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| It would be hard to
find a more suitable place for a solar water pre-heater than Southern Arizona. With over
350 days of sunshine, a lot of the sun’s radiant energy can be put to use warming
water, thereby saving electricity for other energy demanding duties. The solar water
pre-heater at Desert House is positioned on the roof. This allows as much radiant heat as
possible to be absorbed during the day. Water is directed into the water heater across a
black background to further enhance heat absorption, and is stored in a water heater.
Energy savings are significant with this system, because the water heater does not have to
work as hard to heat the preheated water. For example, preheated 100o F water takes less
energy to raise to a temperature of 140o F in a conventional water than it does to heat
72o F water to 140o F from the city water supply. Solar water preheaters save money.
Phoenix area homeowners can save as much as $50 per month with a solar water pre-heater. There are several kinds of solar water heaters on the market, many of which can be used as a primary water heater. Some models are mounted on stands that allow the solar water heater to track the position of the sun from the east to the west during maximum solar exposure during the day. |
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