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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Solar Water Heaters?
What about cloudy weather?
Good question. Actually, a solar water heating system will typically collect about half the solar energy of a clear, sunny day on an overcast day. If you have ever had the experience of going to the beach on an overcast day and still getting a sunburn, you will understand this phenomenon. Clouds block many of the visible wavelengths of sunlight, but much of the solar energy still gets through.
Will I have hot water during cold weather?Yes. Flat plate solar water heating collectors deliver excellent performance in Florida during cold weather because the sky is very clear during winter high pressure waves. The glass cover and insulation inside the collector prevent collected heat from escaping to the outside air.
Can my home solar water heating collectors also heat my swimming pool?No. Home water heating systems operate at 115–140°F water temperatures. These systems typically have a relatively small solar collector surface area (10 to 16 square feet per occupant) but the solar collectors have special heat absorbing materials, glass cover plates and insulation to maximize heat gain and reduce losses. Pool heating systems only reach 75–95°F water temperatures. This allows the use of relatively inexpensive polypropylene solar collectors. However, because even a small residential
Will my water be hot enough?
Yes. Solar heated water is often hotter than the thermostat setting on your water heater. In fact, for safety reasons our systems include mixing valves to make sure the hot water going into your house isn't too hot. On the other hand, sometimes we may have extended periods of very cloudy and rainy weather. During these periods, a backup electric heating element in your water heater / storage tank will automatically heat water to the water heater's thermostat setting.
Can you use my existing water heater as the solar storage tank?Usually, no. Solar water heating systems are designed to heat and store 24 hours worth of hot water during the daylight hours, so the tank has to be large enough to store 24 hours' worth of hot water. Most conventional electric water heaters in Florida homes have a capacity of about 52 gallons. Standard solar storage tank sizes are typically 80, 100 and 120 gallons, with 80 gallons being appropriate for most three- to four-person households. Also, solar storage tanks typically have
Does a tankless water heater make more sense than a solar water heater?We don't think so. Every gallon of hot water you use still has to be heated. And the amount of energy required to heat a gallon of water to a certain.
Questions About Solar Solar Electricity Questions?
Will my system work at night?
No. No sunlight, no solar power. You use utility -provided electricity after dark
Will I still have electric power if my neighborhood experiences a utility company power outage during daylight?Our basic, grid-tied solar power system will not provide emergency backup power during a utility company power outage. In order to use your solar power system for emergency backup power during the daylight hours, you must add a secondary circuit breaker panel—called a critical loads sub-panel—to your home's electrical wiring system. During a power outage, backup power from the solar power system bypasses the main breaker panel and is routed into the critical loads sub-panel to panel lights, wall receptacles, consumer electronics, ceiling fans, etc., but not big energy users like central air conditioning, hot water heating, laundry appliances, pool pump, etc
Can I become completely independent of the electric utility company?Yes, but we don't recommend it. An "off-grid" system requires considerable extra cost for (1) solar power capacity to meet 100 percent of your average 24-hour demand load, including summer air conditioning; and (2) a large bank of power storage batteries for nighttime and cloudy weather power.
Will my system produce extra power to help run my central air conditioning during the summer months?
No. Actually, your system will produce about the same amount of power every month. Here's why: The power output of solar PV cells falls as operating temperature increases. So while more solar energy is available during the summer months, the higher air temperatures reduce a solar power system's efficiency. And even though there is significantly less incoming solar energy available during December and January, the lower average air temperatures make a solar PV array much more efficient.
I do not have a south-facing roof. Can a solar power system still work for me?Yes. While south-facing is the ideal orientation for a solar power system located in North America, good performance is still possible when flush-mounting solar PV modules on an east- or west-facing roof. Mounting on a flat roof can also produce good results. better insulation than conventional electric water heaters, to minimize overnight heat loss.
I've heard that if a solar PV module is partially shaded, the whole module stops working. Is this true?Well, not precisely true. But it is true that when some portion of a solar PV module is shaded, the performance of PV cells still exposed to direct sunlight is significantly reduced. The reason has to do with the way individual PV cells in a module are wired together
