Tessa Wheeler

Solar Hot Water Heating Systems: a Comparative Analysis of Evacuated Tube vs. Flat Panel Designs Tessa Wheeler

The current state of our environment calls for an energy revolution. To combat the threats of global warming and growing pollution due to fossil fuels, the United States must shift away from depleting non- renewable energy sources towards a more stable alternative. The most viable alternative at this time is solar energy. This paper observes the steps needed for a speedy transition towards this clean and renewable energy source. The first section of this thesis outlines the possible governmental and social incentives needed to power this revolution. While the second portion addresses the growing efficiency of solar hot water heating technologies. Through collaboration with the ecoMOD project at the University of Virginia, which elicits the design, build, and evaluation of sustainable affordable housing in the Charlottesville area, this thesis analyzes the in-residential efficiencies of two competing solar water-heating designs - the flat-plate and evacuated tube array. Their efficiencies have been tested through laboratory research under ideal conditions, however this study analyzes the two as they function under real-life conditions.