Why is a solar water heater storage tank placed at higher level than the solar panel itself?
Image by AIDG
Question by Glenn Sciortino: Why is a solar water heater storage tank placed at higher level than the solar panel itself?
Help is really appreciated, since I will be sitting for a physics exam tomorrow. Thanks in advance!
Add your own answer in the comments!
One Response to Why is a solar water heater storage tank placed at higher level than the solar panel itself?
Leave a Reply
Hey Glenn, don’t know if you’ll get this in time for the exam, but I will post it anyway. The only solar water heaters that need to have the storage tank above the panel are the thermo siphon types. When solar hot water was new, these were the only kind. The sun would heat the water during the day, and when the water in the solar collector exceeded the temperature in the tank, it would be lighter due to thermal expansion, so gravity would slowly force it into the tank, which displaced cooler water from the tank back into the collector. They worked the same as the old heatalaters built into stone fireplaces years ago. Most domestic hot water, or dhw solar systems today use a circulation pump to force the hot water from the collector to the tank, which is typically in the basement. The pump is usually driven by a small solar electric panel sitting along side the larger solar water collector. They work well together because when the sun is shining, it is warming the water the same time the pump is getting electricity.
Really there are some good websites to learn about this stuff rather than asking hacks like me online for your information, I will list some resources below you can google when you have time. Good luck, and take care, Rudydoo
Rudydoo
June 24, 2012 at 5:45 am