Getting in Hot Water with the Sun
If you have a home PV system, whether it is grid connected, or off-grid - the most inefficient way to get your hot water on tap is using an electric water heater.
Since making electricity from sunlight is not really very efficient (only 15 to 20 percent of the energy that hits your solar panels gets turned into electricity.
If you just have a sufficiently large system, your arrangement may be just fine, however inefficient the PV energy conversion may be.
However, if you have a more modest grid-tied system, you may be paying more to the power company than you could be, and here's what you can do about it...
Solar thermal water heating systems can use the sun's energy directly, and there are some great options out there. And the costs may not be as high as you think...
Since making electricity from sunlight is not really very efficient (only 15 to 20 percent of the energy that hits your solar panels gets turned into electricity.
If you just have a sufficiently large system, your arrangement may be just fine, however inefficient the PV energy conversion may be.
However, if you have a more modest grid-tied system, you may be paying more to the power company than you could be, and here's what you can do about it...
Solar thermal water heating systems can use the sun's energy directly, and there are some great options out there. And the costs may not be as high as you think...
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