Do-it-yourself solar air heating of a private house. Solar panels for heating a private house. Vulnerability of alternative heating system

With the rise in energy prices, the use of alternative energy sources is becoming increasingly important. And since heating is the main item of expenditure for many, we are talking about heating in the first place: you have to pay almost all year round and considerable amounts. If you want to save money, the first thing that comes to mind is solar heat: a powerful and completely free source of energy. And it is quite realistic to use it. Moreover, the equipment is expensive, but many times cheaper than heat pumps. Let's talk more about how solar energy can be used to heat a house.

Heating from the sun: pros and cons

If we talk about using solar energy for heating, then you need to keep in mind that there are two different devices for converting solar energy:

Both options have their own characteristics. Although you must immediately say whichever one you choose, do not rush to abandon the heating system that you have. The sun rises, of course, every morning, but your solar cells will not always get enough light. The most reasonable solution is to make a combined system. When there is enough solar energy, the second heat source will not work. By doing this, you will protect yourself, and you will live in comfortable conditions, and save money.

If there is no desire or opportunity to install two systems, your solar heating should have at least twice the power reserve. Then you can definitely say that you will have warmth in any case.

Advantages of using solar energy for heating:

Flaws:

The dependence of the amount of incoming heat on the weather and region.
For guaranteed heating, you will need a system that can work in parallel with the solar heating system. Many manufacturers of heating equipment provide for this possibility. In particular, European manufacturers of wall-mounted gas boilers provide for joint operation with solar heating (for example, Baxi boilers). Even if you have installed equipment that does not have this capability, you can coordinate the operation of the heating system using the controller.
Solid financial investments at the start.
Periodic maintenance: tubes and panels must be cleaned of adhering debris and washed from dust.
Some of the liquid solar collectors cannot operate at very low temperatures. In anticipation of severe frosts, the liquid has to be drained. But this does not apply to all models and not all liquids.

Now let's take a closer look at each of the types of solar heating elements.

Solar collectors

Solar collectors are used for solar heating. These installations use the heat of the sun to heat the heat transfer fluid, which can then be used in a hot water heating system. The specificity is that a solar water heater for heating a house produces only a temperature of 45-60 ° C, and shows the highest efficiency at 35 ° C at the outlet. Therefore, such systems are recommended for use in tandem with warm water floors. If you don’t want to give up radiators, either increase the number of sections (approximately two times) or heat up the coolant.

To provide the house with warm water and for water heating, you can use solar collectors (flat and tubular)

Now about the types of solar collectors. Structurally, there are two modifications:

flat;
tubular.

In each of the groups there are variations both in materials and in design, but they have the same principle of operation: a coolant runs through the tubes, which is heated by the sun. It's just that the designs are completely different.

Flat solar collectors

These solar heating systems have simple design and therefore it is they who, if desired, can be made with their own hands. A solid bottom is fixed on a metal frame. A layer of thermal insulation is laid on top. Insulated to reduce losses and the walls of the case. Then comes a layer of adsorber - a material that absorbs solar radiation well, turning it into heat. This layer is usually black. Pipes are fixed on the adsorber, through which the coolant flows. From above, this whole structure is closed with a transparent lid. The material for the cover can be tempered glass or one of the plastics (most often it is polycarbonate). In some models, the light-transmitting material of the cover can undergo a special treatment: to reduce the reflectivity, it is made not smooth, but slightly matte.

Pipes in a flat solar collector are usually laid in a snake, there are two holes - inlet and outlet. One-pipe and two-pipe connection can be implemented. This is how you like it. But for normal heat transfer, a pump is needed. A gravity system is also possible, but it will be very inefficient due to the low speed of the coolant. It is this type of solar collector that is used for heating, although it can be used to effectively heat water for domestic hot water.

There is a variant of a gravity collector, but it is used mainly for heating water. This design is also called a plastic solar collector. These are two plates of transparent plastic, hermetically fixed to the case. Inside, a labyrinth is arranged to move water. Sometimes the bottom panel is painted black. There are two holes - inlet and outlet. Water is supplied inside, as it moves through the labyrinth, it is heated by the sun, and it comes out already warm. Such a scheme works well with a water tank and easily heats water for domestic hot water. This is a modern replacement for a conventional barrel mounted on summer shower. And a more efficient replacement.

