The reasons for the popularity of alternative energy sources are understandable: there is an opportunity to save on fuel and realize dreams of environmentally friendly life support systems. Skillfully using the energy of the sun, wind and water, you can turn an ordinary country house into a modern eco-house.
We will tell you how to equip solar heating in a private house, we will analyze together with you how profitable it is. In order to thoroughly cover the issues of using the energy of the daylight, we described in detail all the popular options that have received practical application and positive feedback from users.
Based on our recommendations, you can build an effective solar system for a summer house or a country house. To facilitate the perception of difficult material, we supplemented the information with visual diagrams, illustrations and video guides.
Ways to use solar energy
The methods for applying the energy of the celestial body are not innovative technologies; solar heat has been used for a long time and very successfully. However, this applies mainly to Australia, some countries of Europe, America and the southern regions, where alternative energy can be obtained throughout the year.
Some northern regions are deficient in natural radiation, so it is used as an additional or fallback option.
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Solar panels - one of the ways to get almost free energy emitted by a celestial body
The construction of an autonomous solar power plant is advisable in regions with a large number of sunny days, which is not associated with the average annual temperature
Autonomous solar systems are located mainly on the roofs of low-rise buildings and in areas free of trees
During frosts, solar systems supply energy for heating air, steam or water heating, in the summer they provide heated water
Solar power plants are green, environmentally friendly, continuously renewable types of energy generation
So far, the efficiency of solar power plants is too dependent on the number of sunny days. It is profitable only in the southern latitudes. In the middle lane and in the north it can only serve as a reserve source
Solar panels in the south of the CIS countries will be able to provide a country house with electricity, hot water and coolant for heating circuits
Solar systems, even used as a backup energy source, bring a rather high economic effect, reducing the load on the main options for energy production
Passive use of solar energy
Solar Panel Installation Option
Optimal layout of a private solar system
The location of the solar panel along the eaves
Solar system on a gentle slope of the roof
Solar power station as a backup source
Battery operation in the southern regions of the CIS countries
The real benefits of the solar system in the private sector
The intermediaries between the sun's rays and the energy-generating mechanism are solar panels or collectors, which differ in purpose and design.
Batteries accumulate the energy of the sun and allow it to be used to power household electrical appliances. They are panels with photocells on the one hand and a locking mechanism on the other. You can experiment and assemble the battery yourself, but it's easier to buy ready-made elements - the choice is wide enough.
Solar systems (solar collectors) are part of the heating system of the house. Large heat-insulated boxes with a coolant, as well as batteries, are mounted on raised shields facing the sun, or roof slopes.
It is a mistake to consider that absolutely all the northern regions receive much less natural heat than the southern ones. Suppose there are much more sunny days in Chukotka or central Canada than in south of Great Britain
To increase efficiency, panels are placed on dynamic mechanisms resembling a tracking system - they rotate after the movement of the sun. The process of energy conversion takes place in tubes located inside the boxes.
The main difference between solar systems and solar panels is that the former heat the coolant, while the latter accumulate electricity. It is possible to heat the room with the help of photocells, but the device circuits are irrational and suitable only for those areas where there are at least 200 sunny days in a year.
Scheme of the heating system with a solar collector connected to the boiler and a backup source of electricity (for example, gas boiler), using traditional fuel (+)
Pros and cons of an alternative heating system
There are not many advantages of the solar heating system, but each of them is significant and can become the reason for private experiments:
- Ecological advantages. It is safe for residents of the house and surrounding nature, a clean source of heat that does not require the use of traditional fuels.
- Autonomy. The owners of the systems are absolutely independent of energy prices and the economic situation in the country.
- Profitability. While maintaining the traditional heating system, it becomes possible to reduce the cost of paying for hot water.
- General accessibility. To install solar systems do not need permission from state authorities.
But there are unpleasant moments that can ruin the big picture. For example, to determine the effectiveness of the system will require a long period of at least 3 years (provided that there is enough solar energy and it is used actively).
