A solar hot water system uses specially designed collector panels to convert sunlight into heat for hot water. Water is cycled between the solar collector, which is situated out in the sun on the roof of the building, and a storage tank.
The storage tank can be installed on the roof of the building with the collector, or situated inside the building to reduce visual impact. Water is heated as it passes through the collector and returned as hot water to the storage tank.
To ensure adequate hot water at night or on overcast days, solar hot water systems are 'boosted' with either an electric or gas heater.
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