Closed Loop Solar Water Heating System

Closed loop solar heating system.

Closed loop solar water heating system.

Lots on installation detail. Closed systems are often used in second homes or primary residences in areas prone to long power outages. The heated water then flows into the storage tank before it s channeled into the heat exchanger. Propylene glycol and the new bio green are common antifreeze materials we have several options for exchanging the heat to the clean domestic hot water.

Glycol or some equivalent antifreeze fluid fills. The down side is two heat sources. The direct open loop solar water system freeze recirculation is both the simplest and most efficient type of solar heating system. In this system potable water is drawn directly from the storage tank and circulated through the array to be heated and returned to a recirculation port in the tank.

Most new solar homes feature a variation of one kind or another. The drainback system components cost about 15 20 more than an active open direct loop solar water heating system for residential water heating. If freeze protection is an issue than a closed system with anti freeze is a good idea. Heat exchangers in the storage tank eliminate a pump but make eventual tank replacement more.

Indirect solar water drainback systems are also a indirect design that use a heat exchanger to separate the collector loop from the potable water. Closed loop solar water heater systems sometimes referred to as anti freeze or glycol systems include the heat collectors insulated piping a circulating pump an expansion tank a hot water storage tank a heat exchanger solar fluid usually a solution of water and nontoxic propylene glycol antifreeze a controller valves and gauges. Active open loop solar water heating system. All water heaters waste heat energy even when the burner is off and the unit is sitting idle between heating cycles.

A special water heater tank incorporating a heat exchanger works in conjunction with one or more flat plate roof mounted collectors. Installation basics for solar domestic water heating systems chuck marken and ken olsen. Covers closed loop antifreeze systems and drainback systems. An open water heater system is when water that increased its volume and pressure due to the heating freely goes from the storage tank into the cold water supply line and eventually into the municipal water system if the pressure is high enough.

Instead of relying on glycol for freeze protection this system allows all the water in the array to drain back from the array and into a storage vessel in the solar loop when the pump is turned off. When the controller senses that the sun is shining and your tank needs a warm up it signals the pump to send water through the black collector panels. Very good articles on selecting the components for a closed loop solar hot water heating system suitable for cold climates. It is the simplest and typically the least expensive active system to install.

Here s how a solar powered water heater works.