How efficient are solar collectors? Among all domestic solar installations today, they show top scores: their efficiency is 72-75%. But not everything is so good:

they do not work at night and do not work well in cloudy weather;
large heat losses, especially with wind;
low maintainability: if something fails, then you need to change a significant part, or the entire panel.

Nevertheless, often the heating of a private house from the sun is done with the help of these solar installations. Such installations are popular in southern countries with active radiation and positive temperatures in winter. They are not suitable for our winters, but in the summer season they show good results.

Air manifold

This unit can be used for home air heating. Structurally, it is very similar to the plastic collector described above, but the air circulates and heats up in it. Such devices are hung on the walls. They can act in two ways: if the solar air heater is airtight, air is taken from the room, heated and returned to the same room.

There is another option. It combines heating with ventilation. There are holes in the outer housing of the air manifold. Through them, cold air enters the structure. Passing through the labyrinth, it heats up from the sun's rays, and then warmed up, it enters the room.

Such heating of the house will be more or less effective if the installation occupies the entire south wall, and there will be no shadow on this wall.

Tubular collectors

Here, too, the coolant circulates through the pipes, but each of these heat exchange pipes is inserted into a glass flask. All of them are connected in a manifold (manifold), which, in fact, is a comb.

Scheme of a tubular collector (click to enlarge the image)

Tubular collectors have two types of tubes: coaxial and feather. Coaxial - a pipe in a pipe - are nested one inside the other and their edges are sealed. Inside, a rarefied airless environment is created between the two walls. Therefore, such tubes are also called vacuum tubes. Feather tubes are a regular tube sealed on one side. And they are called feather because to increase heat transfer, an absorber plate is inserted into them, which has curved edges and is somewhat reminiscent of a feather.

In addition, heat exchangers can be inserted into different housings. different type. The first are Heat-pipe thermal channels (Hit pipe). It's a whole transformation system sunlight into thermal energy. Heat-pipe is hollow copper tube small diameter, sealed at one end. On the second is a massive tip. The tube is filled with a substance with a low boiling point. When heated, the substance begins to boil, part of it passes into a gaseous state and rises up the tube. On the way from the heated walls of the tube, it heats up more and more. It gets to the top, where it stays for a while. During this time, the gas transfers part of the heat to the massive tip, gradually cools, condenses and settles down, where the process is repeated again.

The second way - U-type - is a traditional tube filled with coolant. No news or surprises here. Everything is as usual: on the one hand, the coolant enters, passing through the tube, it heats up from sunlight. Despite its simplicity, this type of heat exchanger is more efficient. But it is used less often. And all because solar water heaters of this type constitute a whole. If one tube is damaged, the entire section must be replaced.

Tubular collectors with the Heat-pipe system are more expensive, show less efficiency, but are used more often. And all because a damaged tube can be changed in a couple of minutes. Moreover, if the flask is coaxial, then the tube can also be repaired. It is simply disassembled (the top cap is removed) and the damaged element (heat channel or bulb itself) is replaced with a serviceable one. The tube is then inserted into place.

Which collector is better for heating

For southern regions with mild winters and a large number of sunny days a year the best option— flat collector. In such a climate, it shows the highest productivity.

For regions with a more severe climate, tubular collectors are suitable. Moreover, systems with Heat-pipe are more suitable for harsh winters: they heat even at night and even in cloudy weather, collecting most spectrum of solar radiation. They are not afraid of low temperatures, but the exact temperature range needs to be clarified: it depends on the substance in the thermal channel.

These systems, if properly calculated, can be basic, but more often they simply save heating costs from another, paid energy source.

Another auxiliary heating can be an air collector. It can be made to the entire wall, and it is easily implemented with your own hands. It is perfect for heating a garage or cottage. Moreover, problems with insufficient heating may not arise in winter, as you expect, but in autumn. In frost and snow, the energy of the sun is many times greater than in cloudy rainy weather.

Solar panels

When we hear the words “solar energy”, we first of all think of batteries that convert light into electricity. And this is done by special photoelectric converters. They are produced by the industry from different semiconductors. Most often for domestic use, we use silicon solar cells. They have the lowest price and show quite decent performance: 20-25%.

