Solar thermal energy has been around for a long time in one form or another, as long as the sun has been around. While there’s a massive buzz right now about its close cousin, solar photo-voltaic energy (often referred to as Solar Panels), solar thermal systems seem to get less attention.
As solar energy becomes more popular and people become more aware of the various ways solar energy can be used, solar thermal energy use is becoming more widespread in the public eye.
As worldwide interest in solar thermal energy use increases, people want to know how it works.
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers..
1. What is solar thermal energy?
Solar thermal energy is the method of harnessing solar energy to produce heat.
This is not a new concept. The ancient Greeks used glass to generate heat in the 7th century B.C.
Horace de Saussure, an 18th. century Swiss scientist, made a major breakthrough in solar thermal energy harnessing when he created what became known as “the hot box”, a set of 3 wooden boxes with glass tops, one inside the other, and found the temperature inside the innermost box reached 218 degrees Fahrenheit.
The first solar water heater with a separate heating element was built by William Bailey in the 20th century. This made the storage of larger quantities of heated water possible, with an electrical element to compensate for gradual heat loss over time.
2. How is solar thermal energy used?
The most common uses for solar thermal technology are household water heating and swimming pool heating. They both work along the same lines, absorbing the solar heat via solar collectors, which heat either liquid or air to be transferred to a storage tank holding water, except in the case of certain industrial applications, which have no storage tank, and pool heaters, which transfer the heated water directly to the pool.
3. How much water will a solar water heater supply?
That depends on your location and how much sunshine you get, but, on average, a solar water heater can supply around 70-80 percent of a household’s hot water. That doesn’t mean you’ll be without hot water, because you’ll still have your regular water heater(geyser element), which will supply the balance when the solar heater is unable to at night or when there is heavy cloud cover.
4. Will we have to change how we use hot water with a solar water heater?
To maximize the value of a solar water heater, if you need to use larger amounts of hot water, it’s best to do so in the late morning and early afternoon, when the solar collectors are operating at maximum efficiency.
5. How much will a solar water heater and a solar pool heater cost?
| With the recent solar technology Rebates offered by the South African government it is becoming an affordable option to reduce electricity consumption. |
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As the price for energy increases, savvy homeowners should ensure that their homes are not completely reliant on the mainstream power grid.
By reducing your electricity dependence on the grid, you become part of a more sustainable and responsible global community of homeowners and enjoy significant electricity & cost savings at the same time.
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