PV Gap

Sandra Said:

is it true that hot water runs out fast with a solar hot water system?

We Answered:

Part of the 'solar' installation should be a very well insulated storage tank - the bigger the better (in simple terms) so that when the sun is strong you produce as much hot water as the tank will hold and if it is well insulated it will last until the next sunny period. Although the system works in all weather conditions the amount of hot water produced varies with the strength and duration of the sun.

It follows that in the cold part of the year you have to 'subsidise' the 'solar' hot water from other source(s) i.e. a boiler or an immersion heater or etc. and the system should be set up to switch between the sources as and when required.

So the answer to your question is 'no, the hot water doesn't run out fast with solar hot water system because it is maintained by other methods'.

Clifford Said:

Would you agree with a bill that would mandate consumer hot water tanks be solar ready-heat exchanger inside?

We Answered:

A mandate? This is a good idea but no one has the right in this country to mandate things like this that would cost 20 times as much for a hot water tank.What about the people that make barley enough to make ends meet. Your from Ohio where a lot of people ain't working. They have to take cold showers or not at all? I use cold water for laundry, use the microwave for heating water and a coffee maker. For someone like me that takes one 5 minutes shower a day the electric payback would not be in my life time. They make a timer for a hot water tank that saves. If you use electric and your electric company where to generate through wind and nuclear, or solar (not coal like Ohio does) you would end up with the same end results. There is a enough things mandated in this country, the word mandate to me means loss of freedom. See if you can sell this idea that is affordable to a company.

Milton Said:

Plz Help Me.........How does a boiler function to make the solar hot water system work.?

We Answered:

the boiler is the area where the water gets heated
the pump transports that water to the water tank
the water tank stores the water for when you want to use it

Marshall Said:

Is spending £7500 on a solar hot water only system a good investment?

We Answered:

It doesn't sound like it to me. Will you save enough money in 7 to 10 years to pay for the system? If not then it is not a good deal. It would be better if you saved enough to pay for it in less than 7 years.

Irene Said:

Does anyone know how many kwh an electric hot water heater uses per month?

We Answered:

depend on how much usage

Frances Said:

How much hot water does a typical office need (per square foot) and how much for a retail space?

We Answered:

Typically when you design water usage for a building, its based on occupancy, not square footage. A rule of thumb is 30 gals per day each, times the number of people. Retail would be based on the number of employees based at the location and then a proportionate amount for customers. Hot water would be approximately 50% of consumption. So to be more accurate in your estimation of the size of the solar water heating system, you first need to identify the occupants of the space and then calculate from there.