solar hot water book

Hello every one i am a newbe to all of this solar stuff. I am also a newbe to this site here is my question what book or book,s would you recomend about getting hot water from solar. I have been doing a lot of reading on the internet and i can see that this could turn into a night mare if you don,t know what you are doing. Do to the high cost of energy this is what i am going to do next. any input would be appreciated charles

Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: solar hot water book

    Hi Charles,

    I am also pretty new here too... I have started a thread over in the Conservation area with the same discussion...

    http://www.wind-sun.com/smf/index.php?topic=1515.0

    Not too much going on in the thread just yet... I don't have any specific information regarding a good book to read.

    However, in my looking around, I have come to pretty much the same conclusions that you have.

    Solar Hot Water (domestic hot water and possibly space heating), should be a lot less expensive per kWh (or BTU) than solar PV panels and inverter (my own system is a six month old grid-tied 3kW peak grid tied installation with Time of Use meter).

    I have been been going between alternatives of a Solar Hot Water panel (either a standard copper and glass unit, or a vacuum glass unit with heat pipes) vs just going to a straight tankless hot water system...

    It seems, that both types of system have major disadvantages to them (for my installation)--and I would like to talk with people that have tried one or other other methods... Want to come over to the other thread?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset