| been getting our energy requirements from the | | | | water flow to move the warmed water to the |
| sun for ages, actually heating our water since the | | | | storage tank. |
| early 1800s. Whats particularly exciting now | | | | Collectors: |
| though is the fact that solar collectors have | | | | There are several types of collector, many can |
| become economically viable for us to use them in | | | | be acquired in kit form or made from plans |
| our homes and factories on a scale only imagined | | | | available from commercial Solar Energy suppliers |
| then. | | | | and on the internet. |
| Solar power can possibly meet all your home | | | | 1. A simple kind of solar collector is the flat plate |
| power needs. Where you live, the design of the | | | | type. It might consist of copper pipes in a |
| system and collector size will all influence the | | | | rectangular painted box. As solar energy falls on |
| amount of energy that can be provided to heat | | | | the box it warms the water in the pipes before it |
| or light your home. | | | | is transferred to the storage tank. |
| Solar heaters come in a variety of styles, | | | | 2. The evacuated tube collector is another type |
| configurations, performance levels and of course | | | | where the tubes are enclosed in structures similar |
| complexity and costs. To heat water they may | | | | to vacuum flasks to minimise the loss of heat |
| have a back up in place like gas or electricity for | | | | from the system, increasing the efficiency and |
| the times when there is little or no sunshine as | | | | cost savings. |
| well as the collector, storage tank, circulating | | | | 3. There is an all in one solar energy for homes |
| pump and controls. | | | | collector that also stores the heated water ready |
| Types of Solar Energy for Homes Systems: | | | | for use within the collector. Also known as a |
| 1. There are basically two types of heating | | | | batch water heater, they are great for smaller |
| system, both use solar collectors, both have | | | | houses and warm climates where there is no risk |
| storage tanks, but the forced circulation system | | | | of freezing. |
| will need a pump to circulate the heated water to | | | | Most solar collectors are mounted on the roofs of |
| the storage tank. Most domestic systems are like | | | | buildings, out of shady areas cast by trees and tall |
| this. | | | | buildings. Solar energy water systems can be |
| 2. A passive system uses the fact that hot water | | | | used for all domestic hot water needs, including |
| rises so generally the storage tank is above the | | | | domestic, pool heating and industrial needs. |
| solar collector, using the natural convection of | | | | |