Solar water heaters save both electricity and money. As electricity is becoming more expensive, a solar water heater is a great way to access 24/7 hot water at far cheaper rates. They are also safer than electric geysers as they are located on the roof and are a super way to display your commitment to the environment.
A typical heater consists of a hot water storage tank and one or more flat plate collectors. The collectors are glazed on the sun facing side to allow solar radiation to come in. A black absorbing surface (absorber) inside the flat plate collector absorbs solar radiation and transfers the energy to water flowing through it. Heated water is collected in the tank which is insulated to prevent heat loss. Water circulates from the tank through the collectors and back to the tank continues automatically due to density difference between hot and cold water.
A good solar water heater should have sufficient collector area. For example, on a sunny winter day in North India, a sq. m. of collector area can heat around 50 liters of water to a temperature of 30-40C. Typical flat plate collectors made in the country have an area of around 2 sq. m and are thus capable of heating 100 liters of water per day. Further, the collectors should use good materials and the absorbers should carry a good quality coating (BIS approved collectors the best).
A good solar water heater should have sufficient collector area. For example, on a sunny winter day in North India, a sq. m. of collector area can heat around 50 liters of water to a temperature of 30-40C. Typical flat plate collectors made in the country have an area of around 2 sq. m and are thus capable of heating 100 liters of water per day. Further, the collectors should use good materials and the absorbers should carry a good quality coating (BIS approved collectors the best).
The cost of a solar water heating system is dependents on parameters like, capacity, materials used for inner and outer tanks, length of distribution piping required to take hot water to the bathrooms etc. Typically, for an Indian made system with single BIS approved flat plate collector of 2 sq. m area, the costs could range from Rs. 15,000-20,000 , excluding the distribution piping. However this range is indicative, and can vary from place to place.
For a solar water heater system to function efficiently, it requires unobstructed sunlight the whole day. Collectors must face the sun and should be oriented south for maximum interception of sunlight. As a thumb rule, the requirement of shadow free area is 3 sq. m for each 1 x 2 m collector used. As far as possible, the area should be flat, away from rain water drains and as close to the bathrooms as possible.
Though aesthetics are a matter of individual preference, most domestic solar water heating systems can be designed to blend with the exteriors of a building or hidden from view. If a system is well installed and maintained, it can even add to the aesthetics of your house.
The system can also be installed on a bracket on a south facing wall, close to the bathrooms. However, the installation is difficult and leads to extra cost. The fixing of the system to the bracket should be proper. Access to the system for repairs should also be ensured. Cost of hot water distribution piping however could be reduced in such installations as the system will be close to the use point.
Yes, solar water heating systems can be installed in mufti-stored building.
A regular cold water supply, at a height of around 2.5 m is necessary for the system to function efficiently. In case cold water is not available continuously, a separate cold water tank of equal capacity may have to be installed. In case cold water supply is interrupted, the heating of water by the solar system may not be affected significantly, although hot water cannot be drawn for use till the water supply is restored.
The heating of water by the solar system will obviously be affected on cloudy days. If it is so cloudy that energy received from the sun is almost zero, the output of solar collectors will also be nil. On partially cloudy days some hot water can be expected. But, the system can be designed with a suitable electrical back up heater to take care of hot water demand on cloudy days.
The table below gives approximate electricity and money savings for 100 liters of water per day in different parts of the country.
A solar water heater made using materials as per BIS specifications could last for 15 -20 years depending upon the general upkeep, etc.
Domestic solar water heaters work on the principle of thermosyphonic action, in which water circulates through the system by virtue of density difference between hot and cold streams. No electricity is required for circulation of water or for any other operation in such systems. However, in case a back up heater is provided to take care of hot water requirement during cloudy days, electricity will be required
Hot water produced by the solar system during the day is stored in an insulated storage tank. The insulation of the tank is such that water should remain hot without significant drop in temperature for upto 24 hrs. Thus water heated during the previous day should be available for use in the next morning.
The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources provides 30% subsidy for installation of domestic solar water heating systems. Some state governments like Karnataka offer a rebate on the monthly electricity bill on installation of solar water heaters.
A domestic solar water heating system does not require major maintenance. Occasional leakages in the plumbing can be fixed by any plumber. In case quality of water is hard, scale deposition in the collectors can result over the years. This requires descaling with acids. This issue do not arise in the case of ETC model.
