What is Solar Water Heater?

A solar water heater is a hot water system that utilizes solar energy (energy from sunlight) to heat water in cost-effective solutions. It fits on a terrace or any open space on the top of the building where it gets sunlight is then used to heat water and store it in an insulated tank. The solar water heater does not connect to the electricity grid; however, used to get the sunlight throughout the day to heat the water, and store it in the storage tank for your home, or any other desired applications.

The solar water heater incorporates high density compressed PUF insulation and an efficient heating element, which is capable of helping it to store hot water up to 48 hours. Therefore, it is best suitable for homes, apartments, hostels, and several other buildings. The solar water heater for home is made up of anti-corrosive material and advanced technology. Some of the features such as energy efficiency, durability, safe to use, and easy installation are the main reasons for which, the solar water heater has acknowledged in the market. 

The solar water heater is developed by all standards of quality and safety, thus ensuring safety for use at home. SolarClue is an online platform to buy solar water heater directly from top brands such as Supreme, V Guard, Havells, EMMVEE Solarizer, Racold, and Kamal Solar.

A solar water heater consists of a flat plate solar collector, a storage tank (kept at a height behind the collector), and connecting pipes. The collector is comprised of copper tubes welded to copper sheets (both coated with a highly absorbing black coating) with a toughened glass sheet on top, insulating material at the back, and the entire assembly placed in a flat box. There are certain types of solar water heater, where evacuated glass tubes used instead of copper and a separate cover sheet along with an insulating box not required in this case. 

The solar water heater is installed on the roof of the building, or open ground with the collector, and connected towards facing the sun for continuous water supply. The water flows through the tubes or solar panels are capable of absorbing solar heat to provide hot water. Then the heated water is stored in a tank for further use and the tank covers with a glass lid to prevent the loss of sunlight or heat due to convection and radiation. And, the hot water gets stored in the storage tank remains hot overnight as the tank is insulated. This is all about the working principle of the solar water heater.

The solar water heater price in India is different from several manufacturers and dealers. You can check out the list of prices from the top solar water heater manufacturers at SolarClue and analyze the features of the best solar water heater then select the best one.

There are mostly two types of solar water heaters available on SolarClue.

Flat Plate Collectors System (FPC): It is a typical solar water heating system and known for its longer life. The flat plate collector system is also called a selective coating that consists of an absorber plate and covered on its sun-facing surface with an absorbent coating. The absorber plate is placed in a top open box to protect it from weather and incorporated with a grid of metallic tubes and sheets that allow water to flow. Sheet absorbs the solar radiation falls on it and transfers it to water. The space between both the (front & back) sides of the absorber and the box is filled with insulation to reduce heat losses. Flat plate collectors are stated based on their area, commonly 1x2 m size.

The FPC water heater also can work in colder regions with freezing temperatures, but it needs an anti-freeze solution that makes the system expensive. A heat exchanger with an FPC system is required in those areas with salty water to avoid scale deposition that can impact the heating capability of the system.

Evacuated Tube Collectors System (ETC): This is another type of water heater made up of glass, hence fragile by its nature. It is ideal for colder regions where the temperature is subzero. The places where the water quality is salty, ETC requires regular cleaning due to the deposition of salt on the inner surface of glass tubes. 

Each of the evacuated tubes contains a glass outer tube and a metal absorber tube that is attached to a fin. The fin's coating generally absorbs solar energy but prevents radiative heat loss. This particular type of water heating system is used more frequently for U.S. commercial applications as compared to other uses. 

Both the types of water heaters are manufactured with, or without a pump, available on SolarClue. The water heater with a pump is used to move water from collectors to the storage tank. The other water heater without a pump is used utilizing the thermosiphon principle to move water from collectors to the storage tank automatically.

Pricing of a solar water heater varies from one brand to another as there are several brands available with SolarClue. When it comes to the price of the solar heater, the quality of the product, its durability, and reliability are three important things that do matter for customers. After analyzing such factors, people are only able to find the solar water heater price list from different brands. There are different types of solar water heaters on SolarClue, and according to that cost decides. Individuals who are interested to buy solar water heater can even compare the price as per different manufacturing brands and select the best one which suits their budget.

