DO YOU WANT TO HEAT WATER OR YOUR HOME?

There are several different methods by which solar energy may be harnessed and also several different uses once that power has been captured. In this section, MySolarPower will try to demonstrate a few of the choices and options available to you.

SPACE HEATING

To heat your home using solar energy you need system which actually generates electricity.

This technology is called Photovoltaic (PV) - It can be a more expensive system to purchase than those used for solar water heating, but like many things advances in knowledge and production has seen the price drop steadily since they were first introduced.

Domestic systems tend to come as solar panels, slates or tiles which are installed on or within the roof.

Generating your own solar electricity supply is quite literally that.

It will not only help heat the home, it can be used for lighting or to run appliances, and if enough is created, then it can even be sold back into the national grid.

PV systems sound complex but the principal is quite simple. Each cell has two layers of a material such as silicon which is semi-conducting. Light shining onto the cells create an electric field across the layers.

As the current your system generates with be DC an inverter is need to convert it to AC the supply your home uses. A battery storage system is also required.

How much power will a solar system generate? It is estimated that it can account for up to 40 per cent of a household’s annual needs.

An added bonus is that if you produce more than you need, for example during the summer, you can sell it to the national grid. The best way to learn more is to consult an expert at any electricity supply company about how energy is transferred to the grid and payment rates.

Government legislation introduced this April also pays for electricity you generate and use in your home see the Feed-in Tariffs section on this website.

HEATING WATER

This uses a technique called solar thermal (or thermodynamics).

No electricity is generated in this kind of system. Heat from the sun is collected through solar panels.

There are two types of solar panels - flat plates or evacuated tubes.

Tests by the Department of Trade and Industry favour evacuated solar tubes as being more efficient especially during the winter months.

Indirect systems:

Some technologies, known as indirect systems, use a mix of chemicals (best compared to anti-freeze) and use these indirectly to transfer warmth through heat exchangers to warm the water supply.

They take the warmth from the sun and heat water in a cylinder with a solar heating coil.

It could be that an existing water cylinder in your home could be converted, so it is worth checking.

Direct systems:

Newer direct systems heat the water directly. This makes them more efficient as energy is not lost through transfer. This type of system is also less problematic after installation, as less technology is used.

Using either system to harness solar energy will give you hot water throughout the year, although it will probably need to be boosted by more conventional systems in the winter months.

It is estimated that a solar water heating system will provide around a third of the hot water needed in a household.

So it will save considerably on your water heating bill as sun light is FREE. Once installations costs have been covered it will mean savings all the way.

TWO TIPS:

Evacuated tubes - source a system which uses as double liner - more heat will be retained as it works like a vacuum flask.

Combi boilers:

You need to check that if you have a combination (Combi) boiler - using a solar water heating system is compatible. These systems don’t use a water cylinder and work on a different rate of pressure, than those that do use cylinders.

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