The Hot Water System is the second largest energy consumer in a home, after space heating. It is also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Luckily, there are a number of ways you can reduce the amount of energy it uses and therefore cut your household’s greenhouse gas footprint. The most obvious way is to switch to an electric hot water system.
There are two basic types of electric hot water systems – storage and continuous flow. A storage system heats and stores water in a tank until it’s needed. This is the most common type of domestic hot water system in Australia. A continuous flow system quickly heats up water to use as soon as it is required and is limited only by the capacity of the storage tank.
Most hot water systems have tanks, and are either gas or electric. Storage systems may be either passive or active, with the system relying on natural convection (the water rises as it becomes warmer) to move water between the collectors and the tank or an active system where a pump is used to force the water through the collectors and the tank.
Passive systems are often the best choice as they can be cheaper to install and operate. However, they can lose a large amount of heat between the collectors and the tank due to their location in the roof, and heat losses from the pipe work. In addition, they have a low maximum temperature, usually only 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and thus are less effective in cold climates.
Active systems, which rely on mechanical devices to force the water through the collectors and tank, can be more efficient than passive systems but they have the disadvantage of requiring maintenance to keep them operating effectively. The pumps must be continuously running to ensure the system is well mixed and to prevent stratification of the water. They should be sized to be able to pump 0.2 to 0.5 times the storage tank’s capacity per hour.
Some large commercial domestic systems have multiple storage tanks and use a 3-way mixing valve to cool the hot water before it’s delivered to sinks and showers. This is to avoid scalding and to maintain hot water delivery capacity during peak demand periods.
Whether you have a gas storage or an instantaneous gas system, a high power electronic control model can be very efficient. However, they require a larger gas supply pipe than conventional models and may be less compatible with existing gas supplies.
Solar hot water systems are the most environmentally friendly option but can be more expensive to purchase and install than other options. If you can, consider installing a solar photovoltaic system to help offset the initial investment. If you can’t afford to invest in a solar system, a high efficiency instantaneous gas system is a good alternative. These systems have lower greenhouse gas emissions than most gas storage systems. In NSW and Victoria, high performance solar thermal and solar hot water systems with GreenPower from your electricity retailer can be completely free of greenhouse gas emissions.
source https://flowlinkplumbing.wordpress.com/2024/03/22/reduce-your-hot-water-systems-energy-consumption-and-cut-your-greenhouse-gas-footprint/
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