Kilowatt Heating, Air Conditioning and Electrical Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Solar Heating’

3 Great Things about Solar Water Heaters

Monday, April 6th, 2015

In Southern California, there’s one energy resource we know will always be here: the sun. So why not make use of all that free energy that beats down on the roof of your home and harness it to take care of necessary services, such as providing hot water for your family? Solar water heaters are one of the best ways you can start making a difference by bringing solar energy into your home.

Here are 3 great things about solar water heaters to consider:

#1. They help you get started with solar power for your home

Of the various solar installations you can have done for a house, a solar water heater is one of the smallest and most cost-effective. This makes a solar water heater a good introduction to using solar power in your house. If you are interested in exploring the potential of solar energy for your household, there are few better places to start than with a water heater.

#2. They can save you a tremendous amount off your electrical bill

No matter where you live, you can probably reduce the amount of electricity you use for hot water by 50% with a solar water heater. But if you live in sunny Southern California, with ample amount of radiant energy from the sun, you may be able to reduce your hot water bills by 80%! This means the installation of a solar water heater will pay for itself in only a few short years.

#3. They benefit the environment and reduce pollution

Going solar in general is a tremendous benefit for the environment, and the solar water heater is a good example. These water heaters reduce carbon dioxide emissions by half. Because they make use of a renewable energy source (they don’t consume sunlight the way a traditional water heater consumes natural gas), they help conserve other energy sources that are not renewable.

If you are interested in learning more about solar water heaters, or any other type of solar installation, for your home in Los Angeles, CA and the San Fernando Valley, call on the company that has helped people save money with solar power since 1990: Kilowatt Air Conditioning, Heating, Electric & Solar.

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What Are the Benefits of Solar Heating?

Friday, November 7th, 2014

If there’s one thing we have plenty of in Los Angeles, its sunlight. With a solar heating system, you can make that sunlight do more than give you a tan. Solar heating isn’t new, but with better products, solar heating systems are more popular among homeowners than ever before. There are a couple of ways in which solar heating works, as we’ll explain below, but if you are interested in seeing what a solar heating system in Los Angeles. can do for you, call Kilowatt today and schedule an appointment with one of our installation specialists.

How Does Solar Heating Work?

There are two ways in which solar heating works: the first way is by using photovoltaic (PV) panels and the second is by using a method called solar liquid.

PV Panels

PV panels are the most common way solar energy is used. The panels are typically mounted on your roof, and the cells that make up the panel collect the sun’s radiant energy and convert it into electricity. This electricity can be used any way you want: it can add power to your electrical panel or be directed to power certain appliances or systems. As such, you can direct the electricity from the PV panels to power your heating system. Your home’s grid electricity will serve as a back-up should the PV panels fail to generate enough electricity.

Solar Liquid

A solar liquid system uses a heat-absorbing liquid. This liquid is inside durable tubing that heats in a component known as a solar collector. Like PV panels, solar collectors are placed on the roof of your home. The heated liquid is then circulated through the tubing to a storage tank filled with water, where it is pumped through a heat exchanger submerged in the storage tank. The heat from the warmed liquid transfers to the water in the storage tank; the newly-heated water is circulated through your home to provide heating. As with PV panels, a back-up heating system can be installed to ensure you always have heating for your home.

Benefits of Solar Heating

  • Environmental – with solar heating, you can significantly reduce your usage of fossil fuels (if you use them); additionally, solar systems do not emit pollutants during use, making them very environmentally friendly.
  • Financial – you can significantly reduce your energy bills with a solar heating system.
  • Long lifespan on equipment – the average lifespan of solar equipment is 20+ years, as compared to combustion heating systems, which are 15-20 years.

Solar heating systems are complicated to install, so if you are considering a solar heating system, call the people you can trust: Kilowatt.

 

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How Does Solar Heating Work?

Friday, October 31st, 2014

Do you want to experience solar power as an alternative energy source for your home? You can harness the energy of the sun right here in L.A. with a solar heating system. Many people are making the switch to solar energy as an inexpensive, environmentally conscious alternative to their utility companies. However, a lot of homeowners cannot afford to convert their entire home to solar energy at once, or they may simply choose to use solar energy in only one area of the home instead. We’ll take a look at how you can harness the energy of the sun for multiple heating needs in this week’s guide.

To get solar heating in your home in Los Angeles, call the solar experts at Kilowatt today!

How it Works

For the record, there are many different ways that solar heating can employ solar collectors in order to utilize the sun’s power in heating a structure. In this post, we’re going to look at one of the ways this is accomplished: using a solar-powered water heater to create radiant heat in the home.

Many solar heaters work in conjunction with a solar-powered water heater to circulate hot water through the home and through your pipes. There are a several different ways solar water heating is achieved, all of which are categorized as either active or passive systems. Active water heaters have pumps and controls to circulate water while a passive heating system does not. With a passive system, water preheats in the solar collector and is stored for later use in a storage tank which usually contains a backup heating source as well. Hot water then flows from the tank whenever you turn on a hot water tap.

In order for hot water to heat your home, it requires a terminal point such as a radiator or baseboard or even a piping system underneath the floorboards. Water pumps from either the storage tank or the solar collector and throughout your home to provide radiant heating. Many homeowners prefer radiant heating to forced air heating because heat distributes evenly throughout the home for increased comfort.

Installing a solar heating system is a great way to utilize the sun’s energy for heating up your water supply and your entire home. Call Kilowatt today to find out if choosing solar heating in Los Angeles is right for you.

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