Photovoltaic solar heating system uses 95% of energy available to heat water; unlike solar thermal, no hydraulic installation needed

https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-photovoltaic-solar-energy.html

"low-cost... does not require a large number of solar panels, nor must it be connected to the electrical grid... only use an electric box... to which solar panels and a conventional electric water heater are connected, with two cables... can be used for heating any time of the day. The water tank functions as an accumulator of all that daily energy, averting the need to install batteries... can heat water up to 80 degrees—just like a regular electric heater"

Via email: Was not clear if that was 95% of the solar energy, or 95% of the electricity generated
from the solar.  So did not quite know what to think. This seems significantly simpler and more reliable than water moving through pipes. Much of southern EU already uses solar water heating, so not clear if it was cost-effective enough to replace existing unit? So,  have the feeling it is significant, but am not sure of the details. Will look for articles that update the progress.

Related:

Novel plasmonic solar thermal materials developed to reserve sun heat

Large-scale, high-temperature heat pump for district heating

Concentrating solar power system for building applications, usable with PV

Thermal networks: The missing infrastructure we need to help enable carbon-free heating

Solar geyser turns sand into thermal energy storage system to deliver low-cost hot water


High-temperature ceramic combustor with thermophotovoltaic power generation
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20250330111A1/en see also: Power at Scale with this Sun in a Box

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