The Best Brand Of Solar Hot Water Heater

Q: Evacuated Tubes vs Standard Copper tank Anyone got any comments I am going to be installing one soon and want to know which US available brand is the best for the money need something to handle 3 bathrooms - as a preheater I suppose Evacuated tubes vary. I don't know what you mean by "standard copper tank", so it's not very standard. The "standard" hot water panel would be a flat pate collector, and they vary too. One of the good versions (or several, depending on how much water you draw in your 3 bathrooms) should do you fine in Savannah, GA most of the year. What's good, what isn't good? http://www.solar-rating.org/ratings/ratings.htm

A: Let's assume you mean flat plate collector vs evacuated tubes. As mentioned already evacuated tubes vary widely. Where a good evacuated tube collector has an advantage is in poor conditions because it has less loss. That would be on cloudy days, in very cold weather and early and late in the day when there is less light. This is called instananeous collector efficiency and is rated at (water temperature - ambient temperature) / (solar insolation). The efficiency falls as the ambient temperaure falls or the amount of sunlight falls. Evacuated tubes should fall less although they may not start quite as high (you have more non collecting area in an evacuated tube array). You can probably afford a much larger collection area of high quality flat plates than evacuated tubes though and the flat plate may be more efficient under your average conditions in Savannah. Also, you can buy the absorber plates already assembled and make the boxes yourself if you wish to have some sweat equity. You may wish to ask over in alt.solar.thermal.

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