Category: solar heating

Active Solar Space Heating: Choose Between Air And Liquid Based Systems

An active solar space heating system can be of two types, depending on the type of fuel used which normally is either air or liquid and which can be heated in the system s solar heating collectors. A solar heating collector is a device that helps to heat fluid and its source of energy is of course the sun. For an active solar space heating system that is liquid based the water is heated with the help of hydronic collectors whereas in the case of air-based systems the air is heated in air collectors.

Absorbs Radiation

Whether you opt for an active solar space heating system that employs liquids or air they will each collect as well as absorb the radiation from the sun which is then transferred to interior spaces as well as perhaps to a storage system for further distribution. In the event that an active solar space heating system is not able to provide the required amount of space heating use is made of an auxiliary system that then provides the required amount of heat.

The benefit of using an active solar space heating system that uses liquids for heating medium is that such a system is ideally suited for use with radiators (hot water) as well as with pumps as too coolers that work on absorption principle.

Active solar space heating systems happen to be much cost beneficial, especially when they can be used for the major part of a year including in cold weather when there is ample amount of sunlight available. These systems happen to be more economical when they are also able to displace the more costly heating fuels of which propane, electricity as well as oil are good examples.

Certain states in the US actually offer exemptions on sales tax as well as offer income tax credits and even deductions to those who use an active solar space heating system in their homes. There are also property tax exemptions that are offered for such users.

However, costs of active solar space heating systems vary from between thirty to eighty dollars per sq.ft. for commercial systems and in fact it has also been established that switching to an active solar space heating system can help in dramatically reducing your winter fuel bills.

An active solar water heating system can prove to be the right choice even though it does require additional source of energy such as electricity. However, it can still prove to be very effective in reducing your energy cost and so is being used by more and more people in the US.

Some Facts Related To What Active Solar Heating Is All About

The primary means of heating a residential home at present happens to be to make good use of active solar heating at least as far as using solar energy goes. Most applications that make use of active solar heating will get their heat from sunlight which is then stored and mainly used for heating domestic supply of water though it is also useful for heating purposes as well.

Fans And Pumps

The term active implies that the solar heating system uses fans as well as pumps that help in transferring the heat that was captured from the rays of the sun to a place where it can either be used or stored for use later on.

An active solar heating system consists of collectors along with collector controls as well as a heat storage system and finally a system to distribute the heat. Solar collectors are commonly employed for applying solar energy for domestic heating purposes and it generally makes use of fluids or even air as the medium to absorb the rays from the sun.

It is also necessary to get the size of the collectors right so that the best use of solar energy is achieved which of course depends on the collector s efficiency as well as on the local cost of energy as well as the heating requirements of the building. The more efficient collectors will need to be located at the right place, be properly oriented as well as its tilt angle too must be exactly right and of course its construction should be such that it is entirely insulated.

Even in states such as Alaska an active solar heating system though not always absolutely economical, has been able to provide the necessary source for heating domestic supply of water as well as to heat spaces within buildings. These systems have helped in significantly reducing our dependence on use of fossil fuels especially when active solar heating systems are used along with passive solar heating systems.

The main use of an active solar heating system is that can be the best option in places where there is no utility power available. An active solar space heating system in fact, often uses the same kind of components as are used for heating domestic supply of water though at the same time it must also tie up with a distribution system (heating) that uses hot fluids as its source for heat. These systems are quite cost effective and so quite popular.