There are two standard configurations; one, where the hot water from the solar thermal system goes INTO your domestic water heater which is part of your home water system, and [option two] where heat is transferred from the thermal storage tank to heat home water.

   If this is a retrofit on an existing home I recommend that you leave the existing water heater in place so that at no time can your home be without hot water. If this is new construction I’d recommend installing a tank-less water heater where one would normally go.

1. In normal operation the water heater will never come on because the supply to it will already be hotter then the thermostat setting. In this arrangement the solar storage tank will be under the same pressure as the household water system pressure.

2. Where the heat is transferred through a heat exchanger just before the water heater - the solar system can be at a different pressure than the domestic water system but in this configuration it will require a circulation pump to move the hot water through the heat exchanger.

   The power used to heat water is a LARGE part of your electric consumption and any family uses LOTS of it. The addition of this one component can cut your annual electric bill in half.