Uses for Solar Thermal Energy

Domestic Hot Water: The simplest application of solar thermal in your house is to heat your hot water for showers, washing clothes, etc. Because the heat collected by the solar collectors varies through the year, the solar contribution will usually be about 70% of the total hot water you use in a year. This also means you will need a backup system, usually an electric element in your tank. The size of the system required depends on your family’s usage and where you live. See our system performance map to see how a Thermomax system will work for you.

Supplemental Heating: Solar thermal can also be used to supplement your heating in the winter. With InFloor heating, this is a simple connection to make. For other types of heating that use hot water, it is not difficult to add solar thermal to the system. If you have forced air heating, it is possible to use solar thermal to supplement your heating bill, but it is more difficult and expensive to install.

It is also possible to store heat in the summer and use it in the winter. To do this, a section of ground excavated and insulated. It is then filled in with alternating layers of dirt and PEX tubing. During the summer, the ground is heated to high temperatures and the dirt retains the heat into the winter. The PEX tubing then has cold water flowed through it in the winter to extract the heat stored in the summer.

The number of collectors on your house depends on your location and how much you want to supplement heating. Generally, the solar first supplies the domestic hot water and when it has met this need switches over to heating. See our system performance map to see how a Thermomax system will work for you.

Pool Heating: Swimming pools use a lot of energy to maintain the desired temperature. With solar thermal collectors it is possible to significantly reduce your pool heating bill. Depending on your location and the time of year the pool is used, flat plate collectors may be more efficient than evacuated tubes. See our performance map to see how a Thermomax system will work for you.

Solar Cooling: It may seem like it can’t be done, but it is possible to cool using solar thermal collectors. Thermomax evacuated tube collectors are perfect for this task, being very efficient at the higher temperatures required by most solar cooling devices.

Please contact us for more information on solar cooling. We will soon be offering the latest in solar cooling technology called the Kingspan Climate.

Custom Performance Quote:
InFloor will provide you with a custom performance quotation for a system designed to your specifications. Please fill out our site assessment email form. We will provide a report based on your needs and the weather in your area.

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