What Are Solar
Heating Systems
You get your dose of vitamin D every time you go outside on
a sunny day. Not only that; you immediately feel the warmth of
sunlight. This heat from the sun is actually a very important
medium for some of the newer solar heating
systems available today.
Solar heating is based on the technology of solar thermal
energy. The technology is used to harness the energy of the sun
for its heat or otherwise known as thermal energy.
Solar Thermal Collectors
A solar heating system uses collectors to capture heat
energy from the sun. These are called solar thermal collectors
and can be categorized as low, medium or high. Low thermal
collectors are easy to recognize since these are popularly used
in the heating systems of swimming pools. Medium thermal
collectors, on the other hand are used to heat up water for
domestic or commercial use. Both the low and medium thermal
collectors are made up of flat plates.
High solar thermal collectors, on the other hand, collect
sunlight using lens or mirrors. These types of solar collectors are used for the
production of electrical power. You must not mistaken high
solar thermal collectors to photovoltaic cells since it does
not directly convert solar energy into electricity.
Applications And Uses of Solar Heaters
Solar heating systems have many applications and uses. For
instance, it is used to set-up a greenhouse effect. The
greenhouse effect provides the extra heat that fruits and
plants need to grow faster. It is a big help to farmers and
horticulturists.
Solar tecnology is also used to regulate the
heating, air-conditioning and ventilation of houses.
Controlling the heat present in an environment using thermal
mass materials will provide the heating and air-conditioning
requirements of a house.
Solar heating systems can
also be used for cooking. You can use solar cookers that
concentrate heat energy to a container to rise up its
temperature. With enough heat, the food inside the container
will be cooked in no time.
Such systems are also used for the disinfection and
distillation of water, and to obtain salt from seawater.
Evaporation ponds or solar ponds are used to separate the
salt from the seawater. Separating the salt from seawater is
actually the oldest application of solar heating systems and
compared to the above applications and uses, the technology has
indeed gone a long way since then.
The Key To Solar Heating
The basic processes involved in solar heating include the gain,
transfer, storage, transport and insulation of heat. Either of
these basic processes can be found and identified from the
above-mentioned applications and use of solar heating
systems.
Scientists have found ways to maximize heat when it goes
from one process to another. It is not impossible that future
research will eventually identify other uses for heat energy
from the sun. A single process or a combination of a number of
processes can cover future applications.
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