The most important of all renewable energy sources is the Sun. For the past 5 billion years the Sun has been providing the Earth with an in-exhaustible source of energy which has allowed the development of all chemical and biological life on the planet. Despite being a massive 143 Million Kilometers from the Earth the Sun still delivers more energy in 15 minutes than the entire human race will use in a whole year. Therefore, the development of technologies to harness this energy makes a lot of sense.

The environmental reasons for exploiting Solar Energy as a Renewable Energy resource are also very compelling. The burning of coal, gas, oil and other finite resources has caused dramatic environmental changes in recent years. Harmful incineration emissions have lead to the increase of acid rain and the depletion of the Ozone Layer. Heating of the oceans and the melting of glaciers has lead to a rise in sea levels. This has caused flooding of coastal regions and the loss of valuable land.

At the current and expected future rates of oil consumption reserves are expected to be exhausted within the next 50 years. Similarly natural gas reserves are expected to last no longer than 70 years. However, long before these reserves are exhausted demand will greatly exceed supply, forcing prices to increase exponentially. Economical and practical alternatives must be found – the Sun fits the bill!!!

Solar Thermal Technology refers specifically to the direct or in-direct heat transfer of Solar radiation to domestic hot water or space heating water. This water is usually stored at times of high Solar gain for use throughout the day or at times of low Solar gain. A Solar Thermal Domestic Hot Water or Space Heating System can be designed to suit any requirements or budget but - Solar Energy is Always Free!!!

 

The simplest and most common application of a Solar Thermal system is the heating of Domestic Hot Water. An array of Solar Collectors is installed on a new or existing building and heats the buildings Domestic Hot Water. This can be done either directly or in-directly via a coil which is integrated in the Domestic Hot Water Cylinder. This reduces the amount of work that the primary energy source – usually a gas or oil boiler – has to do and therefore reduces costs and carbon emissions.

This application is especially convenient as it can be used in a retro-fit project. Simply replace the existing Domestic Hot Water Cylinder with a Dual Coil Cylinder, install the Solar Array and Controls and reap the renewable rewards.

Some practical considerations must be made concerning system control. Hours of Solar gain will vary throughout the year. However, Domestic Hot Water requirements remain relatively constant. It is therefore advisable to keep these considerations in mind when programming controls for the secondary energy source (boiler). For example – a Domestic Hot Water Cylinder that has been completely replenished by a gas or oil boiler early in the morning will not be in a position to benefit from Solar gain throughout the day.

The percentage of Domestic Hot Water heated will always depend on the number of collectors installed, the buildings average water consumption and several other factors but with a well designed and high quality system significant savings are always guaranteed.