PV Gap

Cathy Said:

does using a solar hot-water system emit co2?

We Answered:

Well I don't know what kind of system you are referring to.

But generally a solar hot water system does not emit CO2.

The solar hot water systems I have come across consists of basically a long thin metal (usually may be copper) pipe arranged inside a panel and exposed to the sun, so that the water inside this pipe heats up when the sun falls on the panel, and an insulated tank to store the heated water. Water at normal temperature is fed into the pipe inside the panel from your water mains supply or an overhead water tank. Hot water is taken out from the insulated tank via pipes as necessary.

btw, some solar hot water systems may have electrical heaters inside the insulated tank that stores hot water. This is to heat up the water inside the tank on days that there is not enough sun to heat up the water in the pipes inside the panel or in the night where all the heated water inside the tank is used up. Well when water at normal temperature gets into the pipe inside the panel, and there is no sun, it will simply pass on to the tank unheated.

There is no part or mechanism that produces CO2 in a solar hot water system which is similar to what I have described.