Warm with the sun: install the warm water heater

We not necessarily have to revolutionize our house or spending a fortune to start saving money on phone bills by contributing, in addition, to protect the environment. A simple and more accessible to change is to invest in a water heater health.

According to the Solar-Energy Laboratory of the University of Wisconsin a family of four uses on average to warm water, 6400 Kwatt / hour of electricity per year, releasing eight tons of CO2. So much more than a car that consumes, on average ” only ” two tons.

Unlike electricity for which it takes the solar panels, hot water for space heating it is produced with solar panels. They transfer the sun’s heat to water flowing in them. The solar water heaters are very reliable and can work in any climate.

They come in several types, including those with pumps, ” forced circulation “, and that so-called ” natural circulation “, who have none and are recommended in the southern areas, where there are significant phenomena of frost. The forced circulation systems are suitable, when the collectors are larger, where there are centralized systems for heating or in very cold areas where the collector circuit should be filled with antifreeze liquid.

There are then combined plants for heating and hot-water environments, even if the irradiation provided during the heating season is much less than in summer. For this, it would be better to opt for this solution in cases where other measures have already been implemented for energy saving (for example, adequate thermal insulation), or if it is expected a heating system at a low temperature.

The cost to acquire a water heater sun is quite affordable: from about $1,000 to $3,500 and deferrable tax-deductible taking advantage of facilities offered by the current provisions that encourage solar.

But above all an expense that will pay for itself easily, it considered the savings on gas bills and electricity. Surfing the Internet you can get an idea of ​​the various brands and models to choose what best suits your needs (and your budget).

If so do not be or you can always choose to take a course of self-construction of your solar thermal collector directly or try to build your own recycled materials. The effect will be similar to that of a solar panel, with the only difference that we will use recycled objects, and that you have done with your hands.

Everything that you need is the grid outside of a refrigerator, some strips of wood, a large sheet of aluminum, a piece of glass, insulating tape, two containers for water, a few meters of rubber hose of the thickness of metal pipe grid, an old doormat rubber. Seeing is believing.