Active Solar Water Heaters Sizing for Flat Plate Collector Systems

Sizing Evacuated Tube Collector Systems

SIZING FLAT PLATE COLLECTOR SYSTEMS:

The two main components of the solar water heater to be considered for sizing are the collector and the storage tank.

Storage Tank

To determine the storage tank size you need to consider how much water is needed for your household. On residential applications, an average person uses 15 to 20 gallons of water per day. Take into consideration how many people are in your household and you can determine the size of the water storage tank.

Example: 4 people x 20 gallons per person = 80 gallon tank

NOTE: It is important to consider future changes when sizing a solar water heater. Sizing the heater according to how many bedrooms are in the house - as opposed to how many people - will insure the heater is the appropriate size for that home. If you decide to sell the house to a larger family, or if your family grows in size, the heater will be sized appropriately.

Tank Sizing by Number of Bedrooms

Collector Size

The geographical location and climate where the solar water heater will be installed will determine the total sq ft of collector required. A heater located in tropical climates will need less collector footage because the sun heats more water faster. Use the map below to determine your zone

Approximat Number of Collector Square Feet Needed

Take the storage tank size (gallons) you will need and multiply it by the corresponding zone Multiplier, the total is the amount of square feet of collector area needed. For example, a family of four living in a 3 bedroom home in zone 2 will need an 80 gallon storage tank and 53.6 sq ft of collector area (80 x 0.67 = 53.6). Collectors come in various sizes; round up or down to the nearest available size collector(s).

SIZING EVACUATED TUBE COLLECTOR SYSTEMS:

TrendSetter System with Apricus Collectors