Solar panels for a private house in some countries - a common occurrence

You can directly use solar panels for heating only if you connect a boiler or other electric heating device to this current source. Also, solar panels in conjunction with electric batteries can be integrated into the home's electricity supply system and thus reduce monthly bills for electricity used. In principle, it is quite realistic to fully meet the needs of the family from these installations. It just takes a lot of money and space. On average since square meter panels can get 120-150W. So consider how many squares of the roof or local area should be occupied by such panels.

Features of solar heating

Many people doubt the expediency of installing a solar heating system. The main argument is that it is expensive and will never pay for itself. We have to agree with the fact that it is expensive: the prices for equipment are rather high. But no one is stopping you from starting small. For example, to evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of the idea to make a similar installation yourself. Costs are minimal, and you will have first-hand experience. Then you will decide whether to deal with all this or not. Here's the thing: all the negative messages are from theorists. From practitioners did not meet a single one. There is an active search for ways to improve, rework, but no one said that the idea is useless. It's about something.

Now that installing a solar heating system will never pay off. While the payback period

Bridges in our country are big. It is comparable to the lifetime of solar collectors or batteries. But if we look at the dynamics of growth in prices for all energy carriers, we can assume that it will soon be reduced to quite acceptable terms.

Now actually about how to make a system. First of all, you need to determine the need for your home and seven in heat and hot water. General methodology calculation of solar heating system is as follows:

Knowing in which region the house is located, you can find out how much sunlight falls on 1m 2 of area in each month of the year. Experts call this insolation. Based on these data, you can then estimate how much solar panels You need. But first you need to determine how much heat is needed for the preparation of domestic hot water and heating.
If the counter hot water you have, then you know the volumes of hot water that you spend monthly. Display the average consumption data for the month or calculate by maximum flow- whoever wants it. You should also have data on the heat loss of the house.
Have a look at the solar heaters you would like to supply. Having data on their performance, you can roughly determine the number of elements needed to cover your needs.

In addition to determining the number of components of the solar system, it will be necessary to determine the volume of the tank in which hot water for hot water will be accumulated. This can easily be done by knowing your family's actual expenses. If you have a DHW meter installed and you have data for several years, you can calculate the average consumption per day (average consumption per month divided by the number of days). This is roughly the size of the tank you need. But the tank needs to be taken with a margin of 20% or so. Just in case.

If there is no hot water supply or a meter, you can use the consumption rates. One person consumes on average 100-150 liters of water per day. Knowing how many people permanently live in the house, you will calculate the required volume of the tank: the rate is multiplied by the number of residents.

It must be said right away that it is rational (in terms of payback) for middle lane Russia is a solar heating system that covers about 30% of the heat demand and fully supplies hot water. This is an average result: in some months, heating will be provided by 70-80% by the solar system, and in some (December-January) by only 10%. And again, a lot depends on the type of solar panels and the region of residence.

And it's not just a matter of "north" or "south." It's about the number of sunny days. For example, in very cold Chukotka, solar heating will be very efficient: the sun almost always shines there. In the much milder climate of England, with eternal fogs, its effectiveness is extremely low.
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Results

Despite many critics who talk about the inefficiency of solar energy and the too long payback period, more and more people are switching at least partially to alternative sources. In addition to saving, many are attracted by independence from the state and its pricing policy. In order not to regret the sums invested in vain, you can first conduct an experiment: make one of the solar installations with your own hands and decide for yourself how much it attracts you (or not).

Solar heating of a private house is a modern and environmentally friendly way. The advantages of this method are many, and the main ones are profitability and the absence of hazardous waste. However, such an installation costs a lot, and in some regions it is not advisable to use it due to the small number of sunny days.

Device and principle of operation

Solar heating of a private house - innovative technology about which not everyone has a clear idea yet. Meanwhile, almost any homeowner has all the possibilities for installing and using the corresponding complexes. The need for financial investments exists only for the purchase of equipment or equipment, he will receive everything else for free.

There are two options for organizing solar heating:

Solar panels;
Solar collectors.