Solar Components are important for every home solar electric system to help in producing electricity and converting it into the alternating current; thereby using in home appliances, storing excess electricity, and maintain safety.

Solar components are classified into seven categories such as Solar Pumps, Solar Charge Controllers, Solar Combiners, Solar Mounting Structure, Solar Tools, Solar Cables, and Solar Surge Protection Devices. These all are functioned using solar energy (sunlight), which turns into electricity. The entire solar components are manufactured and stringently inspected as per International Quality and Safety Standard.

The solar pump is a solar water pumping system operated using solar energy to pump clean water. The solar pump is ideal, especially for rural localities (beyond the reach of power lines), where people are unable to avail of electric consumption by using the local electricity grid.  

Solar pump or solar-powered water pump is in demand due to its robust construction, easy installation, eco-friendliness, and minimum maintenance. Solar pumping is the best alternative for fuel-burning generators and windmills, in which the electricity is provided by one or several Photovoltaic (PV) panels to offer water even if using without electricity. The water supplied by the solar pump is used to irrigate crops, provide clean drinking water, and also offer water for livestock. Apart from these, some other application areas for which solar water pumping system is used including fountains, pools, ponds, and home pumps. 

A solar water pumping system consists of a solar panel that provides power to an electric motor, which in turn is capable of powering a bore or surface pump. Hence, the water is pumped from the ground into a storage tank that provides a gravity feed, and for this reason, energy storage does not require for the solar pumping system. The life span of a solar pump or solar water pumping system is a maximum of 20 years, but a solar panel of the pumping system needs cleaning from time to time to run properly. People can purchase it as per their requirements because the solar pump price is varied from its manufacturing capacity, sizes, patterns, and different brands.

Benefits of using solar pump

• Runs without electricity

• Operates using available free sunlight, hence free from fuel cost

• Known for its long operational life

• Acknowledged for its reliability, durability, smooth operation and easy maintenance

• Popular due to its eco-friendly nature

The solar charge controller is a device, which maintains the proper charging voltage in batteries of any solar appliances. All solar electric systems with batteries should have solar charge controllers. The solar charge controller regulates the voltage, prevents overcharging and allows batteries to charge when required, because batteries can be overcharged if it feeds continuous voltage. 

The main function of solar charge controller is to prevent overcharging of the batteries and regulates the amount of current the PV modules feed into a battery bank. However, charge controller can block battery bank current from leaking back into the photovoltaic array during night or cloudy times for saving to drain the battery bank.

Most home solar systems are built with a battery backup controlled using solar charge controller, which ensures that a consistent amount of electrical power is sent to the and the backup batteries of any solar system do not discharge during night or absence of sunlight. Solar charge controller price is very minimal so that anyone can buy it as per their necessities. 

Solar charge controller or solar battery charger comes with two types of sizes and technologies such as MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) that are capable of functioning an off-grid power bank system properly. Charge controller is used within an off-grid or hybrid solar system with appropriate battery back-up.

 

Benefits of solar charge controller

• Works to control voltage and watts from Solar Panels

• Reduces the voltage of solar panels when a solar battery’s voltage is high

• Helps to maintain stable energy by preventing overcharging and protecting against overvoltage

• Stops reverse current during night or when sunlight is not available 

The solar combiner or solar combiner box is a device operated using solar energy (sunlight) that combines the output of multiple strings of PV modules for connection to the inverter. Solar combiner is developed in such a way to bring the output of several solar strings together. Usually, each string conductor lands on a fuse terminal and the productivity of the fused inputs are then joined onto a single conductor that connects the combiner box to the inverter. 

Solar combiner box also combines incoming power into one main feed, which distributes to a solar inverter that is capable of saving labor and material costs through wire reductions. Solar combiner is engineered even to provide overvoltage as well as overcurrent protection facilities to enhance inverter protection and reliability. 

The solar combiner generally exist in between the solar modules and inverter, which is the correct position. Solar combiner can limit power loss when it is positioned in the solar system. Solar panel combiner box and solar string combiner box are two different types of solar combiner. Moreover, solar combiner is usually used in the larger commercial and utility scale PV power plants (greater than 500kW). 

