Thermal Solar or PV Water Heating

Solar thermal water heating i a temperamental thing. Water weighs a lot, it expands whn it freezes,
nd it n u scaling damage t pipes whn it boils. Solar thermal sstems r wonderfull efficient,
nd m sstems wor! "ut fine fr decades, but #n th nd regular inspection. Whn a solar
thermal sstem fails, howe#er, it sets but destroing itself, nd it h bn lr fr m tim tht
solar thermal water heating i nt th w$ f th future x%t fr #r$ low&end heat usage, li!
swimming pools.
'r a lng tim now, th wisdom h bn tht th rlti# efficienc ad#antage f solar thermal
technolog fr water&heating mr thn outweighs th con#enience f electric water heating. (h
abilit f solar thermal t collect mr energ %r s)uare foot means tht a solar electric sstem
powering a con#entional electric water heater ln will n#r compete with a solar thermal sstem.
*ecentl, howe#er, reductions in solar electric +,-. costs nd maturation f air&to&water heat pump
technolog h# pro#ided a nw model/ solar&electric assisted heat pump water heating +0,W0..
0,W0 m with fewer drawbac!s thn solar thermal, with a smaller price tag fr residential
applications.
(h information blw assumes th u f a heat pump water heater with n efficienc factor +1'. f
2.3 nd n 4,566 !Wh %r ear rating, with 4 t 4.7 !W f grid&tied ,- added t existing installation r
sstem in a region whr th ,- produces t lt 4866 !Wh9!W9ear.
,- :d#antages
;ower upfront cost & <i#n tht lower&cost open sstems h# pro#en t b unsuitable fr domestic
water heating, th installed cost f solar thermal huld b based u%n a closed loop +glcol r
drainbac!., two&tan! +or storage %lu tan!less. sstem, full$ installed. (h a#erage price fr uh a
sstem, designed fr a famil f four, i btwn =>,666 nd =46,666 bfr incenti#es. (h ,-
powered heat pump water heater will cost btwn =4,666 nd =2,666 fr th heat pump %lu labor nd
btwn =7,366 nd =?,666 fr th additional ,- +to n existing grid&tied sstem., thu a total installed
cost f btwn =3,666 nd =5,366 bfr incenti#es.
1asier t install & *eplacing a water heater with nthr single tan! nd adding thr t fi# additional
modules t a ,- sstem i fr easier thn replacing a single tan! with tw tan!s nd piping heat
transfer fluid t hea# rooftop panels tht mut b pressure tested nd charged ftr installation. (hi
results in fewer opportunities fr installer error.
@ l space & ( a#oid h#ing th solar thermal sstem compete with th bac!up source +which
limits th solar fraction t but ?6A., tw tan!s r re)uired/ n fr th bac!up, nd n fr th solar.
Bt i %ibl t sa#e space, t great expense, with th u f a tan!less heater lng th tan!less
heater n modulate th heat flow dwn t a #r$ lw point whil bing bl t l meet maximum
demand.
Cd n maintenance & (h :chilles 0eel f solar thermal i tht if th sstem stops wor!ing, it d
nt "ut fail t produce energ/ it sets but it wn self&destruction. Withut flow th panels n freeze
r stagnate nd o#erheat +see below.. (h electronic differential controller nd circulator pump+s. mut
b inspected earl t assure th$ r functioning properl nd tht n scale r corrosion h# begun
tht will lead t sstem failure. (h piping huld l b chec!ed, %ill$ fr drainbac! sstems in
older buildings tht m$ settle #r tim nd trap fluid in th lines. (h annual inspections mut b
performed b$ a professional, nd will cost half f th earl gas sa#ings.
Dnnt freeze & Sin a solar thermal panel n freeze t temperatures high 82E', freeze protection
i re)uired thrughut th mainland @S fr solar thermal sstems. With th exception f drainbac!
sstems, freeze protection sstems r Facti#eG. (hi means th$ re)uire a de#ice t operate in response
t lw temperature. : a conse)uence, nd in th$ r rarel re)uired t function, freeze protection
failures r bth common nd catastrophic, resulting in thousands f dollars f damage t th collector
arra.
Dnnt o#erheat & H#erheating i a fre)uentl o#erloo!ed problem with solar thermal sstems. (hr i
approximatel twi muh solar energ deli#ered in Iul in Ianuar. (hus, n$ sstem tht will
ma!e a significant difference in hot water cost in Ianuar will o#er&perform in Iul. (hi results in
periods f stagnation whr thr i n u fr th solar heat nd n flow thrugh th panel+s.. @ndr
thi condition, th panels will heat t rund 866E' inside. (hi n result in damage nd accelerates
th deterioration f th collector parts. (hr r radiator sstems tht h# bn added t panels t
mitigate thi effect, but thr r n solid data n hw muh radiator i re)uired t cool a stagnant
collector n a hot da.
