Don't use solar PVCs to heat water! Solar water heaters are much more efficient ... | Hacker News

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jdmichal on Sept 3, 2019 | parent | context | favorite | on: Off-Grid, Solar-Powered, Zero-Battery Refrigerator

Don't use solar PVCs to heat water! Solar water heaters are much more efficient than PVCs. Even the lowest-efficiency system listed is 46%, compared to 19% for standard solar cells.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_heating#Energy_pro...

nullc on Sept 8, 2019 [–]

Ignoring equipment cost, in many climates PV + a heat pump would outperform a plain solar water heater. :)

[Silly to ignore equipment costs, sure, but if you have other uses for PV power ... using PV for heating water isn't necessarily nuts.]

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