Solar
Water Heater System Sizing
The most
significant factor in determining
the appropriate size of solar hot
water system for your needs is the
average amount of hot water your
household consumes per day.
Methods
to determine the daily amount of Hot
Water your household uses (from most
accurate to least accurate)
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Estimate 60 liters of hot
water per day per person.
The
above graph shows annual energy
output vs. household hot water usage
for 1, 2, 3 or 4 collector
configurations. The graphs are for
a system located in central
Saskatchewan, installed on roof with
a 25 degree tilt, facing south with
no shading.
The
following guidelines can be used to
determine system sizing:
1 Collector: 0 - 150 liters per
day (1-3 person household)
2 Collectors: 150 - 350 liters/day
(3-6 person household)
3 Collectors: 350 - 550 liters/day
(6 or more people)
4 Collectors: 550 - 800 liters/day
water usage
Larger systems are available.
Once you
have determined your water usage,
you can get an accurate estimate of
the cost, payback, and greenhouse
gas (GHG) reductions that a solar
hot water system can provide. The
payback and GHG reductions are
dependant on the source of energy
you currently use to heat your
water. Select the link appropriate
to your case.
Savings of
Solar vs. Electric
Savings of
Solar vs. Natural Gas
In
addition to daily water usage the
following will all contribute to the
optimum system configuration for
your household:
-
Amount of sunlight available to
your collectors
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Desire to reduce greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions
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Tilt and orientation of
roof, or mounting location
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Space available to mount
collectors
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Importance of long-term
system payback
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Importance of lowest initial
investment
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Predicted change in hot
water usage over short to
medium term
Contact us
for help determining your daily
water usage or detailed savings
analysis specific to your location.
