Solar water heating systems = Solar panels + solar energy. Solar thermal: solar power & solar hot water. Solar PV. Solar FIT. Solar RHI.

Solar Powered Devices

The Magic Of Solar Powered Devices

• The sun produces incredible amounts of heat and light as solar energy: ready to be collected. So scientists have studied various methods to harvest this radiation and convert it into usable heat and electricity. Solar power is renewable and is a cost effective, safe and efficient energy. Given the numerous advantages of solar power, the number and range of solar powered devices continues to increase.
• We can now buy solar products of all kinds. Solar powered mechanisms can be used to heat or cool buildings, purify water, generate electricity to run devices, power vehicles, even, some cars, boats or planes or just provide light. These are just some of the many areas in which solar power provides a convenient, safe and reliable energy source.
• So many devices currently run on solar power that you may not even be aware of many of them. Some of the more popular solar products include solar powered watches that never require a battery replacement, solar powered calculators, flashlights and radios. Using solar energy to create electricity for these types of devices is called photovoltaics.
• Many different types of lights are now solar powered; they use the stored solar energy they have gained from the sun during the dayl to run at night. They recharge again the next morning. Many electrical devices such as laptops can also run on solar power, which can even be cheaper and more convenient than some traditional electrical sources.
• Larger solar powered devices include solar pumps, prototype solar powered planes cars and boats, as well as a range of types of solar panels that are placed on the roofs of buildings to generate heat or electricity. Solar panels are also becoming more common worldwide. They are panels that are placed on the roofs of residential or commercial buildings. They harvest the energy of the sun and can be used to heat or produce electricity. The end result is a much cheaper alternative to traditional energy sources such as propane and natural gas. Solar power is also much friendlier to the environment since some design (zero carbon technologies) creates zero pollution or harmful greenhouse gas emissions during their operation.
• Indeed, within the solar poqwer hot water arena, solar water heating systems can be further classified into two types of “carbon impacts”: low carbon solar or zero carbon solar. Cutting global warming and not having to use any mains electricity, even if it is derived from a “green tariff” in order to run a solar panel, is becoming important to many users of solar water heating.
• Low carbon solar heating uses mains electric pumps, typically rated at 30-60 Watts power consumption to circulate water, antifreeze or air between the hot cylinder and the solar panel. Low carbon solar consumes further additional electrical energy to control a small computer called a solar controller which switches this pump on or off, depending on whether the panel is hotter or colder than the cylinder. The “parasitic mains electricity consumption” of conventional solar water heating negates its carbon savings by around 20% according to data in a report published by the DTI in UK.
• Zero carbon solar heating is inherently one of the most energy efficient types of solar thermal. Zero carbon solar heating for water uses either a thermosyphon or a solar electric (solar PV) pump to move water from the panel, to the cylinder where it is stored. A thermosyphon solar water heating system relies on hot water being lighter than cold, so that it floats upwards. Thermosyphon solar thermal requires the hot water cylinder to be located above the solar panel. This design, which is most appropriate to flat roofs in countries where there is little chance of freezing, is uncommon in UK and Ireland. Alternatively, a solar electric (photovoltaic or PV) pump can therefore be used to pump water downwards when the sun shines. This clean design of solar heating system uses no mains electricity and is therefore described as zero carbon solar. PV pumping is the usual approach to water pumping for zero carbon solar heating in UK and Ireland.
• Most Solartwin customers find it hard to understand why anyone would want to install a low carbon solar water heating system when more energysaving zero carbon solar thermal technologies – 100% solar powered hot water systems – are so readily available!