LED stands for light emitting diodes, and the technology consume 70% lesser energy as compared to conventional lights. It converts up to 80% of energy into light, is low on energy consumption, lasts longer than conventional energy bulbs, is low on maintenance and you do not have to pay monthly energy bills! Are those not reason enough to adopt LED lights?
LED stands for light emitting diodes, and the technology consume 70% lesser energy as compared to conventional lights. It converts up to 80% of energy into light, is low on energy consumption, lasts longer than conventional energy bulbs, is low on maintenance and you do not have to pay monthly energy bills! Are those not reason enough to adopt LED lights?
LED lights can be used both indoor and outdoor, at home and for commercial purposes. LED lights are a good option for low maintenance lighting in homes, gardens, campuses of institutions or housing colonies, roads, open spaces etc.
Yes. LED bulbs can be used in outdoor; these bulbs are designed with water-proof fittings.
Most LED bulbs can run up to 50,000 hours or 11 years of continuous operation. LEDs are not replaceable.
The brightness of LED solar lights is not indicated in terms of watts. The measurement of it is MCD (millicandelas candle light). The light output is very bright and white. In addition, LEDs have a very long life, making this system highly reliable especially in places where conventional energy is infrequent.
A solar photovoltaic (S.P.V) system converts sun’s light energy to usable electrical to run any electrical appliances/ equipments like lights, Fans, T.V, computer , Water Pump, Refrigerators, Street light, garden lights , Traffic signals, Roads studs etc.,
A S.P.V. consists of a Photovoltaic panel, a charge controller, storage battery and an inverter.
A P.V. Panel converts light energy from sun to a DC electrical output.
Normally 6 Volts and 12 Volts with 10, 18, 37, 72 etc Volts are the peak capacity. Other capacities can be assembled by using the above panel’s series and parallels.
In case of night usage or no – Sundays usage, we need to store the electric energy in a storage battery.
The solar charge controller optimizes solar charging and prevents battery over charge deep discharge.
The D. C. current received from the P. V. Panel is converted to usable A. C. current by the inverter to run A.C. current applications.
Car batteries are not suitable for solar systems. Solar batteries are designed for repeated cycling, like partial discharge of the battery and recharging to full during day time.
Thicker cables are required to minimize voltage loss. In case of Dc output solar system, we need to have separate wiring.
Solar PV Panel converts light energy to electrical energy. This is stored in the storage batteries the power pack inverter then converts the Dc power stored in the battery into AC power 230 Volts output which can be used to operate all standard electrical appliances.
Emisun solar power pack has got three options of charging.
A. Solar mode- Charging through only PV module needs more PV module.
B. AC mode charging through only AC mains just work like UPS.
C. Auto mode in this mode, during day time, charging will be from solar module and any shortfall in charging will be made up through AC mains this will help you to reduce initial investment in more member solar panels.
Yes, it is. The solar power pack is designed for easy installation and use. A qualified technician can follow the operation manual, provided along with the system and please note that, Emisun service department & technicians are always to assist you in this matter.
Capacities are available in Multiples of 250 VA only. Special designs can be supplied on request.
For doing this calculation, we need to assess your peak power usage (for finding at the KVA of the inverter) and total days energy consumption. (For calculating PV module capacity & battery storage capacity) you may please refer the calculations sheet attached, for details.
For doing this calculation, we need to assess your peak power usage (for finding at the KVA of the inverter) and total days energy consumption. (For calculating PV module capacity & battery storage capacity) you may please refer the calculations sheet attached, for details.
This depends on the storage battery capacity and the PV module rating. It can be extended to any number of hours, by adding more numbers of PV modules of battery etc.
Yes, by addition of storage batteries, P.V. modules etc.
The PV module battery works during day time. A specially designed electronic dusk down switch cum charge controller will switch on the luminary during night time and will automatically switch off during day time.
Solar pump works mainly on DC source. During sunshine, the pump motor gets electrical energy from the PV module. Hence the pump works sunshine only. Special design pumps are available with AC input and night time operation. Here, we need to use Power Packs to support the operation.
Normal Solar Pumps are designed to lift water wells up to 200 feet depth and delivery of the pump is varies from 15,000 ltrs per day to 75,000 ltrs per day. Special designs are available request.