The use of solar panels is a more expensive method, requiring the presence of a large amount of equipment. Photovoltaic cells are used, located in an open area at the right angle for the most perpendicular incidence of sunlight. They generate electrical current, which is stored in rechargeable batteries, is converted to alternating current with standard parameters, after which it is sent to heating devices.

Heating from solar panels in a private house gives a lot of additional opportunities. This method has a significant advantage -electricity, which is produced by solar panels, can be used not only for heating the house, but also for powering any appliances, for lighting or other needs.

Solar panels for home heating, the cost of which is quite high, may not be profitable from a financial point of view.

Solar collectors operate on a different principle. They do not generate, but receive thermal energy from the Sun, which heats the coolant in containers or tubes. In principle, any container of water exposed to the sun can be considered a collector, but there are special designs that can demonstrate the greatest efficiency. This version of the system is much simpler, cheaper and available for self-manufacturing.

The resulting heat is immediately realized in an increase in the temperature of the coolant, which is accumulated in a storage tank, from where it is distributed to the heating circuits of the house. The best way heating is the use of low-temperature systems such as underfloor heating. They do not need strong heating, which corresponds to the capabilities of solar collectors. At night, the coolant heated during the day is consumed.

For maximum efficiency of solar collectors, it is necessary to insulate the storage tank with high quality.

Pros and cons of using solar energy to heat your home

The second plus is zero emissions. In fact, it is the most environmentally friendly and natural form of energy. Solar panels and collectors do not produce noise. In most cases, they are installed on the roofs of buildings, without occupying the usable area of a suburban area.

A significant disadvantage of heating based on the use of solar collectors is the inability to accumulate thermal energy. Only the expansion tank is included in the diagram

It is necessary to monitor the optical cleanliness of the panels, slight contamination drastically reduces the efficiency.

Efficient use of solar energy

The most obvious advantage of using solar energy is its availability. In fact, even in the most gloomy and cloudy weather, solar energy can be collected and used.

The second plus is zero emissions. In fact, it is the most environmentally friendly and natural form of energy. Solar panels and collectors do not produce noise. In most cases, they are installed on the roofs of buildings, without occupying the usable area of a suburban area.

The efficiency of solar heating in our latitudes is rather low, which is explained by the insufficient number of sunny days for the regular operation of the system (+)

The disadvantages associated with the use of solar energy are the inconstancy of illumination. At night, there is nothing to collect, the situation is aggravated by the fact that the peak of the heating season falls on the shortest daylight hours of the year. It is necessary to monitor the optical cleanliness of the panels, slight contamination drastically reduces the efficiency.

In addition, it cannot be said that the operation of a solar-powered system is completely free, there are fixed costs for depreciation of equipment, work circulation pump and control electronics.

Open solar collectors

An open solar collector is a system of tubes that is not protected from external influences, through which a coolant heated directly by the sun circulates.

Water, gas, air, antifreeze are used as a heat carrier. The tubes are either mounted on a carrier plate in the form of a serpentine or connected in parallel rows to the outlet.

Open-type solar collectors are not able to cope with the heating of a private house. Due to the lack of insulation, the coolant cools quickly. They are used in the summer mainly for heating water in showers or pools.

Open collectors usually have no insulation. The design is very simple, therefore it has a low cost and is often made independently.

Due to the lack of insulation, they practically do not save the energy received from the sun, they are characterized by low efficiency. They are used mainly in the summer to heat water in pools or summer showers.

They are installed in sunny and warm regions, with small differences in ambient air temperature and heated water. Works well only in sunny, calm weather.

The simplest solar collector with a heat sink made from a coil of polymer pipes will ensure the supply of heated water in the country for irrigation and domestic needs.

Tubular collector varieties

Tubular solar collectors are assembled from separate tubes through which water, gas or steam runs. This is one of the open type solar systems. However, the coolant is already much better protected from external negativity. Especially in vacuum plants arranged on the principle of thermoses.

Each tube is connected to the system separately, parallel to each other. If one tube fails, it is easy to replace it with a new one. The entire structure can be assembled directly on the roof of the building, which greatly facilitates installation.