Benefits of using solar combiner

• Helps in improving safety of solar panels and the entire photovoltaic plant

• Helps in protecting the system against dust, heavy seas or powerful jets of water, chemicals and high UV rays 

• Available with Global accessibility, which ensures on-site delivery at any part of the world

• Obtainable in six different enclosure sizes flexible facilities to cover the range up to 32 strings

Solar mounting structure is also known as solar panel mounting structure are used to fix solar panels on roofs, building facades, or the ground, which enables in retrofitting of solar panels on roofs or as part of the structure of the building (called BIPV). 

Photovoltaic mounting systems (also called solar module racking) are used to fix solar panels on surfaces like roofs, building facades, or the ground. These mounting systems generally enable retrofitting of solar panels on roofs or as part of the structure of the building (called BIPV).

The solar module mounting structure is the supportive configuration of solar panels that holds an array of solar panels to the ground. When you see any solar panel, which is fixed either on rooftops or on the ground, you see them attached on solar panel mounting structures. The foremost function of any solar mounting structure is to support solar panels on the ground, or on the rooftops only by using sunlight or natural energy. Mounting structure of solar panel or solar panel mounting structure is generally made of steel, which stimulates for protection against corrosion. On the other hand, solar mounting structure is also made using aluminium if it’s lightweight. 

Advantages of solar mounting structure

• Requires little or no maintenance

• Easy to handle at the site

• Useful for its 100% anti-corrosive property till its life time

• Solar mounting structure price comes about 10% of total system cost for large solar power plants and about 15% for smaller power plants

• Hassle free fitting technique even for layman

• Helps faster installation due to its adjustable rail guide

Solar tool is crucial for installation of every solar system. Voltage Drop Calculator, Screw Driver, Hammer Rails, Sun Position Applications, and R&D Software are the solar tools designed specifically for solar installations. Solar tools are important for those working in a do it yourself environment, thus helping them for physical applications such as installing racking.

Some tools used in solar installation are designed for simple applications such as disconnecting solar connections, while others used for more complex uses like wire crimping die sets. Solar tools are divided into several categories such as solar panel cleaning tools, solar panel installation tools, solar panel tools, solar installation tools, solar energy tools, solar testing tools, solar maintenance tools, solar site survey tools, and solar system tools. 

Advantages of solar tool

• Easy installation

• Robust design to configure with solar systems

• Reduces electricity bills

• Low maintenance cost and renewable energy source

• Advanced technology development

A solar cable is a kind of interconnection cable used in photovoltaic power generation – interconnects solar panels and other electrical components of a photovoltaic system. Solar cables are designed with the features like UV resistant and weather resistant that enable solar cable to use within a large temperature range and generally laid outside. 

Solar cable is designed for connecting photovoltaic power supply systems and dedicated to the photovoltaic system direct current (D.C.) side with a nominal D.C. voltage of a 1.5 kv. Slar DC cable can be used in both indoor and outdoor for flexible and fixed installations with high mechanical strength even in extreme weather conditions. Solar cable is designed and manufactured in such a way to withstand the challenging environmental circumstances that may arise in any fixed, mobile, roof or architecturally integrated photovoltaic installation purposes. Solar cable is designed to use for the best functionality of solar panel controller and components of solar system. 

Advantages of solar cable

• Safety and longevity

• Affordable pricing

• Easy installation facility

• Wider application areas using only natural energy

Solar surge protection device is used to offer protection to several solar farms that generally use photovoltaic (PV) systems to produce clean energy for consumer or industrial use, which may create serious potential damage due to their specific physical makeup.  

A solar surge protection device helps prevent damage to electronic equipment or machinery by diverting the extra electricity from the hot power line into a grounding wire. Solar surge protector is useful for solar panels as such  pieces especially prone to lightning strikes due to their large surface area, such as on rooftops or ground-mounted in open spaces. 

Advantages of using solar surge protection device

• Low maintenance

• Excellent conductivity

• Durability or long lasting

• Superior performance