# US 2014/0153913 A1 · Solar Photovoltaic Water Heating System

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- Number: US 2014/0153913 A1
- Document ID: US20140153913A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/096,928
- Filed: 2013-12-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05
- Assignees: Energy Laboratories, Inc.
- Applicants: Energy Laboratories, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Newman; Glen Newman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153913A1

## CPC

- F24D 19/1057: {the system uses solar energy}
- F24D 18/00: Small-scale combined heat and power [CHP] generation systems specially adapted for domestic heating, space heating or domestic hot-water supply
- F24H 1/202: {with resistances}
- F24H 15/128: Preventing overheating
- F24H 15/174: Supplying heated water with desired temperature or desired range of temperature
- F24H 15/223: in the water storage tank
- F24H 15/242: Pressure
- F24H 15/315: of mixing valves
- F24H 15/37: of electric heaters
- F24H 15/407: using electrical switching, e.g. TRIAC
- F24H 15/421: using pre-stored data
- F24H 15/45: remotely accessible
- F24D 2101/40: Photovoltaic [PV] modules
- Y02B 10/20: Solar thermal
- Y02B 10/70: Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
- F24D: DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR (using steam or condensate extracted or exhausted from steam engine plants for heating purposes F01K17/02)
- F24H: FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL (steam generation F22)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A solar photovoltaic water heating system is disclosed having a photovoltaic solar panel array, a storage tank containing water to be heated, a resistance heating element in the water to be heated. The water heating system matches the load resistance of the resistance heating element to the power that is available from the photovoltaic solar panel array in order to maximum energy transferred to the water in the storage tank.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar photovoltaic water heating system comprising:
a. a solar photovoltaic panel for producing direct current power;
b. a water storage tank including:
i. a cold water inlet;
ii. a hot-water outlet; and
iii. a variable resistance heating element having an electrical resistance; and
c. a control system connected between the solar photovoltaic panel and the variable resistance heating element and configured to vary the resistance of the variable resistance heating element to match the direct current power supplied by the solar photovoltaic panel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the variable resistance heating element comprises an array of individual fixed resistance heating rods and the control system is configured to switch the array of individual fixed resistance heating rods into a plurality of single and parallel connections in order to vary the resistance of the variable resistance heating element.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The water heating system of claim 2, wherein the water heating system further includes a switching network connected to the individual fixed resistance heating rods and controlled by the control system to switch the array of individual fixed resistance heating rods into a plurality of single and parallel connections in order to vary the resistance of the variable resistance heating element.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the water heating system further comprises a alternating current power source for producing alternating current power connected to the control system, and wherein the control system is configured to alternatively connect the direct current power from the solar photovoltaic panel or the alternating current power from the alternating current power source to the variable resistance heating element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The water heating system of claim 1, wherein the water heating system further includes a mixing valve having a first hot water inlet connected to the hot water outlet, a second cold water inlet connected to the cold water inlet via a cold water shunt, and a mixing valve outlet for delivering a mixture of hot and cold water to a consumer water system and wherein the control system controls the mixing valve and therefore the mixture of hot and cold water to the consumer water system.