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The lowly water heater gets a radical new design.
It was a time not unlike our own. The economy was ailing, oil prices had spiked, and a Democratic president was espousing the virtues of renewable energy.
Solar panels on rooftops were as common as bellbottoms. While the jeans kept us hip, the solar panels disappointed. Not only were they expensive, they didn’t really work.
But that was 30 years ago, back in the Age of Disco.
Solar technology is presently in the midst of a renaissance, as old ideas give way to ingenious new designs. A prime example lies in an altogether new kind of water heater that uses no electricity, has no pumps and no moving parts. In the place of the old rectangular solar panel, the American Microsolar water heating system uses a series of vacuum tubes and the natural convection process called “thermosyphon.”
Simply put, thermosyphon is the process of rising hot water and falling cool water that allows for the circulation and transfer of energy in this ingenious water heating system.
“It’s been shown to be the most efficient solar water heating system in the world,” says Larry Jordan, one of the principal partners in American Microsolar, Inc.
The savings for homeowners can be significant, as the U.S. Department of Energy estimates hot water needs to be responsible for as much as 25 percent of a home’s energy consumption.
The innovation promises welcome relief. Previous solar technology has been based on a Japanese patent issued back in 1976. The panels were flat, which meant that the only time they were working at peak efficiency was when the sun’s rays were directly overhead.
The Microsolar system, on the other hand, uses cylindrical tubes poised before a “parabolic” reflector, allowing for the capture of the sun’s energy for an extended period of time, and making it some 15 to 18 percent more effective than its predecessors. The company boasts a world record in the efficiency category, heating
71 gallons of water to the boiling point after a mere six hours of exposure to sunlight.
What makes the Microsolar system especially appealing is its ability to work on cloudy days, as it’s capable of absorbing and harnessing infrared light.
“Although performance is somewhat diminished it will still heat the water,” Jordan says.
The units have both residential and commercial applications, with thousands of units currently in use around the world. It’s especially suitable for heating spas and swimming pools, which can cost several hundred dollars per month in the spring and winter months in the Low Country. “This thing can heat your spa or pool for free,” Jordan says.
The system sells for $3,000 to $4,000, with installation running as low as $500. Some units come with an electrical element in the tank, providing a backup for days of heavy usage. Owners of an English farmhouse plumbed a Microsolar hot water heater into their baseboard heating system, saving some 90 percent on the home heating oil bill.
The timing of the American Microsolar’s arrival in the U.S. could hardly be better. Federal and state tax credits for “high efficiency” water heaters have been raised from $300 to 30 percent of the total installed cost. Under the Obama Administration, federal tax benefits are expected to increase — right along with your electric rates.
For more information on the American Microsolar water heating system, visit their Web site at americanmicrosolar.com or call (843) 422-6018.
