Use the Sun to protect the environment

Generating power from the suns rays via a solar panel is one of the main renewable energy sources available to the homeowner. There are two main ways that you can build a solar panel for your home. Firstly you can use photo-voltaic cells, which convert the suns rays into energy which is then stored for use in your home. The second method, and the subject of this article, is to use a Solar hot water system. This later approach is, as the name implies, particularly useful for heating water. However it has wider applications than simply heating up water for use in bath and showers. Obviously you can also use the power generated by photo-voltaic cells to heat up water in your home.

The basic principle of Solar Hot Water systems is for a solar panel to be erected on the roof of your house (or other suitable location where it is not shaded from the suns rays at any time). The panels for this type of systems contain a number of tubes. Water passes through these tubes and is heated by the power of the sun. This heated water then travels on to be stored in your houses hot water storage tank until it is needed. Whilst in areas of hot sun a solar hot water system such as this will be able to supply all the hot water needs of the average household. In less sunny areas, a system like this normally works with a small boiler or immersion heater to bring the stored water up to the required temperature. Nonetheless because the stored water is already nice and warm, the energy that is needed to bring the water up to the temperature needed for a bath is much less than would be needed if it had to be warmed from cold. Hence, even though back up boilers are often needed with these Solar Hot water systems, they still significant reduce the energy usage of households that install them.

The Reasons Solar Power is so popular

There are many reasons why people like solar hot water systems like this. Because the come with back up boilers, then are more reliable. Consumers generally appreciate the reassurance that if they encounter a cloudy period they will still have plenty of hot water. Nonetheless, even in the winter months, owners of solar hot water systems still get energy savings becuase their solar panels are still working rasing the temperature of the water from cold to maybe ‘luke warm’ before the back up heater starts. This continues to deliver an energy saving to the solar panel owner throughout the winter and during other cloudy periods.

The other key reason for using Solar Hot water systems in your home is the benefit it has to the environment. Solar power is one of the main renewable energy sources available and it’s use does not generate any harmful effects on our environment nor deplete the natural resources of our planet. On the contrary we will be able to use the sun to heat our water and generate energy to power our homes for many thousands of years to come without contributing to greenhouse gases or generating damaging pollution.

Click here to find out how to generate cheap green energy from the suns rays