People are constantly thinking about the efficient use of solar energy. Therefore, over the past ten years, solar systems have begun to actively use in Europe, which allow heating the room due to sunlight. At first glance, this idea may not seem very plausible, but it is not. Today, a solar collector for heating is able to completely heat your home. Despite the fact that this is a very expensive equipment, it is increasingly being used in the private sector.
General information
As noted above, today solar systems are only gaining their popularity. This is primarily due to consumer distrust in such equipment. In principle, this is understandable, but if we examine this topic in more detail, it will become clear that all this is real and quite effective. Another limiting factor is the high cost of installation and equipment. Indeed, a solar collector for heating costs a lot, but it pays off quickly enough. You probably thought that in places where bright sunlight rarely appears, it is pointless to use such a technique. But it is not so. Absorbing abilities and power of the plates are usually enough to warm the house even on cloudy and rainy days. But, of course, the efficiency in sunny places is much higher.
Household collector device
The coolant may be water, air, antifreeze or any other liquid with a high heat transfer coefficient. After heating, the carrier circulates through the collector and transfers the stored energy to a special tank. Already from there the consumer receives hot water. In the simplest version, the water is circulated naturally, which is achieved due to the temperature difference in the storage tank and collector. In a more complex version, a pump is installed that provides forced circulation along the circuit. Of course, you need to understand that with increasing temperature of the coolant, the efficiency of the collector decreases, and if the power is insufficient, it makes sense to install an electric heating element that will bring the air to the desired temperature.
Freedom or not?
Solar collectors for the home make owners completely independent. Firstly, there is no need to use an electric or gas boiler. If the latter option is even more acceptable, then the electricity prices in our country are so high that it is problematic and expensive to heat a large house. The solar system, although dependent on electricity, but consumes its minimum amount. This is due to the fact that solar energy is converted into heat without the direct participation of electricity. Of course, in order not to remain without heating in the event of a power outage, it is recommended to install a generator and a rectifier. Many currently solar collectors for the home are considered as an alternative source of heat, as they are completely dependent on climatic conditions, which is not their strong point.
Flat solar collector and its features
Such systems are among the most popular. Let us briefly consider their design and principle of operation. We have an absorber - an element that absorbs solar energy. A special transparent coating is applied on it, as well as an insulating layer. The absorber is connected directly to the heat transfer system. The surface color is usually black, which allows you to slightly increase work efficiency.
The tubes that are needed to transfer the coolant are made of copper. If the collector is idle, the water can be heated up to 190 degrees Celsius. Naturally, the higher the intensity and amount of solar energy, the higher the efficiency of such a solar system. Nevertheless, often a flat solar collector is equipped with optical devices for more efficient energy collection. The absorbent must have a high thermal conductivity, so copper and aluminum screens are often installed.
Air solar collector
Such a solar system is used to heat indoor air. By and large, this is a regular flat collector, which is used for heating the room. Air passes through the absorber. The process can take place either by force or by natural convection. But an absorber with installed forced ventilation looks more advantageous compared to the usual one. This is due to the fact that excessive turbulence of the flow increases its thermal conductivity, which is what we need to achieve. But you should not expect anything supernatural from such systems. They can warm the air 17 degrees above the outside temperature. The advantages of such a solar system include its simplicity and reliability. With proper care, an air solar collector can last more than 20 years. But to use such a system as the main heating is not recommended.
About vacuum solar systems
This is one of the most expensive solutions. The design of such a product is quite complicated, therefore, installation is carried out only by specialists. Such a system allows you to achieve a coolant temperature of up to 300 degrees during downtime. Of course, it was very difficult for specialists to get such high rates. Firstly, they tried to reduce heat loss due to a multilayer glass coating and creating a vacuum in the system.
In our case, the solar tube is somewhat similar to a regular household thermos. Only the outer part is transparent, and on the inner tube has a special coating that allows you to capture solar energy. There is a vacuum between the tubes, thanks to which it is possible to achieve minimal heat loss. In the end, we can talk about the high efficiency of such systems compared to flat and air. At the same time, such a collector is able to function in low light conditions.
What do consumers say?
We have already figured out a little what kind of solar collector can be. Customer reviews are almost always different. Someone is very pleased with the innovative systems, while others, on the contrary, feel sorry for the wasted money. But overall the picture looks good. Approximately 75% of buyers respond well about the system. By the way, air collectors are rarely bought, at least in Russia, so nothing can be said about them. But vacuum solar systems have proven to be reliable suppliers of heat to the house. But here it is worth noting that a lot depends on the specialists installing such complex and expensive equipment. If something is done wrong, then the efficiency of the system will be lower. In Europe, the situation is somewhat different. People are happy to install solar systems, as their prices there are slightly lower and the prevalence higher. However, they are very rarely used as the main source of heat, since it cannot be argued that the best alternative to gas or coal is a solar collector. Reviews, by the way, suggest that it is very expensive and not always advisable.
About application in Europe and Russia
As noted a little above, the air solar collector for heating in several European countries has been actively used for several years. But solar systems have found their application in industry. In particular, we are talking about the textile and food industries, where such a solution looks particularly potential. So, by 2000, the total area of solar collectors was about 14 million cubic meters, while worldwide this figure reached 71 million m 3 .
In Russia, the situation does not look so good. The fact is that such systems allow you to heat about 100 liters of water per day with a probability of 80%. This is due to the small daily amount of solar radiation. The best regions for installing collectors were Transbaikalia, Siberia and Primorye, where the daily amount of solar radiation is higher than in central Russia. In principle, there is a tendency for a slight increase in demand.
About solar towers
Oddly enough, the idea of obtaining energy from the sun and its further use in industry was first proposed by Soviet scientists back in 1930. In fact, this is a large tower with a central receiver at the very top. The system was a certain number of heliostats that were controlled simultaneously in two coordinates. However, this device was used as a reflector of sunlight directly to the receiver, which greatly increased the efficiency of such a system. Only now they began to build such towers in the USA. But in total a couple of solar towers were built. Today, it is extremely important to correctly calculate the solar collector for heating. Only after this can you count on the high efficiency of the installation.
Conclusion
So we talked with you about what a solar collector is for heating. Reviews, as you can see, differ depending on the correct installation and placement. One thing is for sure - this is a good solution, but only as an alternative source of heat. The fact is that you cannot completely rely on solar energy, for this simple reason, technology that depends on climatic conditions is not very popular. Heliosystems are gradually gaining popularity, if only because it is completely waste-free and, most importantly, an ecological way of heating and obtaining hot water supply. A homemade solar collector for heating is ineffective, so it is better to buy a quality product. Remember that such collectors require specialized regular maintenance and do not tolerate mechanical damage. Therefore, if you intend to establish such a luxury, be prepared for the costs.