Using Active Solar Hydronic Heating In The Home

Climate change and reliance on finite fossil fuels has increased the awareness of using alternative energy sources in the mind of the average consumer. Not only can the individual feel that they are doing their bit for the environment but they can also save a bit of money in the process. Ultimately the practicality and the economic advantages of alternative energy will make or break them in the eyes of the consumer.

One such alternative that has been around for many years is solar power. The use of solar energy is increasing in the suburban home ranging from everyday day appliances that have a solar cell to solar panels on the roof to provide the house with electricity. In this vein, active solar hydronic heating systems can utilize the sun's energy to provide hot water to the home. This article will discuss what solar hydronic heating is and how it can help in the home and how it integrates with other solar powered appliances in the home.

A good way to demonstrate how a solar hydronic system works is to make some solar tea. This is a very simple experiment. Place a jar of water with a tea bag in, into a area that gets lots of sunshine. Seal the jar and if you want to improve the efficiency of the jar, place tinfoil around it like an upwards pointing collar. After a couple of hours you will find that the water is hot and has been turned into something resembling a tea color.

It might not be hot enough for you to drink but it will certainly be drinkable. If you add sugar or mint then you can cool it down to make a wonderful iced tea. Anyhow, I'm going of the topic a bit here. The point is that you can heat water using the sun's power and this can be used to provide the home with hot water. This is the principle behind an active solar hydronic heating system.

Many of these types of systems use other liquids, like glycol and antifreeze because they are more efficient to heat up. These liquids can then be used to heat water or provide heat in other ways. The heated liquid is placed in a solar collector which is designed to maximize the sun's energy to heat the liquid. For example, the collector will be painted black on the underside to absorb heat. It may have external reflective sources that help to focus the sun's rays toward the collector.

The heated liquid or water can then be used to provide heating in the home or hot water. Typically, the heated water is not hot enough to be fully useful and is used as part of a hybrid system that may involve fossil fuels or other energy sources. The advantage to the consumer is that the water from the hydronic system will need less energy than cooler water to get it to a temperature that can be used for a bath or shower.

When positioning an active solar hydronic heating collector care should be taken to place the collector south facing. This will improve the chances of getting the maximum amount of sunlight focused on the collector. It should be placed in an area that is not blocked by anything like trees or other buildings. Generally, this is why it may be placed on a rooftop.