Installing only solar modules will require large investments: the cheapest silicon panels will cost at least 2200 rubles. apiece, and polycrystalline six-diode elements of the first category - up to 17000 apiece. Calculating the cost of 30 modules is quite simple (+)
Users note the following disadvantages:
- high prices for equipment needed to put the system into operation;
- direct dependence of the amount of heat produced on the geographical location and weather;
- Mandatory availability of a backup source, for example, a gas boiler (in practice, a solar system often turns out to be a backup).
To achieve greater returns, you have to regularly monitor the health of the collectors, clean them of debris and protect them from frost formation in the freeze. If the temperature often drops below 0ºС, you need to take care of additional thermal insulation not only of the solar system elements, but also of the house as a whole.
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Solar panels on the roof of a country house
Mounting the batteries of the summer solar system
Outdoor equipment of a solar power station
Technical devices located inside the house
Solar energy for heating
The main purpose of energy-saving photocells is to provide electricity to the house. In order to include them in the circuit of the heating system and achieve optimal functioning, it is necessary to assemble a circuit with a storage tank.
It is in it that water will heat up, which, having reached a certain temperature, will fill pipes and radiators in rooms requiring heating (living room, bathroom).
Solar-powered system with a dual-circuit tank that organizes heating and hot water supply in two directions: to heating radiators and to points of analysis (+)
Let's try to analyze the design features of solar panels and determine their potential role in the heating system.
The principle of operation of panels with photocells
There are three common types of cells for solar panels:
- Monocrystalline. These are thin plates of the purest silicon cut from a crystal grown under artificial conditions. The most productive variety with an efficiency of about 17-18%. The optimum temperature for operation is from 5 ºС to 25 ºС.
- Polycrystalline. Made of wafers obtained by gradual cooling of a silicon melt. The technologies for their production are less laborious, but the efficiency of photovoltaic cells made of polycrystal is significantly lower - no more than 12%.
- Amorphous. They are film. They are made by the method of the evaporation phase, as a result of which silicon in the form of a thin film deposits on a flexible polymer base. The cheapest production method is combined with the lowest production rate of up to 7%.
For the installation of autonomous heating systems in the northern regions, photovoltaic batteries assembled from monocrystalline cells are considered the most suitable option. However, batteries with amorphous modules are easier to install, practically not demanding on the base, and much cheaper.
A single-crystal module consists of series-connected elements combined into modules. Several modules form a solar panel. The dark surface of photovoltaic solar systems optimizes the absorption of sunlight
The task of external elements is to absorb and transform the sun's rays. The released energy goes on and is concentrated in the storage accumulator. A small element gives about 100-250 watts, and a prefabricated panel of 25-30 m² provides electricity to a small house. For the installation of a heating system, energy is required 2-3 times more.
An inverter acts as a direct current converter of the solar “production” into electricity, since an alternating current is required for the operation of household electrical appliances and lamps.
Speaking specifically about the heating system, the electric boiler for heating water also works on alternating current. To provide a home with light at night, batteries that conserve daytime supplies will be required.
The inverter modules are installed in a convenient place for maintenance, although it does not need constant control and operates in automatic mode (+)
Efficiency of using photocells
The easiest way is to purchase solar collectors and apply one of the simple, proven over the years schemes. However, circumstances sometimes dictate their terms. Suppose you have an excellent functioning working system with a solar generator, but so far it serves to supply electricity and provide the house with hot water.
It is clear that buying new equipment is not profitable, therefore it is easier to increase power by purchasing a certain number of photovoltaic converters. The budget option is silicon panels with a capacity of up to 23-25%.
An electric heater must be connected to the current source. A universal option is a boiler equipped with distribution wiring.
Polymer film elements on the Russian market are much less common than silicon single and polycrystalline analogues. They are convenient for installation, but have low efficiency - only 6%
If you properly organize the supply of electricity, it should be enough for both hot water supply and heating. There are examples when the house is fully provided with heat - it can be recognized by the roof, almost completely covered with panels.
Sometimes it is necessary to erect special detached structures if the roof area is not enough. It turns out that to increase power, additional free space is needed.
Even the most thorough calculations will not help you determine the exact amount of potential energy and quickly create an efficient, streamlined system. The fact is that in practice there are obstacles, the appearance of which is difficult to predict.
