Solar Heating at Home
The most common application of solar thermal energy is solar water heating. Solar panels, generally located on a south-facing roof, transform solar radiation into heat. The heat produced during the day is stored in a large hot water cylinder, so that it can be used at any time. Solar water heating systems are generally sized to cover 50 to 60% of a household’s hot water (about 1 to 1.5 m2 of solar panel per person; 50 litres of water storage per m2 of panel). Such a system will provide almost all of your house’s hot water needs during the summer, and will cost between €4,000 and €6,000 to install.
A solar combi-system is based on the same type of components but sized to make a useful contribution (30 to 40%) to total heating requirement of the house (space and water heating). For an average house, this requires between 10 and 20 m2 of solar panels and a storage tank of 800 to 1,500 litres. The sizing and design of a solar combi-system requires a careful analysis of the heating requirement of the house by an experienced technician. The cost to install a solar combi-system ranges between €8,000 and €15,000.
As it is not feasible to depend on solar energy at all time inIreland, a solar water heater or a solar combi-system needs a back-up heating system such as a boiler, a heat pump or an electric heater.
For further information on solar thermal products and grants, click here http://www.seai.ie/betterenergyhomes.
SEAI's Solar Thermal Benefits Calculator helps you in assessing the economic and environmental benefits of installing a solar thermal system in your home. It also provides guidelines with regard to system sizing and costs.
SEAI REIO has a free information pack which includes information leaflets, buyers’ guides and DVD which can help consumers make an informed choice when deciding to change to a renewable technology in their home. To request your free pack please call 023 8842193 or e-mail renewables@reio.ie.
