Originally published March 4 2007
Solar thermal hot water heater technology gaining momentum in America
by M. T. Whitney
(NaturalNews) Let the sun's energy heat your water: It's an idea that's been around for generations and may be making a comeback in the coming years in the face of rising natural gas prices, predicted experts.
Jump directly to: conventional view | resources | bottom line
What you need to know - Conventional View
• Solar thermal heaters, unlike solar panels, directs the sun's heat to the water in the tank, using up to half of the sun's heat directly.
• The space needed to power a home water heater with solar energy is "one or two 4-by-10-(foot) panels," Gary Gerber, CEO of Sun Light and Power, told web site CNET.com.
• The investment of solar thermal heaters for your water heater is typically recouped within 10 years - the average lifespan of a water heater. The panels may then be reused to power another water heater for free.
• The use of solar panels in sunny states was routinely seen in the 1900s to 1920s, but popularity waned as the price and availability of electricity and natural gas lowered.
• China, oft criticized for its electricity usage, is actually leading the way for use of solar thermal technology - "60 percent of the world's solar thermal hot water capacity is in that country," reports CNET.
• "No one was motivated to offset the price of gas. Now it is an environmental issue and a cost issue," Chris Beekhuis, chief technology officer at the solar technology monitoring company Fat Spaniel.
Resources you need to know
• Sun Light and Power website: www.sunlightandpower.com
Bottom line
Efficient solar thermal energy for hot water heaters may make a comeback for environmental and economic reasons.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml