Heating your home or business is vital if you want to keep your family and workers comfortable throughout the day. One of the best options open to you is active solar heating, which is one of the most cost-effective methods of heating either a living or working space.
Active solar heating refers to a method of distributing heat around a building, with either a pump or fan powered by electricity helping to move the heat to where it is needed.
The alternative system is passive, which relies on the natural powers of convection, radiation or conduction to do the same job.
Because of the need for mechanised aides to move the heat around, active systems are more expensive to purchase and maintain, but the upshot is that it is also much more efficient.
There are two forms of an active solar heating system: one that uses liquid to transfer heat (or liquid-based system) and one that uses air (air-based). The liquid-based system works in tandem with a closed loop solar water heating system, with the heating liquid consisting usually of either water or a mixture of water and anti-freeze.
Basically, the liquid-based system uses liquid that is heated in a solar collector (panel). The solar collector can be either of a flat-plate design or evacuated tube design, though the flat-plate collectors are the most popular. Evacuated tube collectors work extremely well in climates where freezing can occur and is capable of heating water to a higher degree than flat-plate collectors.
The liquid is pumped through the collectors, which are treated with heat-absorbent black paint to gain the maximum heat from the sun’s rays. As the liquid moves through the collectors, it is heated and then flows either into a storage tank or directly around the building if the liquid used is water. A heat exchanger in the storage tank allows the heat from the liquid mix to transfer to the water supply. To heat space in the building a plumbing system, often under-floor, is used with the hot water heating rooms from beneath via radiant heating.
With active air-based systems, solar air collectors are mounted on the south-facing wall of the building (or north facing in the southern hemisphere) where the maximum sunlight is captured. A space between the black, painted collectors and the original wall allows air to be heated, while an electrical pump or ventilator is used to blow the heated either into an individual room or through a building-wide ventilation system.
The efficiency is less than the liquid-based systems but there is no threat of freezing, and they can generate as much as 100% increase in air temperature even if the air is cold outside.
Which active solar heating system is best for you will be down to your own particular needs and which climate you live in, but regardless of which you choose, the savings on your heating bill will be big.
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