Here are some of the factors:
- Weather inconsistency. A clear number of sunny days is unknown even in the southern regions. Reliably predict their number in the northern regions is almost impossible.
- Irregularity in electricity generation. For example, in the northern regions in winter there is a short daylight, so a lot of processed solar energy is spent on lighting. In addition, the intensity of solar radiation in the winter is significantly reduced.
- Periodic breakdowns. Like all technical systems, solar panels can fail from time to time due to damage to individual elements, contract connections, protective surface, etc.
Therefore, you can learn about effectiveness only after a certain period of time, at least in a year. You may have to increase the number of photocells or batteries, consider additional thermal insulation at home, and reduce the heated area. Suppose in the northern regions of Germany, in order to save money, bedrooms are often not heated at all.
Maintenance of installed photocells does not require special skills and consists in regular cleaning: cleaning snow in the winter and garbage in the warm period, washing the glass surface with water from a hose
Home Power Plant Installation Diagram
The easiest way to install a solar generator is to contact a company that implements system components and offers services for their installation. Pluses - a professional project taking into account individual characteristics, a guarantee for all products and installation, minus - high cost.
If you have the relevant experience, you can independently assemble a mini-power plant with solar panels for heating a private house.
The most effective is the hybrid scheme of the device of the air-solar system, in which photocells are used to generate energy, collectors for heating water and an additional wind generator is installed. It can be replaced with a backup fuel source (+)
All parts for assembling the heating system are sold in specialized stores.
The following components must be purchased:
- a set of silicon or film solar modules;
- energy storage battery;
- charge controller that regulates the process of charging and discharging the battery;
- an inverter that converts direct current into alternating current;
- set of connecting cables.
It is desirable that the batteries are the same (taking into account the brand, capacity and even batch) and have the ability to store energy for 3-4 days. The duration of their work depends on the room temperature - in cold conditions they quickly discharge. If the daily consumption is 2400 Wh, batteries with a total capacity of at least 1000 Ah are needed.
When using car batteries, remember that their maximum efficiency is 70-75% (service life is 3 years), special devices for solar systems have the best performance - up to 85% (service life - 10 years). A certain amount of energy is lost during storage and conversion
The quality of the current generated by sinusoidal inverters for solar systems is higher than the current from a centralized network. A feature of the equipment is the synchronization of the voltage phase, at which the transition of 12 V to 220 V is carried out without interruption in the operation of household electrical appliances.
Power inverters - from 250 W to 6000 W and above.You can increase the output power by emptying the parallel connection of several devices. For example, 3 x 3000 W = 9000 W (+)
After installing all the elements of the solar system, it is necessary to connect an electric tank heating the water to the inverter, and, in turn, a heating pipeline to the tank.
Collector heating system
The greatest efficiency and return can be achieved by installing collectors instead of solar modules - outdoor installations in which water is heated under the influence of solar radiation. Such a system is more logical and natural, since it does not require heating of the coolant by other devices.
Consider the design and principle of operation of devices of two main types: flat and tubular.
Self-made flat option
The design of flat plants is so simple that experienced craftsmen assemble handicraft counterparts with their own hands, buying some of the parts in a specialized store, and constructing some from improvised material.
A plate adsorbing solar heat is fixed inside a steel or aluminum insulated box. Most often it is covered with a layer of black chrome. The heat sink is protected from above by a sealed transparent cover.
Water is heated in tubes laid by a snake and connected to a plate. Water or antifreeze enters the box through the inlet pipe, heats up in the tubes and moves to the outlet - to the outlet pipe.
The light transmittance of the lid is explained by the use of a transparent material - durable tempered glass or plastic (for example, polycarbonate). To prevent sunlight from reflecting, the glass or plastic surface is frosted (+)
There are two types of connection, one-pipe and two-pipe, there is no fundamental difference in the choice. But there is a big difference in how the coolant will be supplied to the collectors - gravity or using a pump. The first option is recognized as ineffective due to the low speed of movement of water; by the principle of heating, it resembles a capacity for a summer shower.
