Simple design to make solar water heating affordable and compatible with conventional water heaters

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to make solar water heating affordable and compatible with conventional gas or electric water heaters. Solar energy is clean and renewable. However, solar water heating has not been in wide use in the US mainly due to two reasons: first, the cost of a current solar water heater is generally too expensive for an average household; second, a typical solar water heater uses ethylene glycerol as a heat transfer fluid to prevent freezing and needs additional space for an extra exchange tank. Our design includes evacuated tube collector panels for efficient collection of solar energy, utilizes two unique three-way adaptors to connect solar collector panels to a conventional water heater for storing solar hot water, and is operational even in freezing temperature. These improvements eliminate the need for an extra exchange tank and significantly reduce the cost of a solar water heater.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . The way this invention works is that the design includes evacuated tube collector panels for efficient collection of solar energy, utilizes conventional gas or electric water heater as the tank for storing hot water directly from the solar collector panels. When there is enough sunlight, hot water will be provided solely by the solar collector panels and stored in the conventional water heater. When there is not enough sunlight, water heating can also be supplemented by gas or electric heating in the conventional water heater. 
     
     
         2 . Unique three-way adaptors that connect the solar collector panels to the conventional water heater through Ball valves and to the drain through Sillcock valves.