot water needs for your home.  Other heating systems involve burning of fossil fuels. Like natural gas and oil cause a serious threat to the environment by emitting harmful gases on burning. The fuel for solar thermal system comes from the sun, and the system does not involve any burning. Solar thermal systems do not produce electricity from the sunlight, but they absorb energy from the sun, using it for water heating. Main components of solar thermal systems are solar collectors and storage tanks.

Collector panels are of three types used in solar hot water systems for residential use.

1.       Flat plate collectors

2.       Evacuated-tube solar collectors

3.       Integral collectors

Flat plate collector is an insulated metal box which contains solar absorber plate at the bottom and a glass cover at the top. Insulation around flat plate collectors makes them weatherproof.

Evacuated tube solar collectors contain a metal absorber and rows of transparent glass tubes. Metal absorber in the inner glass tube absorbs sunlight and produce heat.

Integral collector storage system or batch system contain large size heating tubes placed inside an insulated box.  This system does not require electronic controls and circulation pumps.

Working of each collector panels is different and suitable in different conditions. We help our clients to decide which collector panel is right for them to produce hot water for their homes.                           

For the purpose of hot water storage, large insulated tanks are used in solar water heating systems.  Number of storage tanks could be one or two depending upon the type of heating systems. One tank storage connects to the collectors and contains backup water heater and solar thermal storage in it. In heating system of two tanks, before moving water to a conventional heater, solar water heater preheats the water.

If you cannot meet your household demands with a solar thermal heater, you may need a backup heating source. It is to provide energy when the weather is cold and cloudy. To solve this problem, sometimes we use a solar hot water system in combination with a conventional water heater. For a backup hot water, the equipment of solar water heater can also be used with solar heat panels or tank-less water heater.

You can reduce your dependency on conventional water heater by installing solar thermal systems for your home needs. Making use of the sunlight, solar thermal systems can bear all the heating load of your home. You pay heavy amount in the form of utility bills while pool heating, long hot showers and laundry. It is about time to implement a solar thermal system in your home, to meet all hot water requirements in a cost and energy efficient manner.

Solar Thermal vs. Solar Electricity

In general, we associate  solar energy with solar electric power but there is one another type of solar energy, that is solar thermal. Solar thermal and solar electricity are not the same although the source of both is the sun. Solar electricity is a method of electricity production directly from the sun, with the help of solar panels. You can use this electricity to power your home. Solar thermal, on the other hand, is a technique of generating heat from the sun. Let’s compare both these types of solar energy to get a better idea about their working and differences.

What they do

Solar photovoltaic system directly converts solar energy into an electrical current. Photovoltaic panels absorb sunlight and convert it into an electric charge. This electric charge can be used to power your home appliances.

Solar thermal energy makes use of the sunlight to produce heat. Heat acquired by the solar thermal energy process can be used for water heating and radiant space heating.

Efficiency

Solar thermal or solar heat technology is highly efficient as compared to the solar electric power. Storage of heat is much easier and cost-effective than the storage of electricity produced by PV panels. Solar hot water system is more than eighty percent efficient where solar panels are only fourteen to twenty percent efficient. It makes the solar hot water system most efficient and advanced technology of solar energy.

Equipment

Collection panels are the basic equipment used in both solar electric system and solar thermal system. Collection panels gather energy from the sun and convert it into electricity or heat. Basic unit of solar electric system is photovoltaic cells, an array of PV cells make photovoltaic panels used to produce electricity.  Solar heat panels are linked with plumbing, and photovoltaic panels are connected with wiring - which is another difference between the two systems.

Solar thermal equipment can not only produce electricity for your home, but it also solves your hot water and other heating problems. Solar hot water system allows you to have highly efficient source of heat and hot water for your shower, laundry and dishwashing. In order to plan and install solar thermal technology for your home, contact Smith Sustainable Design based in Pennsylvania; PA and New Jersey; NJ.