Solar Water Heating

Solar Water Heating

Solar water heating is nothing new, by any stretch of the imagination. The earliest known example of such a heater is dated to the latter half of the 18th century, and was nothing more than an insulated box, painted black on the inside, and covered with two panes of glass. This basic design is still used as the basis for many passive solar water heaters today.

Today, solar water heating can be done through both active and passive water heating systems. Active systems are those designs that require the use of a small electrically powered water pump in order to circulate the water through the heating system. Passive system, by comparison, uses non-powered methods of water circulation, usually involving gravity and the natural tendency of water to expand as it heats.

There are a couple of common applications for solar water heating units. Perhaps the most common is for heating the water inside a swimming pool, which can be done much less expensively by using solar energy as opposed to more conventional methods. Many people also use these systems for maintaining the hot water supplies for their homes as well.