The term thermal solar power refers to systems that convert solar radiation into useful heat. This is also referred to as passive solar energy. It is a different type of system from solar power electricity, and whose usefulness should not be overlooked.
The field of thermal solar power is large, and ranges from a simple system to heat your water tank, up to full fledged steam power facilities in use today. With a little thought, one can imagine a wide variety of applications for thermal solar technologies.
For most folks, thermal solar power will be limited to heating up a hot water tank, or storing heat for the workshop or house. These systems are inexpensive to incorporate, especially when designing a new home.
Other possibilities exist with pebble bed heat exchangers, which are designed to store excess thermal energy. These heat exchangers give our systems some operating flexibility. With this reservoir of heat, we can consider different applications for our thermal solar power system.
Applications for pebble bed heat exchangers include radiant heating in and around our homes. They can be integrated into greenhouses, saunas, or even in your family rooms. Pebble bed heat exchangers are made from natural materials, and can be an attractive feature in any home.
The typical operating temperature for most thermal solar power systems will be between 100F and 180F. In good solar climates these temperatures can be easily achieved with popular off the shelf equipment. With more specialized equipment we can go in excess of 250F, and with high performance industrial equipment over 700 degrees is possible. These high performance systems are usually for making steam, but incorporating them into other processes is also possible.
The solar collector is the most important component to a thermal solar power installation. A few different types include flat plate absorbers, evacuated tube absorbers, and parabolic trough concentrators. Their main purpose is to absorb solar radiation and generate heat for the system. With a good sized solar collector system, significant heat can be generated and distributed to multiple locations.
The lifeblood of the thermal solar power design is the circulating fluid. The circulating fluid is heated in the solar collector, and then pumped to all the system users. This fluid is typically oil, glycol, or water which is matched to the system temperatures and equipment in use.
Thermal solar power is a good first step for anyone getting involved with solar energy, and especially those with good amounts of Sun. The simplicity, potential savings, and environmental benefits make them an easy decision for those retrofitting or building a new home.
Thermal solar power is a major branch of the solar market, with much room to grow in years to come. Solar hot water and pebble bed heat transfer systems are two good applications for most homes. We can store heat in our floors, a sauna, a greenhouse, or even use it to air dry our clothes. The possibilities for thermal solar power are as far as the imagination can go. With a new age emerging toward more natural lifestyles and self-sustainability, we expect to see several new designs in years to come. Everything begins first with harnessing the energy of the Sun.
Walter Hull is a recognized expert in solar energy power systems. For a short time you can get his free report to solar energy from your own land.
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