Types of Solar Heating
More and more people are turning to solar energy for their electricity nowadays for a lot of reasons.
First, it's eco-friendly and doesn't produce any harmful wastes that will pollute our earth.
Second, it sources its energy only from sunlight, which is widely available and free for all to harness.
Lastly, it will also give rise to huge economical savings from great reductions to your monthly electric bill.
There are several ways to how solar energy obtained from this technology is used, the most common of which is solar heating.
Solar systems have to do with a lot more than just placing solar panels on your roof; in fact, there are many different ways in which you can apply solar heating to your home.
Passive Solar Heat Passive solar is one of the simplest and most common means of utilizing solar heat for home.
This system obtains and utilized the heat from the sun without any additional mechanical installations.
Most of passive heat has to do with the construction of your home.
From its name, you will be able to get the idea that the actions you need to take are more or less "passive.
" This means that after the initial design and preparations, there is no more action required from you part.
This is easiest to achieve in new homes that are yet to be constructed, because it involves designing and positioning your home in such a manner that the solar heat that is able to enter and be absorbed by your home is kept to a maximum.
Homes utilizing passive solar heat are often built with huge glass windows or oriented in a direction that will allow a lot of sunlight to enter.
During sunset, shades and blinds are then used to cover the windows and any openings to keep the heat trapped within the home to keep it warm.
Passive solar homes are usually constructed using bricks, concrete, stone, or adobe materials that are insulators and serve to hold the heat in.
This is especially useful during the cold winter seasons.
You might still need to turn up the heater but not as much as you would have had you not applied passive solar heat methods.
Active Solar Heat Active solar systems involve the use panels that collect solar energy and convert it to electrical or usable energy for use in your home.
These may also be connected to fans and pumps which serve to distribute the heat and energy all throughout your home.
Aside from solar panels, solar air collectors are also installed to absorb solar energy in the atmosphere as the air passes through the system.
These are typically installed in smaller and contained areas, such as bedrooms and living rooms, near windows or mounted near these spaces.
For larger areas, these may be coupled with pumps and fans so that the energy may be distributed better.
Other equipment used for active solar heat includes solar liquid collectors that are recommended for central heating.
These systems utilize flat plate collectors placed on the roof of your home which absorbs solar energy from the sun's heat.
Each of these collectors contains some liquid, usually water or antifreeze.
These liquids are directly heated by the solar energy and are passed through turbines which generate mechanical energy that is then converted to electrical energy.
Combination Solar Heat for Homes Many homeowners choose to combine both of these types in their homes.
In a way, you will be able to double or triple your savings by applying passive and active solar heating together because the energy you will be able to collect would then be able to meet your electrical needs or even exceed it.
Passive solar heating has been found to reduce heating bills by up to 50%, while active solar heating can supply around 40% to 80% of your total energy needs.
Of course, these values are dependent on your local climate and the size of system that you're using, but the point remains that combining the two together will result in a whole lot of added savings.
First, it's eco-friendly and doesn't produce any harmful wastes that will pollute our earth.
Second, it sources its energy only from sunlight, which is widely available and free for all to harness.
Lastly, it will also give rise to huge economical savings from great reductions to your monthly electric bill.
There are several ways to how solar energy obtained from this technology is used, the most common of which is solar heating.
Solar systems have to do with a lot more than just placing solar panels on your roof; in fact, there are many different ways in which you can apply solar heating to your home.
Passive Solar Heat Passive solar is one of the simplest and most common means of utilizing solar heat for home.
This system obtains and utilized the heat from the sun without any additional mechanical installations.
Most of passive heat has to do with the construction of your home.
From its name, you will be able to get the idea that the actions you need to take are more or less "passive.
" This means that after the initial design and preparations, there is no more action required from you part.
This is easiest to achieve in new homes that are yet to be constructed, because it involves designing and positioning your home in such a manner that the solar heat that is able to enter and be absorbed by your home is kept to a maximum.
Homes utilizing passive solar heat are often built with huge glass windows or oriented in a direction that will allow a lot of sunlight to enter.
During sunset, shades and blinds are then used to cover the windows and any openings to keep the heat trapped within the home to keep it warm.
Passive solar homes are usually constructed using bricks, concrete, stone, or adobe materials that are insulators and serve to hold the heat in.
This is especially useful during the cold winter seasons.
You might still need to turn up the heater but not as much as you would have had you not applied passive solar heat methods.
Active Solar Heat Active solar systems involve the use panels that collect solar energy and convert it to electrical or usable energy for use in your home.
These may also be connected to fans and pumps which serve to distribute the heat and energy all throughout your home.
Aside from solar panels, solar air collectors are also installed to absorb solar energy in the atmosphere as the air passes through the system.
These are typically installed in smaller and contained areas, such as bedrooms and living rooms, near windows or mounted near these spaces.
For larger areas, these may be coupled with pumps and fans so that the energy may be distributed better.
Other equipment used for active solar heat includes solar liquid collectors that are recommended for central heating.
These systems utilize flat plate collectors placed on the roof of your home which absorbs solar energy from the sun's heat.
Each of these collectors contains some liquid, usually water or antifreeze.
These liquids are directly heated by the solar energy and are passed through turbines which generate mechanical energy that is then converted to electrical energy.
Combination Solar Heat for Homes Many homeowners choose to combine both of these types in their homes.
In a way, you will be able to double or triple your savings by applying passive and active solar heating together because the energy you will be able to collect would then be able to meet your electrical needs or even exceed it.
Passive solar heating has been found to reduce heating bills by up to 50%, while active solar heating can supply around 40% to 80% of your total energy needs.
Of course, these values are dependent on your local climate and the size of system that you're using, but the point remains that combining the two together will result in a whole lot of added savings.
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