How The Solar Heating Panel Works
Solar heating is a great way to help heat your home that will also save you substantial money on your energy bills. Most modern solar energy systems can be added to either a new or existing home and use the heat the sun provides to warm your home. Depending on your budget, a solar heating system can either help you to lower the amount of energy you have to buy each month to heat your home or eliminate it completely.
There are several types of solar heating systems available including solar water heating and thermal with each of them has its own advantages. Which type you choose for your home depends on the type of house you have, the climate where you live and your budget for the project. You even have the option in many areas of using several different types of solar heating solutions on the same house if you choose.
In its basic form, a solar heating system draws its heat from the sunlight hitting your home or the ground around it. All of these systems are able to extract that free heat and transfer it to your home to warm it. The way it goes about extracting this excess heat and delivering it to your home will vary but they all do a very good job of keeping your home warm in the colder months.
Solar Panel Heating Installaters
When you are looking to get any renewable energy system including solar panels installed it is always recomended for your safety to find qualified solar panel installers.
The simplest form of solar heating for most homes employs solar thermal panels on the roof of your home that can harvest the heat being delivered by the sun. Sunlight can be used in a number of ways as an alternative energy source since it contains both visible light for photovoltaic conversion to electricity and heat that can be used for your home. These solar thermal collectors contain tubes that are either filled with air or another liquid that is heated by the sunshine that strikes it. This warmer liquid or air is then sent to your home to heat it and reduce the amount of gas or oil you now use.
If an air-filled system is installed, the warmer air is typically sent to the input vent of an existing heating system. This allows the heater to work less since the air is already close to a comfortable temperature for the home. During the day when the sun is brightest, this solar thermal heating system will be all you need to heat your home. In the evenings you may still need to augment the heat with a conventional heater.
When liquid is used as a transfer medium, it is sent to your home to be circulated through thin tubes called radiators in the floors and walls of the home. As this liquid travels through these pipes, it warms the home by radiating the heat into the room. This is a very efficient way to heat your home and will create a very comfortable living space for most homes.
Another method of using the heat the sun provides to warm your home is called passive solar heating. This method uses nothing more than larger windows situated on the southern side of the home that allow the sunlight to penetrate deep in your home and warm the surface it lands on. These surfaces will absorb this heat and release it slowly throughout the night to keep your home warm. You can improve the way the walls and floors of your home retain this heat by coating them with a specialized thermal material that is designed to hold the heat longer and release it more evenly.
One final option that is becoming very popular with homeowners is called a geothermal heat pump. This type of system replaces your conventional heating system and can extract the heat found in the ground around your home and use it to warm your house. Most people don’t realize that even in the harshest of winters, the ground stays at a fairly moderate temperature a foot or two below the frozen surface. These ground source heat pumps are able to tap into this warmth and convert it into heat you can use in your home. The additional benefit to one of these systems is that it can also be used in reverse to cool your home in the winter by extracting the heat and using the ground around your home as a heat sink to eliminate it.