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Residential Domestic Hot Water

For cabins or cottages, eliminate unnecessary water heating hassles and costs. For homes, a domestic hot water heating system provides a reliable source of hot water and lowers your energy bills.

Sunwell - 3-season system
The Sunwell is a seasonal passive solar water heater consisting of a stainless steel tank and a parabolic reflector inside an insulated, glazed housing. It preheats water before going to your conventional water heater, providing you with as much as 230 litres (50 gallons) of hot water per day. The Sunwell is both a collector and a storage tank, and it runs on regular water pressure, so no additional pump, tank, or heat exchanger is required.

Passive solar water heaters are used in thousands of homes around the world and operate effectively for many years. Sunny days give the best performance, but water will heat up even on cloudy days. If extra hot water is needed, the conventional water tank automatically makes up the difference. The Sunwell is inherently reliable because of its simplicity. There are no moving parts to wear out. Because the pipes will freeze in winter, the Sunwell must be drained in fall. Draindown simply involves opening two drain valves and closing two supply valves. Incoming water then bypasses the Sunwell and goes directly to your conventional water heater until spring, when you can start saving energy again.

The 158 litre (35 gallon) tank connects directly to the incoming cold water supply. Water passes through the tank only when hot water is drawn from taps in the building. As a seasonal system in coastal B.C. the Sunwell can provide up to 40% of the energy to heat a family's domestic hot water over the course of the year. As a year-round system in non-freezing climates it can provide up to 100% of the energy load.
 

Sunwell Specifications:

Length: Width: Depth: Aperture area: Weight empty: Weight full:

2.49 m (98.1 in.) 0.92 m (36.2 in.) 0.34 m (13.3 in.) 2.29 m2 (24.7 sq. ft.) 56 kg (128 lbs) 204 kg (470 lbs)

SunCoil - Year-round system
The SunCoil is an active solar water heating system that can be used in residential and commercial settings to provide hot water for showers, dishes, laundry, etc. Systems can also be customized to heat water for swimming pools, hot tubs, radiant floor space heating, and numerous commercial and industrial applications. A standard residential system in the Lower Mainland area of B.C. can provide up to 60% of a family's hot water heating without causing any pollution. Lower your energy bills with free heat from the sun.

A standard SunCoil includes:

• 4' x 8' glazed solar collectors
• Automatic controller
• Bronze circulating pump
• Insulated storage tank
• Copper coil heat exchanger
• Flexible PEX pipe and bronze fittings

The SunCoil is also available as an off-grid system - self-sufficient without anything to plug in. A photovoltaic (PV) solar panel provides power for a direct current (DC) pump. The PV panel also acts as a controller, providing more energy to the pump - and therefore more flow through the collectors - as the sunshine gets brighter. This option is ideal for remote locations and places where electricity is expensive or unreliable.

An Off-Grid SunCoil includes:

• 4' x 8' glazed solar collectors
• PV solar panel power source
• DC circulating pump
• Insulated storage tank
• Copper coil heat exchanger
• Flexible PEX pipe and bronze fittings

Solar collector performance varies with the seasons. In temperate climates, residential SunCoil systems are optimally designed to meet approximately 50-60% of the total annual hot water demand. Rather than 'oversize' a system to provide peak performance throughout the winter, it is more cost-effective to design for peak summer performance and use a back-up heat source to supplement solar during the rest of the year. In tropical climates, the SunCoil can provide 80-100% of the hot water demand.

SunCoil systems are easily expanded to meet changing energy needs. Contact Taylor Munro for pricing and design options for all residential, commercial, and industrial systems.

How it works

• Solar collectors are mounted on your roof and a solar tank is installed next to your existing water heater.
• Incoming cold water gets preheated as it spirals through a heat exchanger in the solar tank. Your conventional water heater tops up the temperature as needed.
• The solar collectors drain into the solar tank whenever they are not in use, ensuring freeze protection and worry-free operation all year long.
• An automatic controller turns the pump on when there is heat to be gained and also limits the tank temperature to prevent overheating.
• You can save energy and money while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Next steps
If you are seriously considering investing in a solar DHW system, here are some steps you can take while you plan:

• Go through your old bills to find out how much you are currently paying for energy. B.C. residents can use AccountOnline to view consumption, billing, and payment histories.
• Learn about grants, tax breaks, and other incentive programs that may be applicable to you in our Financial Incentives section.
• Fill out the Feedback Form so that we can provide you with detailed information about the kind of system that will work best for you. Taylor Munro can design and install your solar DHW system, as well as provide technical support, maintenance, and repair services.

Frequently Asked Questions
Be sure to check out our Residential Domestic Hot Water FAQs for more information.

Custom Systems
Do you have a unique water heating need? We can design a custom solar water heating system to fit your specific application. For large projects, we might recommend starting with a feasibility study. See the Services section for more information.