C scale build u% & Scale i th J4 enem f water heaters f n$ tpe. 0eat ma!es dissol#ed solids
precipitate frm water whr th$ collect n th hot surface. 1#n with th u f a transfer fluid n th
collector side, scale n b a problem with th heat exchanger b$ clogging th tubes th water flows
thrugh t gin heat. (h lower temperatures ud t heat water with a heat pump reduces th tendenc
f scale t build u% in th tan!.
466A solar fraction attainable & Kue t th #agaries f weather nd th impracticalit f storing large
#olumes f hot water, n solar thermal sstem tht offers 466A reliabilit n h# a 466A solar
fraction. (h sstems mt highl rated undr th S*DD H<766 protocol h# a L6A solar fraction.
@ing grid&tied ,- th solar source fr th heat pump water heater llw th sstem t FstoreG
power in th grid fr u u% t n ear later. (h price comparison b# i based u%n a thermal
sstem with n 56A solar fraction #ersus a 466A ,- offset fr th water heating.
<rid demand management & :lthugh heat pump water heating adds a load t th grid whn ud t
replace a gas r propane unit, th ,- adds power t th grid during pea! dalight hours whr it i
mt li!l$ t b needed b$ th communit. Mt household hot water i ud rl$ in th morning nd
e#ening whn thr i l communit&wide electric demand. Bf th utilit elects t u thi ad#antage,
it uld l add th abilit t o#erheat th water heater thrugh th smart meter whn excess
electricit i #ilbl n th grid. @d in conduction with a mixing #al#e t protect th house frm
scalding water, it effecti#el Fban!sG hot water nd n dela th nd fr th heat pump t turn on.
C DH2 emissions & :n$ u f nturl gas r propane, rgrdl f hw efficient r cheap, results in
th addition f DH2 t th atmosphere whih i th J4 ris! factor facing ci#ilization toda. : heat pump
water heater tht i 466A powered +or offset. b$ ,- ma!es n contribution t tht problem.
Kisad#antages
Cet grid efficienc #. direct gas u & (h standard presumption whn comparing gas u with electric
u i that, ftr accounting fr con#ersion nd transmission losses, it ta!es thr units f fossil fuel
energ +gas, oil, coal. t deli#er n unit f electric energ. (hu th rationale tht if gas n b
deli#ered t th point f use, it i mr efficient t u th gas thn t u electricit. Sin mt fossil&
fueled water heaters r nl$ but ?6A efficient, thi effect i nl$ half significant it appears.
:dditionall, fossil&fueled water heaters fail t t! ad#antage f *enewable ,ortfolio Standards tht
furthr reduce th ratio f gas ud t electricit deli#ered.
Warm air re)uired & (h efficienc f th heat pump water heater depends u%n th #ilbl heat
source whih i uull$ th air in th space in whih th heater i placed. Bnstalled in unheated spaces in
temperate climates, thi presents n problem. 0owe#er, if th water heater space i heated r drops
blw 33E&?6E' muh f th ear, th bac!up element will b needed nd efficienc will suffer.
Don#ersel, th heat pump water heater will cool nd dehumidif th space in whih it i located. (hi
m$ b a desirable feature.
Cewer n th mar!et & (hugh air&to&water heat pump water heating u nl$ tried&and&true concepts,
household 0,W0 h nl$ hd but twent ears f de#elopment n th consumer mar!et/ lng
nugh t b confident in it efficienc nd ease, but nt lng nugh t b widespread. Whil thr r
but fi# hundred solar thermal models nd ix hundred tan!less +FinstantG. water heaters recognized
b$ th KH1Ns 1nerg Star sstem, thr r urrntl$ nl$ 27 recognized 0,W0 models.
Coise le#el & Sin heat pumps u a compressor nd air&source heat pumps nd a fan t assure
ade)uate air flow r th e#aporator, heat pump water heater ma!e but muh noise a modern
refrigerator. : with th airNs heat source issue, if th unit i located inside, th sound m$ b a minor
nuisance.
'r wht it was, solar thermal technolog represented n impro#ement. Bt d till h# m
legitimate applications, e#en. 0owe#er, household&le#el solar water heating m with mn$
unnecessar drawbac!s tht it i lr th future lies in nthr direction. Solar photo#oltaic i a highl&
effecti#e source fr a heat&pump water&heating sstem. Soon, tht water&to&water heat pumps m$ b
#ilbl n th mar!et, but todaNs air&to&water sstems r th optimal selection fr mn$
households, depending n climate nd configuration.