Hot water straight from the sun may sound too good to be true, but even in the UK a solar hot water system can supply you with over 50% of your hot water needs over the year (the other 50% coming from a conventional gas boiler or electric heater). With recent high energy prices, and concerns about Climate Change, more and more people are looking to take advantage of this tried and tested technology to save energy in their home.
A solar hot water system works by capturing the sun’s heat with solar panels fitted to your roof. This transfers the heat to a fluid, which in turn transfers the heat to a hot water cylinder to store the heated water during the day.
A surprisingly large amount of energy can be captured this way, even in cooler climates like the UK. Over 1000 kwh of energy is received each year in the UK on each square metre of surface. That’s about 60% of the solar radiation found at the equator. Even on cloudy days we receive energy from indirect sunlight and this energy replaces the gas or electricity that would otherwise be used to heat water. more…
Solar power is one of the many ‘alternative’ fuel sources. Called alternative because it doesn’t require the burning off fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal, to produce energy. Solar energy does have the drawback of being reliant on weather, with clouds having a direct impact on the ability to produce energy effectively.
There are several variations of solar power systems and different methods of harnessing the all important rays of the sun. The sun can be successfully used to power many different electric products, a basic which everyone has seen and used is a solar powered calculator.
Another method of producing energy from the sun is to heat water. It is possible to demonstrate how one of the most basic forms of solar power works with a simple water heating device, created yourself. Many families seeking to be carbon neutral and living an altogether greener, more environmentally friendly life have done this and actually successfully use their own solar heated water to shower in. To show how this works is quite simple:
First you need to get a length of hose pipe, preferably a black hose but this can be painted black. Attach the hose more…