The tubular collector has a modular structure. The main element is a vacuum tube, the number of tubes varies from 18 to 30, which allows you to accurately select the power of the system

A significant plus of tubular solar collectors is cylindrical shape the main elements due to which solar radiation is captured all day long without the use of expensive systems for tracking the movement of the luminary.

A special multi-layer coating creates a kind of optical trap for the sun's rays. The diagram partially shows the outer wall of the vacuum flask reflecting rays onto the walls of the inner flask (+)

According to the design of the tubes, pen and coaxial solar collectors are distinguished.

The coaxial tube is a Diyur vessel or a familiar thermos. They are made of two flasks between which the air is pumped out. The inner surface of the inner flask is coated with a highly selective coating that effectively absorbs solar energy.

With a cylindrical shape of the tube, the sun's rays always fall perpendicular to the surface

Thermal energy from the internal selective layer is transferred to the heat pipe or internal heat exchanger from aluminum plates. At this stage, unwanted heat losses occur.

The feather tube is a glass cylinder with a feather absorber inserted inside.

The system got its name from a feather absorber, which tightly wraps around a heat channel made of heat-conducting metal.

For good thermal insulation, air is pumped out of the tube. Heat transfer from the absorber occurs without loss, so the efficiency of feather tubes is higher.

According to the method of heat transfer, there are two systems: direct-flow and with a heat pipe (heat pipe). A thermotube is a sealed container with a volatile liquid.

Since the volatile liquid naturally flows to the bottom of the thermotube, the minimum inclination angle is 20°C.

Inside the thermotube there is a volatile liquid that absorbs heat from the inner wall of the flask or from the feather absorber. Under the action of temperature, the liquid boils and rises in the form of vapor. After the heat is given off to the heating or hot water coolant, the steam condenses into a liquid and flows down.

Water at low pressure is often used as a volatile liquid. A direct-flow system uses a U-shaped tube through which water or a heating system coolant circulates.

One half of the U-shaped tube is designed for cold coolant, the second takes the heated one. When heated, the coolant expands and enters the storage tank, providing natural circulation. As with thermotube systems, the minimum angle of inclination must be at least 20⁰.

With a direct-flow connection, the pressure in the system cannot be high, since there is a technical vacuum inside the flask

Direct-flow systems are more efficient because they immediately heat the coolant. If solar collector systems are planned for use all year round, then special antifreezes are pumped into them.

The use of tubular solar collectors has a number of advantages and disadvantages. The design of a tubular solar collector consists of the same elements, which are relatively easy to replace.

Advantages:

low heat loss;
ability to work at temperatures up to -30⁰С;
effective performance throughout the daylight hours;
good performance in areas with a temperate and cold climate;
low windage, justified by the ability of tubular systems to pass air masses through them;
the possibility of producing a high temperature of the coolant.

Structurally, the tubular structure has a limited aperture surface.

It has the following disadvantages:

not capable of self-cleaning from snow, ice, frost;
high price.

Despite the initially high cost, tubular collectors pay for themselves faster. They have a long service life.

Tubular collectors are open-type solar plants, therefore they are not suitable for year-round use in heating systems (+)

Flat closed systems

The flat collector consists of an aluminum frame, a special absorbing layer - an absorber, a transparent coating, a pipeline and a heater.

As an absorber, blackened sheet copper is used, which is characterized by ideal thermal conductivity for creating solar systems. When solar energy is absorbed by the absorber, the solar energy received by it is transferred to a heat carrier circulating through a system of tubes adjacent to the absorber.

From the outside, the closed panel is protected by a transparent coating. It is made from impact resistant tempered glass having a bandwidth of 0.4-1.8 μm. This range accounts for the maximum solar radiation. Anti-shock glass is a good protection against hail. On the back side, the entire panel is securely insulated.

Flat plate solar collectors are characterized by maximum performance and simple design. Their efficiency is increased due to the use of an absorber. They are able to capture diffuse and direct solar radiation.

The list of advantages of closed flat panels includes:

simplicity of design;
good performance in warm climate regions;
the ability to install at any angle if there are devices for changing the angle of inclination;
the ability to self-clean from snow and frost;
low price.

Flat plate solar collectors are especially advantageous if their use is planned at the design stage. The service life of quality products is 50 years.

