Our future will be greatly influenced by the decisions we make when it comes to our energy consumption and where our energy comes from. Switching to clean renewable energy will help greatly to reduce our climate footprint and solar energy is one of the unlimited resources at our disposal. In fact, the sun provides the earth with as much energy in an hour as all humans’ consume in a year. Harnessing this energy with a solar system is a great way to reduce our reliance on dirtier means of energy, and can have cost-saving benefits as well. While most people are already informed about how a solar PV system provides electricity, like using solar panels on a roof, for example, far fewer are familiar with solar heating.
How Does Solar Thermal Heating Work?
A home solar PV system turns light into electricity to power your household’s needs, while a home heating solar system heats your water and can assist in heating your home. Solar heating works in the same way that a dark swimming pool cover heats the water below it in the summer sun. The dark solar panels absorb the sunlight via their absorber, which in turn heats up a special fluid. A pump will then transport the fluid to a heat exchanger, where the thermal energy from the sunlight is stored in a tank. This is used to heat up the water, which you can then use for showers, faucets, dishwashers, laundry machines, etc. If you have a radiator heating system, this can also heat up the water used to heat your house. When the thermal energy from your solar system is not enough to heat the water in the storage tank, a conventional method of heating water will kick in and heat it for you.
Take Advantage of the Benefits
A heating solar system on average supplies 60% of a household’s annual water heating needs, which means that you’re saving 60% of what you would pay to heat your water. This is dependent on your system’s design and can be even more efficient. After it is installed, all of the energy produced by a home heating solar system is cost-free. There are also zero emissions produced which helps reduce the overall consumption of fossil fuels. Just like a solar PV system can be added to a home’s electrical system, a heating solar system can be added into an existing heating system. Modern designs help them even heat a significant amount of water in the winter.
The benefits of a heating solar system are even higher when being used in conjunction with a passive solar heating design. Passive solar heating is about using home design to collect heat directly from the sun without using anything like solar panels or wires. An example of a passive solar system would be placing dark materials like brick, dark ceramics, and dark stone in direct sunlight. Dark materials like these absorb and store higher amounts of thermal energy. Another example would be installing high-quality argon gas windows that gain heat during the day and help hold it indoors at nighttime.
The benefits to your home’s finances and the planet’s well-being are a lot to consider. For any further information on solar systems, please contact our solar panel installers at 604-Go-Solar today!
Brad is proud to be of First Nation’s descent with ancestry traced back to the Manitoba Red River Band. With over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry, Brad offers an extensive background of project procurement in industries from agriculture, electrical distribution to commercial construction. Brad is a NABCEP certified professional with a thirst for ongoing education in the renewable field.