Solar thermal energy is radiant light and heat. Each year the earth receives many times more energy than all the people in the world can consume, and more than the total energy reserves on earth. The sun irradiates 174 petaWatts or approx. 8,000 times more energy to the Earth's surface than the total human need for energy. Approximately 30% of the solar energy is reflected back into space while 70% is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land surfaces. The solar irradiation through the atmosphere is 1400 W / m² at maximum and the solar energy at the Earth's surface depends on the location and number of hours with sunshine in the form of clear weather without clouds, also named solar hours.

Solar heating is also referred to as thermal solar energy, solar energy from solar collectors, solar thermal energy systems or solar heating systems. When the sun shines on to a solar collector, the solar energy is converted into heat. Both light and heat from the sun accumulates in the collector so that the temperature increases and high temperatures can be transmitted as energy that you can utilize. Solar radiation includes both light and heat. Unlike solar cells that use sunlight to produce a voltage and current, solar collector use an absorbent surface that can absorb as much solar energy as possible. A portion of the visible sunlight is heat. That is, approx. 52% of the visible sunlight is radiation in the form of heat that a solar collector can exploit. The bulk of the solar radiation is light waves that we do not see and which are ultraviolet or infrared. Ultraviolet rays have little value to a collector because they contain a very limited amount of energy in terms of heat. Infrared rays, however, is pure heat and energy that we try to utilize the most efficient way possible so that we accumulate as much energy as possible while the energy loss in the collector is minimized. We use pure water for the heat transfer because water has the highest heat capacity. This means, water is the liquid that has the ability to receive the highest amount of energy in terms of volume and temperature (except mercury). Water, for example, has almost 10 times the heat capacity of steel and 5 times the heat capacity of sand. In addition to using pure water, our collectors use a patented form of energy transformation where solar energy is accumulated in the boundary layer adjacent to the water to be heated. This allows direct transfer of solar energy to the water and the highest possible efficiency.

Solar collectors can utilize almost all of the solar energy.

In Europe, the irradiation is around 1000 W / m² in summer, 800 Watt / m² in spring and autumn equinox, and 600 W / m² at the winter solstice. The annual solar irradiation in Europe varies from ca. 700 kWh / m² in the north to 1400 kWh / m² in the south. Our solar collectors can utilize around 90% of this solar energy in contrast to solar cell that utilize around 10% of the solar energy. To give you an example of how efficient our new flat solar collectors are; last winter, in January, the flat solar collector was placed in the sun at -20 degrees C in the Oslo area. The fact was that the solar collector reached an amazing 105 degrees C inside, opposed to a challenging solar collector that reached only 60 degrees C.

More solar collectors temperatures


An active solar thermal energy system can cover more than 50% of your heating demand in a normal house and at energy prices far below the normal energy price level. Our technology converts the solar energy into useable heat for hot water and space heating. Solar heating is competitive with all other energy sources for water heating and space heating at around 0.05 € / kWh when the investment is amortized over 15 years. If you compare with your current energy prices, you will have a 100% return on your investment in less than 5 years.


Solar energy is a clean renewable energy that does not contribute to the consumption of the earth's resources or greenhouse gases. No other energy source has such great potential as solar energy and you can with the help of solar energy, cover almost all your needs with renewable and competitive energy. In addition, solar energy is installed locally where the need is, and thereby you avoid costly interventions that also damages the environment. Local production of energy contributes to lower energy losses and no need for maintenance of infrastructure. In modern buildings 85% of the energy requirements are associated with heating and cooling, while only 15% of the energy requirements demand use of electricity.

Learn how our solar collectors can meet your energy needs.

Solar energy provides the Norwegian buildings between 3 and 4 TWh usable solar heat each year. This is passive solar heating, ie the sun shining through the windows or on the building. Passive solar energy represents 10 - 15 % of the heating requirements and it has a value of 2 billion NOK for the entire building mass in Norway with the current energy prices.