The disadvantages include:

high heat losses;
big weight;
high windage when the panels are located at an angle to the horizon;
limitations in performance at temperature drops of more than 40 ° C.

The scope of application of closed collectors is much wider than open-type solar installations. In summer, they are able to fully satisfy the need for hot water. On cool days that are not included by public utilities during the heating period, they can work instead of gas and electric heaters.

For those wishing to make a solar collector with their own hands for a heating device in the country, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with proven schemes and step-by-step assembly instructions.

Comparison of characteristics of solar collectors

The most important indicator of a solar collector is efficiency. The useful performance of solar collectors of different designs depends on the temperature difference. At the same time, flat-plate collectors are much cheaper than tubular ones.

The efficiency values depend on the manufacturing quality of the solar collector. The purpose of the graph is to show the effectiveness of the application different systems depending on temperature difference

When choosing a solar collector, you should pay attention to a number of parameters showing the efficiency and power of the device.

There are several important characteristics for solar collectors:

adsorption coefficient - shows the ratio of absorbed energy to total;
emission factor - shows the ratio of the transferred energy to the absorbed;
total and aperture area;

The aperture area is the working area of the solar collector. A flat collector has a maximum aperture area. The aperture area is equal to the area of the absorber.

Solar collector selection and installation

A homeowner who decides to create solar heating for a private house with his own hands is faced with the task of choosing the most suitable type of collector. This question is quite complicated, but it is necessary to understand it.

Open collectors are not suitable due to low capabilities, so it makes no sense to talk about them. Usually the choice is made between tubular and flat types. The first and most significant selection criterion is usually the ratio of price and quality of products.

This approach is justified, but maintainability cannot be ignored. So, vacuum tubes can be changed not in all types of collectors, which makes the choice risky. If one of them fails, some types of collectors will have to change the entire panel, which will require expenses. In general, all vacuum devices are a rather risky acquisition, since any mechanical impact threatens to lose the source of thermal energy.

Having chosen the best option, proceed to installation. For him, you need to choose a suitable site, located near the house. This is important, since transporting the coolant over long distances will require high-quality insulation and the installation of a circulation pump. Typically, collectors are installed on the roof to allow circulation by gravity.

The only problem is the location of the slopes relative to the position of the sun in the sky - sometimes you have to install a tracking system to rotate the panels. This is expensive and requires the use of flexible tubes, but the effect is much higher.

Options for self-assembly of the heating system

To date, there are several ways to assemble a solar heater with your own hands. Consider the most popular assembly methods.
First option. Here you need a galvanized container for water. It should have a volume of approximately 100-200 liters. The technology for creating a solar battery has the following algorithm:

we place the container on the roof. It should be mounted on the south side of the roof;
the surface of the roof must be covered with a metal sheet with a shiny surface;
we put pipes on top of it;
we connect them to a barrel and a container for heated water.

Option solar homemade collector

With the help of such a battery, 100 liters of water can be heated by 60 degrees. This installation has a high efficiency. But in winter time such a unit would be ineffective.
Second build option. To create this type of collector, you will need:

steel boxes;
several flat steel radiators;
glass;
metal-plastic elements - fittings and pipes.

The assembly of the system in this case occurs as follows:

steel boxes are mounted on the roof;
radiators are placed there;
cover them with glass on top. This will reduce the heating time of the water;
pipes must be laid with a downward slope;
be sure to ensure that the top of the device is located below the storage tank;
a plastic barrel of water is installed in the attic. Suitable volume - 160 l;
it must be connected to a radiator and water supply using metal-plastic devices - fittings and tubes. The water tube itself must be connected slightly above its middle of the tank;
drain valves are placed at the bottom of the radiator. With their help, water is drained during the cold time of the day.

Plastic barrel option

Third option. It is used to heat a large enough room. It has an efficiency of 45-55%. To create a heating system of this type, you will need the following materials:

any thermal insulation material;
wooden frame with plywood bottom;
black metal mesh;
deflector;
transparent polycarbonate sheet;
multiple fans

The assembly of the structure is carried out as follows:

drill round holes in the frame. They are cut for air intake;
to remove hot air, we make rectangular holes at the top of the frame;
on its bottom we put heat-insulating material. A metal black mesh will act as a heat accumulator;
fans built into round holes;
then we mount the support strips for the deflector. After that, install the deflector itself. It will form an air flow;
put a transparent sheet on top.

