Solar Water Heating systems are a popular way for homeowners to decrease monthly electricity bills. They work by circulating a working fluid through a solar collector or solar panel which is usually placed on the roof of the home.

Some systems use pumps to circulate the fluid, while others use natural convection. The hot water is stored in a geyser or hot water cylinder, which generally needs to be larger than an electric geyser would be, to store additional water for cloudy days. The working fluid may be the water itself, or it may be a separate loop of fluid containing a corrosion inhibitor and antifreeze. In this case, the heat is transferred to the water in the geyser by means of a heat exchanger. This is usually a simple copper coil inside the tank.

A popular alternative to solar water heater is the electrically driven heat pump. This is a device which works rather like an air conditioner in reverse. It uses the ambient heat of the air to heat a fluid. The heated fluid is compressed, turning it into gas and heating it further. The heat from the gas is transferred to water which is then stored in a geyser. In the process, the fluid cools down to the point where it becomes a liquid again. The cycle is then repeated.

One of the first things to consider when thinking about Solar Water Heating is to make your home more energy efficient. This means using the energy created to the utmost and getting as much energy from the source as possible. In terms of creating hot water this means insulating your hot water tank so that heat is not lost to the environment.

Most tanks have some form of insulation but if your system is old, the insulation might not be the best or may need replacing. You should also look at the one that you use. This may be an old resistive type heater and should be replaced by more modern heaters that can be up to 5 times more efficient at heating water. Heat water pumps are a very efficient way of heating water. These systems can either reduce or eliminate your need for grid powered water heating.

The water that is heated by these two systems can then be plumbed into the conventional heating system. As the water is already heated the conventional system will use less electricity to heat the water. As your use of solar power evolves you will move to using solar panels to provide the electricity to power the hot water heater. At this stage you will be utilizing the full power of the sun to heat water for your home.