Solar Heating System
The sun provides a natural source of energy that will never run out and solar thermal systems take advantage of this “free energy”.
On average, solar thermal systems can provide up to 60% -70% of a households domestic hot water needs in Ireland
What’s involved in a solar installation? We take you through the process in this short video we made with the Energycentre and as these guys like to say…What a difference a day makes!
As a guide, a properly designed, well insulated, efficient hot water system in a house occupied by two people can generate the equivalent of up to 1,860 kWh per annum.
Choosing a solar thermal system will depend on the hot water requirement of the household. Therefore the size or design of the system will need to take this into consideration.
Solar water heating systems contain three main elements:
– The solar collector
– Heat transfer fluid/system
– Hot water storage
There are two main types of solar thermal collector:
Evacuated tube collectors
Flat panel collectors
Factors:
When considering the option of installing solar panels, there are some key factors to evaluate:
The most important thing to do is to work out what you are currently spending on hot water, because you cannot save what you are not spending!
You will need to determine if there is a suitable place to put the panels. They will need to be placed in an area that is shade free throughout the year, ideally facing due south, and sloping towards the south at between 25 ° and 45 °. The panels can be placed on a sloping roof, a flat roof, on a garage or on the ground.
Some limited maintenance may be needed for solar thermal systems; to clean the panels when required and to replace pumps/controls if they wear out.