How do you heat water with solar energy?

Water is pumped up to the roof of your house and into pipes or panels that will catch the sun's heat. Colder water is sent up and the hot water is collected in a tank.

To heat water with solar energy requires a collector and a water tank that looks like a water heater. The collector is a well insulated wooden box. It has a base 4 feet by 8 feet and the four sides are 6 inches deep. It is covered with thick glass 4 feet by 8 feet. Inside pipes lie along the bottom of the box. The pipe enters in the bottom of the box and runs a few inches from the bottom of the box. When it gets almost to the side, then it goes a few inches higher and goes back in the other direction. Finally the pipes reach the top of the box and the last one exits the box.

Cold water will go into the bottom of the heater and hot water will go out of the top of the heater. A strictly gravity system will place the water tank above the collector. As the hot water goes to the top of the tank, cold water will enter the heater.

These solar water heaters have been used in South Florida houses for over 100 years. After the initial investment, hot water is free.