Solar hot water, solar pool, or solar power generation!
The three main applications for solar power in private homes are for heating water
for the home, heating the pool, or for generating electricity.
Solar water heating systems are one of the most efficient ways to heat water. The
energy is free; only the collection, conversion, and storage devices cost money.
Hot water can be used for a number of applications, including washing, bathing,
cooking, and space heating. A solar hot water system is made up of a solar thermal
collector, a well-insulated storage container, and a system for transferring the
heat from the collector to the container via the water itself or some other fluid
medium. Solar hot water was widely used in the United States until the 1920's when
cost-effective, consistent, fossil fuel reliant systems displaced it.
Heating swimming pools is the most cost-effective use of solar energy. Solar heating
systems heat water by 10-20° F to about 80° F… the best temperature for swimming
and one where solar collectors are most efficient. How we love our pools on a warm
summer’s day. But with a solar heating system, you can use your pool in fall, spring,
and in many cases even winter! Best of all, it’s economical and environmentally
friendly.
Solar generators, also known as solar power systems, solar PV (solar photovoltaic),
or solar electric systems, generate electric power via solar panels and solar cells.
Solar power / solar PV systems can power your home, and you can usually sell power
to your utility. They use Photovoltaic (PV), a technology that converts sunlight
directly into electricity.
Solar pool heating
Solar hot water systems can provide 100% of a pool’s heating. System size depends
on how early/late in the year you want to swim, the water temperature you want,
insulation, wind, local weather, and the collectors’ angle/orientation. Collectors
take up 50-100% of your pool’s surface space: the cooler or cloudier, the more space.
Solar pool heating systems are often. Maintenance and operating costs are low. Initial
prices are between $3,000-5,000 (after that the sun is free!), paying for themselves
in 1.5 to 7 years.
Heat rises, water evaporates. Rule #1: cover your pool to reduce heating costs.
They heat the water 5 to 10°F. Pool covers last 3 to 5 years. They keep the pool
clean, requiring less filter maintenance and chemicals.
Solar is good for the environment. A solar pool heater keeps 3-10 tons of carbon
dioxide out of the atmosphere per year vs. natural gas or propane. About the same
amount as a car!
Using solar PV to generate electricity
Solar PV (photovoltaic) is being used by homes and offices more and more for electricity
to replace or supplement grid power, often by installing solar PV roof tiles. The
sunlight is free, but the equipment has a payback period.
- Solar cells product clean, silent electricity. Their only fuel is sunshine.
- Photovoltaic systems are quiet and visually unobtrusive.
- They utilize unused rooftop space
- PV cells were originally developed for use in space: they operate reliably for long
periods of time with virtually no maintenance.
- Solar energy is a locally available renewable resource, reducing the environmental
impact of transportation and reducing our dependence on imported oil. Solar energy
does not deplete or alter resources, as mining and harvesting do.
- PV systems can be built any size and enlarged as energy needs change.