Solar Water Heaters’ Role in Achieving Energy Sustainability in Domestic Applications: A Review
Keywords:
Flat plate solar collector, Heat pipe solar collector, Solar thermal energy, Solar water heater, Vacuum tube solar collectorAbstract
Currently, the use of photovoltaic solar energy is widespread due to frequent power outages on the main grid and high fuel prices. Despite this widespread use, there are several drawbacks associated with photovoltaic solar energy, such as its electricity production decreasing as temperatures rise, high storage costs with batteries, and low capacity in photovoltaic solar power plants. Therefore, it is necessary to use other renewable energy sources better suited to local climate conditions. Among the most suitable renewable energies for climate conditions is solar thermal energy. Solar thermal energy is a simple technology that can be used to operate heating and cooling systems, which are among the most energy-intensive systems, especially cooling, which accounts for 20% of global electricity consumption. The efficiency of solar thermal energy is 81%, which is much higher than that of photovoltaic solar energy (19%). Its efficiency increases with rising temperatures, making it one of the most suitable renewable energy sources for Arab countries suffering from extremely high temperatures. Furthermore, its cost is lower than that of photovoltaic solar energy, and it requires less space. Solar thermal energy can be a solution for cooling and heating in areas with high electricity prices or far from cities. Examples of the use of solar thermal energy are the solar water heaters and solar absorption refrigeration.
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