Solar Thermal Panels Uk

Solar thermal is widely used throughout continental europe and though it is fairly well established in the united kingdom it remains an under exploited technology in this country.

Solar thermal panels uk.

Solar water heating systems or solar thermal systems use free heat from the sun to warm domestic hot water. Solar water heating is not to be confused with solar pv photovoltaic which is designed to generate electricity. For maximum efficiency you need to put your solar thermal panels on a south facing roof at a 30 degree angle to the horizontal up to 65 degrees will still work in the uk and keep the panels away from shadows trees buildings chimneys etc. A conventional boiler or immersion heater can be used to make the water hotter or to provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable.

What s more compared with other renewable energy technologies solar thermal is a relatively inexpensive way of generating hot water. This includes hot water for showers hot taps etc. Active relies on external electric power to activate pumps so not 100 renewable passive relies on the natural transfer of heat from the sun to circulate the hot water rather than electricity direct the water is heated directly by the solar panel collector. Hot water throughout the year.

Solar water heating also known as solar thermal is the process of capturing energy from the sun via the use of solar panels to heat water for use in the home. Despite being a little slower to take off in the uk than its electricity generating counterpart solar thermal panels are an effective way to slash hot water bills. Solar water heating panels in their simplest form are made from a sheet of metal painted black which absorbs the suns energy. Solar thermal technologies in fact turn sunlight into heat instead of power and were actually the first solar energy products to be commercialised in the uk.

Water is fed through the panel in pipes attached to the metal sheet and it picks up the heat in the metal. For the uk climate the pipework contains non toxic anti freeze. Solar thermal offers much lower heating costs than traditional gas or electric powered heating systems and produces fewer carbon emissions. An average solar thermal system in the uk covers around 40 60 of the total hot water consumption of a household throughout the year.

You probably know that solar energy can be turned into electricity by using solar panels but there s another popular application to the sun s power. There are four types of solar water heating systems all varying in the way they absorb heat. The specific amount of hot water that is produced depends on the time of year. Using only free energy from the sun this microgeneration technology can provide up to 60 of your annual domestic hot water needs.