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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Solar Water Heater?
A Solar Water Heater is a device which provides hot water for bathing, washing, cleaning, etc. using solar energy. It is generally installed at the terrace or where sunlight is available and heats water during day time which is stored in an insulated storage tank for use when required including mornings.
How does it work?
A Solar Water Heater comprises of an array of solar collectors to collect solar energy and an insulated tank to store hot water. Both are connected to each other. During the day time, water in solar collectors gets heated which is either pumped or flown automatically on thermosyphon principle to the storage tank. Hot water then stored in the tank can be used for various applications.
What are different types of Solar Water Heaters?
Two types of Solar Water Heaters are available; one based on flat plate collectors and the other based on evacuated tube collectors. Flat plate collector (FPC) based systems are of metallic type and have longer life as compared to Evacuated tube collector (ETC) based system because ETCs are made of glass which are of fragile in nature. Both these systems are available with and without heat exchanger. They can also work with and without pump. Systems without pump are known as thermosyphon systems and those with pump are known as forced circulation systems.
Which type of Solar Water Heater is suitable for different places/Category of users?
ETC based systems are cheaper than FPC based system. They perform better in colder regions and avoid freezing problem during sub-zero temperature. FPC based systems also perform well with anti-freeze solution at subzero temperature but their cost increases. In other regions, both perform equally well. Systems working on thermosyphon principle are simple and relatively inexpensive. They are suitable for domestic and small institutional applications, provided water quality is good and it doesn’t have large chlorine contents. Forced circulation systems are generally preferred in industries or large establishments. At places where water is hard and have larger chlorine content, if FPC based system is being installed, it must be with heat exchanger as it will avoid scale deposition in copper tubes of solar collectors which can block the flow of water as well reduce its thermal performance. ETC based systems will not block the flow of water but its performance may go down due to deposition of salt contents on inner surface of glass tubes, which could be cleaned easily once in a year or so.
What is the approximate cost of solar water heater?
Cost of solar water heater depends on size and type of system installed. Smallest size of a system is 100 liter per day, which means that it can deliver 100 litres of hot water in a day at 60 C. A 100 lpd capacity system is sufficient for a family of 3-4 members and it may cost Rs. 15,000 to Rs.22,000 in plains depending on the type of system. In hilly & N-E region, the cost may be 15 to 20% more. The system cost does not include the cost of cold water tank, & its stand which is required if overhead tank is not installed in a house/ building. Cost of hot water insulated pipe line also, may be extra if number of bathrooms is more than one. Additional cost towards all these components may increase by 5 to 10%. The cost, however, does not increase linearly with increase in capacity; rather it comes down proportionately as we go for higher capacity system.
Is there any subsidy available from Government?
No. The subsidy scheme has been discontinued w.e.f 12.08.2014 onwards.
What happens on cloudy/rainy day? Do I still get hot water?
On cloudy days also, if it is for a day or two, you still get warm water as water gets heated due to diffused radiation available in the atmosphere. The system, however, is either connected to an electric geyser in the house or an electrical back-up is provided in the storage tank of the system which is switched on when water is not sufficiently hot. So, you get hot water all the time even on rainy days
Are there any maintenance requirements?
Domestic solar water heating system do not need significant maintenance requirements. Occasional leakages in the plumbing could be easily repaired by common plumbers. In case quality of water is hard, scale deposition in the collectors may result over the years. This may require de-scaling with acids for which it is best to contact the suppliers. Broken glass may also have to be replaced by the suppliers. If outside exposed surfaces are painted, the paint may have to be redone every 2-3 years to prevent corrosion of the surfaces.
These are some common querries related to Solar Water Heating Systems
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Solar Photovoltaics
What is a Solar Rooftop System?
In a solar rooftop system, the solar panels are installed in the roof of any residential, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings. This can be of two types (i) Solar Rooftop System with storage facility using battery, and (ii) Grid Connected Solar Rooftop System.
What is a Solar Rooftop System with Storage facility?
Such rooftop system has battery as storage facility. The solar electricity is stored in the battery and can be utilized during night also when the sun is not available.
What is a Grid Connected Solar Rooftop System?
In grid connected rooftop or small SPV system, the DC power generated from SPV panel is converted to AC power using power conditioning unit and is fed to the grid either of 33 kV/11 kV three phase lines or of 440/220 Volt three/single phase line depending on the capacity of the system installed at institution/commercial establishment or residential complex and the regulatory framework specified for respective States. These systems generate power during the day time which is utilized fully by powering captive loads and feed excess power to the grid as long as grid is available. In case, where solar power is not sufficient due to cloud cover etc., the captive loads are served by drawing power from the grid.
Solar Updates
Current Happenings in Solar World
Large companies taking the leap into renewable energy.
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The significant decline in installations was due to a deliberate strategy to
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Current Solar Happenings in India
Rajasthan is the Home to India's Largest Solar Park
Bhadla Solar Park - World's Biggest Solar Park in Rajasthan having total Capacity 2255 MW
India's mega 2000 MW solar power park 1080pNews Title
Solar power in India. India now has the world's largest solar power park. 2000 MW of solar power. India is now a leader in renewable energy. The cost of 2000 MW of installed capacity is about 2.3 billion $. This is a mega construction project which has now made India the home of ultra mega solar power plants. The plant is located in Pavagada Karnataka.
270MW Gujarat Solar Park at Charanka, Patan
590 MW capacity of "Solar Park" is located at village Charanka, District Patan in Gujarat spread across 5,384 acres of unused land. The integrated "Solar Park" has state of art infrastructure with provision to harness rain water besides power evacuation at the door steps. Installed capacity of 224MW Solar Project have been commissioned by 20 developers. The capacity will be enhanced by another 50MW by the end of this year, thus putting the installed capacity as 274MW., accounting to 25% of total Solar generation developed India.
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