Solar Hot Water

Solar Hot Water Systems

Solar hot water systems use the sun’s energy to produce hot water. At Solar One we install and supply solar thermal systems to produce hot water for a wide range of domestic and commercial uses.

How does it work?

A solar thermal system needs to capture, retain, transfer, and store the sun’s energy as efficiently as possible. To do this, a solar thermal system consists of a pump station with a solar controller, a solar storage tank as well as one or more solar collectors.

The solar controller compares the temperature of the collector water in the panel to the temperature in the solar storage tank. If the temperature of the water in the collector is more than 15 degrees f higher than the water in the solar storage tank, the solar controller turns on a circulating pump to transfer the heated water or solar glycol from the collector to the solar hot water storage tank. In the evenings as the sun starts to set, the controller again compares the two temperatures and will turn off the circulation pump when the stored water is within 12 degrees f of the collector.

Are there different types of solar thermal collectors?

There are two main types of collectors:

Flat Plate Collectors – flat plate collectors are designed for heating anywhere from 25 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient air temperature depending on where you are located and season. These types of collectors are the most efficient at heating water up to 140 degrees f. Flat plate collectors use an absorber plate usually covered with a low-iron tempered glass with a selective coating and insulated behind to prevent heat losses. Heat is transferred to the water via pipes lying along the absorber plate within the collector. They tend to be simpler and slightly less expensive compared to an evacuated tube collector.

Evacuated Tube Collectors - evacuated tube collectors are primarily used when there is a requirement for the water to be heated between 160 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit. These types of collectors use an evacuated glass tube to enclose a slender absorber plate. Heat loss is almost eliminated by the vacuum in the tubes, making this collector more efficient at higher temperatures than the flat plate. In some cases the smaller size of evacuated tube collectors make them a better choice on roofs where space is limited, for example for roofs with dormers or sky lights.

Solar collectors are typically but not always roof-mounted, facing south, capturing the heat produced from the sun.

Solar domestic hot water systems, are an environmentally friendly and inexpensive way to heat the water used by you and your family year round.

Solar Pool Heating

A solar pool heating system is your best alternative to heat your pool compared to a conventional heat pump, gas, propane or electric heater, in fact good quality solar pool collectors will typically last 15 to 20 years, which is two or three times longer than most pool heaters and the energy the produce clean and free.

If you consider that It takes 26.6 pounds of natural gas and petroleum products to manufacture a single 4’X12’ pool collector. If this amount of gas and petroleum was burned it would create 410,800 BTU’s. Typically a single 4’x12’ pool collector will produce 410,000 BTU’s in ten days or less.

Download the Residential Solar Pool Heating Systems – A Buyers Guide here (.pdf document)

How does solar pool heating work?

Solar pool heating systems are designed to replace the natural heat loss of the pool. Quite simply, when the sun is shining, the filtration pump for the pool is used to send the pool water to the solar collectors, where the water is then heated. Once heated, the hot water gets sent back into the pool until the desired temperature is reached.

Payback period

Your payback period is the time it takes for your fuel savings to equal the installation costs of your solar pool heating system. In this case it could be as short as two or three swim seasons. This makes solar pool heating your best use of solar energy!

Join the thousands of pool owners who are enjoying a solar water heating system for a longer and more comfortable swimming season. In fact, solar pool heating is the number one solar hot water heating application in Canada and the United States. The reason for this is that the system is relatively easy to set-up and inexpensive. You can also see a return on your investment sooner, as your system may be eligible for government grants and incentives.

The regular swimming pool season in Ontario is from Victoria Day in May to Labour Day in September. When a solar pool heating system is installed, the swimming season can be extended to late April and late September – potentially two whole months of additional swim time with no increase in conventional fuel costs.

If you’re interested in getting started on a solar pool heating system today, contact us!

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