Solar heating systems – what is out there?

While the affordable production of electricity from solar power is commonly regarded as one of the most significant developments of the last thirty years, there is also the solar heating system to consider. It’s a huge advantage to be able to power your home or business in a way that sees annual costs slashed but heating your home or business with the same cost efficiency is equally important.

There are a number of different solar heating systems on the market. They can be water heating systems or space heating systems, both of which can be installed and save you a large percentage of your typical heating bill. But these two categories have subcategories of their own, with active and passive system designs also for you to consider.

Active solar water heating refers to a water heating system that involves mechanical or electrical parts that help to pump water through the solar collector and around the building. They can be direct (open loop) systems, where the household water is heated directly in the solar collector, or indirect (closed loop) systems, where a heating fluid (water and anti-freeze mix) is heated in the collector and then pumped through a heat exchanger within the household water storage tank. These systems are more expensive to buy and install but their reliability and efficiency levels are high.

Passive water heating systems simply have no moving parts and instead use water pressure and gravity to move the water around the system. In so being, they are less expensive in terms of maintenance over the course of their life time. There are also two principle designs to consider here: the batch system and the thermosyphon system.

The batch system (or integrated collector storage system) involves water heated within an enclosed tank sealed in a large collector. The thermosyphon system (or convection heat storage system) works by way of the hot water-cold water rule, which says hot water rises and cold water sinks. Cold water flows from a tank, into the collector where it is heated and then back into the tank. The lighter hot water stays at the top and flows out of the tank there.

It is the same for solar space heating systems, with active and passive designs available. Active systems use mechanisms to move the heated air around the room or building, with liquid-based and air-based systems available to choose from. The liquid-based system makes use of an indirect solar water heating system before pumping the heated water through a radiant floor heating network. Air-based systems are the same, but use heated air instead of water to blow around the building through air-ducts, usually under the floor.

Passive systems rely on the natural processes of convection, radiation and conduction to distribute the heated air around the building. It also uses the building’s materials, such as windows, walls, floors and ceilings to adsorb and store the heat of the sun. Efficient materials, like concrete and wood, then release heat back into a room steadily during the night. There are three different types of passive space heating systems: direct gain (uses floor, walls etc); indirect gain (uses a Trombe wall); and isolated gain systems (uses a sunroom/conservatory).

Whether it is hot water or hot air that you need, if you are seeking to drastically reduce your home or office’s heating bill, solar energy is the way to go. Remember that the investment you make now may seem large, but the savings over the 20-25 year lifespan of a solar heating system can save you much, much more.

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