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Solar underfloor heating – from MySolarPower

As solar energy systems and solar thermal systems have become more efficient and sophisticated it is now possible to have cost-effective solar underfloor heating.

We have explored already how to use solar energy for domestic water heating but with the advances in solar equipment we can move to much more sophisticated levels and with low temperature solar floor heating systems we can really make full use of the renewable energy source.

Underfloor heating in general is considered as a benefit as it is providing warmth from the floor upwards rather than using energy to heat the ceiling and overhead space first, and many find that it is a more “comfortable” heat that than produced by radiators. The heat generated more closely matches the person’s heat comfort profile, in that with the feet being slightly warmer than the head; it reduces the feeling of “stuffy heat”.

Solar underfloor heating systems are now regarded as suitable for virtually all types of property, both domestic and commercial, and from a design perspective, do not have to accommodate space for the location of radiators.

It is usually advisable to use a solar underfloor heating system in conjunction with solar space heating systems, particularly as it is regarded as more efficient than radiators.

Domestic hot water is easily obtained from a thermal store via a plate heat exchanger or high efficiency coil; these units are very efficient and dispense with the need to store domestic hot water-giving hot water on demand.

Combined solar thermal (water heating) and solar underfloor heating systems ought to have in the region of 20-55 mtrs squared of solar cells or at least the equivalent of half of the floor area to be heated.

Flexibility

Even if you just want to heat certain parts of your property with a solar underfloor heating system, then with the use of special manifolds, the areas can be zoned allowing the system to be directed to specified areas only.

Underfloor heating systems also use lower temperature water because the larger heating surface does not need to emit as much heat per square metre as a radiator

The solar space heating operation will require a good sized heat storage capacity (a large insulated tank) so that the system can still be effective at night and to accommodate other demands.

It is still regarded as sensible to adopt a system that will allow coupling into other energy systems such as heat pumps, solid fuel stoves etc

How does it work?

It works in simple terms by, (a) a solar pump circulates fluid from a holding tank into the solar roof, (b) the solar cells in the roof heat the circulating fluid, (c) this is passed via a heat exchanger into the thermal store, and (d) the underfloor heating is taken from this.

These systems usually allow different levels of heated water to be taken at different points from the thermal store – the coolest part usually being reserved for the solar underfloor heating and the hottest part being for conventional hot water requirements. Where combination systems are used well, this system allows for a higher contribution of the solar energy being put towards the heating system

Solar thermal stores

Pick the thermal store cylinder with care as some now are considered to be the most advanced and efficient on the market, particularly in terms of low running costs and overall performance and some are better suited to combinations of solar underfloor heating and mains pressure hot water . The greater the level of efficiency, the more likely are you to gain the highest savings from your solar thermal system

Benefits

Most of the standard benefits of underfloor heating are well documented elsewhere, and this is not inclusive of the clear benefits of coupling to a solar energy system:

Greater level of space
Greater control
Increased comfort levels
Lower running costs
Cleaner and less allergenic

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