The functioning of the second option is due to the connection of a circulation pump, which supplies the coolant forcibly. A source of energy for the operation of pumping equipment can be a solar energy system.
The temperature of the coolant when heated by a solar collector reaches 45-60 ºС, at the output the maximum indicator is 35-40 ºС. To increase the efficiency of the heating system, along with radiators use "warm floors" (+)
Tubular manifolds - a solution for the northern regions
The general principle of operation resembles the operation of flat analogues, but with one difference - heat exchange tubes with a coolant are located inside glass flasks. The tubes themselves are feather, sealed on one side and resembling feathers in appearance, and coaxial (vacuum) inserted into each other and sealed on both sides.
Heat exchangers are also different:
- system for converting solar energy into thermal Heat-pipe;
- ordinary tube for moving the U-type coolant.
The second type of heat exchangers is recognized as more effective, but not popular enough due to the cost of repair: if one tube fails, the entire section will have to be replaced.
Heat-pipe is not part of an entire segment, so you can change it in 2-3 minutes. The failed coaxial elements are repaired by simply removing the plug and replacing the damaged channel.
Scheme explaining the cyclical nature of the heating process inside the vacuum tubes: cold liquid under the influence of solar heat heats up and evaporates, giving way to the next portion of the coolant (+)
After analyzing the technical characteristics of different types of collectors and summarizing the experience of their use, we decided that flat collectors are more suitable for the southern regions, and tubular ones for the northern ones. Especially well established in the harsh climate of the installation with the Heat-pipe system. They have heating ability even on cloudy days and at night, "eating" a minimum amount of sunlight.
An example of a standard scheme for connecting solar collectors to boiler equipment: a pump station provides water circulation, the controller regulates the heating process
Performance increase method
Usually, after experimenting with a small number of solar modules, owners of private houses go further and improve the system in various ways.
The easiest way is to increase the number of modules involved, respectively, attract additional space for their placement and purchase more powerful related equipment
What if there is a shortage of free space? Here are some guidelines to improve the efficiency of a solar station (with photocells or collectors):
- Change the orientation of the modules. Moving elements relative to the position of the sun. Simply put, the installation of the main part of the panels on the south side. With a long daylight, it is also optimal to use surfaces facing east and west.
- Tilt adjustment. The manufacturer usually indicates which angle is most preferable (for example, 45 °), but sometimes during installation it is necessary to make adjustments taking into account the geographical latitude.
- The right choice of installation location. The roof is suitable, because most often it is the highest plane and is not obscured by other objects (for example, garden trees). But there are even more suitable areas - rotary tracking devices for the sun.
With the elements perpendicular to the rays of the sun, the system works more efficiently, but on a stably fixed surface (for example, a roof) this is possible only for a short period of time. To increase it, they came up with practical tracking devices.
Tracking mechanisms are dynamic platforms that turn with their plane following the sun. Thanks to them, the generator performance increases in the summer by about 35-40%, in the winter - by 10-12%
A big minus of tracking devices is their high cost. In some cases, it does not pay off, so it makes no sense to invest in useless mechanisms.
It is estimated that 8 panels is the minimum amount at which costs will justify themselves over time. You can use 3-4 modules, but under one condition: if they are directly connected, bypassing the batteries, to the water pump.
Just the other day, Tesla Motors announced the creation of a new type of roof - with integrated solar panels. Elon Musk said that a modified roof will be cheaper than a conventional roof with collectors or modules installed on it.
Themed videos will help you better imagine the device of home solar stations and reveal some secrets of installing equipment.
Video # 1. The technical information on solar panels and charge controllers is available:
Video # 2. Useful experience of using solar panels in the suburbs:
Video # 3. An example of a successfully operating solar station, fully assembled independently, providing both domestic hot water and home heating:
As you can see, a solar-powered heating system is a very real phenomenon that you can independently realize. The field of alternative ways of generating energy is constantly evolving, perhaps tomorrow you will hear about a new discovery.
We invite you to actively comment on the material.You can express your attitude to “green energy”, share your experience in building a solar system, tell only the details you know in the block below.