Thermal Collectors and Thermal Solar Power Systems
The term thermal solar power refers to systems that convert solar radiation into useful heat. This is also referred to as passive solar energy. It is a different type of system from solar power electricity, and whose usefulness should not be overlooked.
Thermal solar power can be used in as many ways as you can think. Designs exist from heating up your hot water tanks, to industrial steam generation and everything in between. Many of these systems are attractive because of their low cost and simplicity.
For small scale users like ourselves, thermal solar power can be integrated into our homes. The most practical applications are for hot water and home heating, and there are a variety of designs in use. Equally as important is that thermal solar power systems are affordable and easy to use.
There are other good uses for thermal solar power which we expect to increase in years to come. One is pebble bed heat exchangers, which act as a thermal storage bank for converted heat. This gives us some system capacity and operating flexibility.
Pebble bed heat exchangers can be used in a variety of ways. They can be wall mounted units, or embedded in the floor. They can provide the heat source for everything from a family room, to a workshop, greenhouse, or dry sauna installation. They have good aesthetic qualities, being composed of natural materials, and can be incorporated in an attractive way into any home.
The typical operating temperature for most thermal solar power systems will be between 100F and 180F. In good solar climates these temperatures can be easily achieved with popular off the shelf equipment. With more specialized equipment we can go in excess of 250F, and with high performance industrial equipment over 700 degrees is possible. These high performance systems are usually for making steam, but incorporating them into other processes is also possible.
The solar collector is the most important component to a thermal solar power installation. A few different types include flat plate absorbers, evacuated tube absorbers, and parabolic trough concentrators. Their main purpose is to absorb solar radiation and generate heat for the system. With a good sized solar collector system, significant heat can be generated and distributed to multiple locations.
The lifeblood of the thermal solar power design is the circulating fluid. The circulating fluid is heated in the solar collector, and then pumped to all the system users. This fluid is typically oil, glycol, or water which is matched to the system temperatures and equipment in use.
Thermal solar power is a good first step for anyone getting involved with solar energy, and especially those with good amounts of Sun. The simplicity, potential savings, and environmental benefits make them an easy decision for those retrofitting or building a new home.
We believe thermal solar power to be a steadily growing market into the future, due to a growing awareness of energy conservation and reverting back to our natural ways. Thermal solar power is one good way to do this. The Sun is free, and we receive its energy each and every day. Solar hot water, home heating, and pebble bed heat transfer systems are simple to incorporate and easy to use. We believe their popularity will gain in years to come.