| The most basic of solar home heating projects | | | | 3. Your solar home heating system will require a |
| require a minimum of components. Some can be | | | | well insulated storage tank and the associated |
| made yourself, which is great if you can handle a | | | | plumbing to support it. You may need a form of |
| tool box, but many can be bought from specialist | | | | back up heating like gas or electric to get the |
| suppliers in kit form, along with plans and the | | | | water to your desired temperature on cloudy |
| support needed during your construction project. | | | | days when there is less sun, or at night. |
| Here's Five things you will need to think about. | | | | 4. There are solar home heating systems that |
| | | | come supplied as self contained units with the |
| 1. Flat plate solar collectors, mounted on your | | | | solar collectors, either flat plate or evacuated tube |
| roof, capture the solar energy and pass it very | | | | type and the storage tank packaged together. As |
| effectively to water or other fluids in small pipes | | | | these come as a complete unit they can be a lot |
| circulating in the panel. This type of solar panel is | | | | easier and therefore less costly to install. |
| pretty simple, being a rectangular box usually | | | | 5. To get the best out of any solar collector they |
| painted black to maximize the absorption of solar | | | | need to be installed where they can maximize the |
| energy. It can be insulated to minimize against | | | | amount of sunshine they receive, best angled on |
| heat loss. | | | | a roof and away from obstructions such as high |
| 2. Evacuated tube collectors are more efficient, | | | | buildings and trees that might obstruct the suns |
| but also more expensive and probably beyond the | | | | energy. |
| skills of the handyman as they require specialized | | | | You can retrofit a solar home heating system in a |
| equipment to manufacture. The tubes, being | | | | house already using a domestic water system. It |
| round always get the best from the suns angle, | | | | can be pretty easy as most of the plumbing and |
| maximizing the total amount of solar radiation | | | | storage is already in place and can be effectively |
| they can absorb in a day. They work like a | | | | used, however there may be restrictions altering |
| vacuum flask, minimizing heat loss and can heat | | | | an existing plumbing system so you should always |
| water to quite high temperatures. | | | | check with your local authorities. |