Hot water heating

Water usually holds 5-7 ° C in the water pipe into the building. Then the cold water is split from the hot water supply and the hot water is heated to about 75 °C. The temperature increase requires a lot of energy (1,16 Watt/liter/K) and provide the highest consumption next to space heating. The consumption of hot water is evenly throughout the year.

Space heating

Space heating by means of solar thermal energy is particularly beneficial if you have or plan under-floor heating. Then you will be able to circulate the solar heat from the sun through thin pipes in the floor for optimal comfort. There is also other althernatives with the use of low-temperature radiators or skirting boards that are designed for space heating. An ultimate use of solar thermal energi is to allow for under-floor solar heating during winter time and under-floor solar cooling at summertime.

Solar cooling and air conditioning

Solar cooling requires that you also install an absorption chiller connected with the flat solar collector. This works the same way as the old refrigerators with propane tank. You supply heat on one side and release cooling on the opposite side. The efficiency of modern absorption chillers provide COP (coeffiecient of performance) of more than 1. This means that you have as much solar thermal energy for cooling as the sun provides. The cold water may be circulated in the floor if you have a under-floor heating system.

Pool heating

Heating of a swimming pools with solar thermal energy systems allow for very favorable operating conditions for the flat solar collectors because the pool represent a large volume that needs a lot of energy for heating. Also the season is usually related to the summer when you have surplus of solar thermal energy. It is possible to circulate the water from the swimming pool directly through the collector if you install an efficient filter. If you want to keep the water from the swimming pool separated from the solar thermal energy system, you can either install a coil in the swimming pool or an storage tank with a coil that heats the water to the swimming pool. Our efficient flat solar collectors can lower your expences to pool heating a lot.

Washing machines and dishwashers

Most dishwashers and washing machines are currently not able to utilize solar heated water. However, new machines that have this capabillity to use the water that is preheated by solar thermal energy instead of heating the water inside the machine is becomming available from many manufacturers already.

Heating of your driveway

Solar thermal energy can also be used to thaw the driveway so they are free from frost in the winter. Even on a winter day the sun will radiate with 150 Watts/m2 or more, making it possible to heat the ground with solar thermal energy and thereby thaw the snow and ice.

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There is continuous development on new technologies that can benefit from solar thermal energy from flat solar collectors into new areas. Examples of such technologies are:
Cooling - using absorption chillers that can use hot water to produce cold water.
Washing machines and dishwashers - washing machines have previously had their own immersion heaters for water heating. New machines can use water heated with solar thermal energy.