Finished construction

With the help of such a unit, you can efficiently carry out heating of the house, as well as heating water.

How to calculate the required collector power

When calculating required power solar collectors very often mistakenly make calculations based on incoming solar energy during the coldest months of the year.

The fact is that in the remaining months of the year the entire system will constantly overheat. The temperature of the coolant in summer at the outlet of the solar collector can reach 200°C when heated by steam or gas, 120°C of antifreeze, 150°C of water. If the coolant boils, it will partially evaporate. As a result, it will have to be replaced.

provision of hot water supply no more than 70%;
provision of the heating system no more than 30%.

The rest of the necessary heat should be generated by standard heating equipment. Nevertheless, with such indicators, an average of about 40% is saved per year on heating and hot water supply.

The power generated by a single tube vacuum system varies by geographic location. The indicator of solar energy falling per year on 1 m2 of land is called insolation. Knowing the length and diameter of the tube, you can calculate the aperture - the effective absorption area. It remains to apply the absorption and emission coefficients to calculate the power of one tube per year.

Calculation example:

The standard tube length is 1800 mm, the effective length is 1600 mm. Diameter 58 mm. Aperture is the shaded area created by the tube. Thus, the area of the shadow rectangle will be:

S = 1.6 * 0.058 = 0.0928m2

The efficiency of the middle tube is 80%, solar insolation for Moscow is about 1170 kWh/m2 per year. Thus, one tube will work out per year:

W \u003d 0.0928 * 1170 * 0.8 \u003d 86.86 kW * h

It should be noted that this is a very approximate calculation. The amount of energy generated depends on the installation orientation, angle, average annual temperature, etc. published by econet.ru

System cost

Fixed cost individual heating with the use of solar collectors does not exist, since there is always a boiler in it, and what it will be - floor or wall, condensing or traditional, gas, diesel or electric - is decided for each concrete house. Also, as in any other heating system, the price will consist of such indicators as the area of \u200b\u200bthe house, the calculation of heat loss, the presence and area of \u200b\u200bwarm floors.

In the case of organizing hot water supply by connecting solar collectors, there are developed package offers, since the required volume of water can be classified according to the number of people living in the house and the total number of consumers. For example, the cost of a hot water supply system using a flat solar collector from the German company Huch EnTEC will be about 165,000 rubles. This amount also includes all necessary fasteners, thermostatic mixer, connection group expansion tank, bivalent water heater, water heater safety group, non-freezing coolant for solar system.

Helpful advice! Trust the calculation of solar heating and water supply to professionals with years of experience and dozens of similar completed projects behind us! Only in this way can you insure yourself against unnecessary overpayments.

Are the costs justified?

The cost of the equipment included in the set of solar installations is quite high, therefore, before deciding to purchase such products, it is always necessary to calculate the cost of the required set and the financial return that can be obtained from the use of such installations.

As part of a set of equipment that will provide heating system at home, in addition to the collector, there is another row technical devices, which is also reflected in the total cost of the entire set of equipment.

So to create a heating system based on a solar collector, you will need:

Collector.
Tank accumulator heat.
Expansion tank.
Circulation pump.
Pipes and valves.

Of all the equipment listed, the most expensive unit is the collector itself, therefore, in order to determine whether the installation costs of such a system are justified, it is necessary to decide what is the prerogative in this matter, because the cost of gas or solid fuel boilers , comparable to the cost of a solar collector.

In this regard, the decision on the feasibility of installing just this type of heating, and, accordingly, the cost of equipment, are the criteria for choosing such systems, as well as the pros and cons of their operation, which were described above.

Video

The constant growth of tariffs and the dilapidated state of communications are forcing owners of private houses to actively seek alternative ways heating. One of the powerful and inexhaustible sources is the Sun, which daily supplies a huge amount of kilowatts of free energy. Necessary install appropriate equipment, and dependence on network resource providers will be a thing of the past.

There is always, although it depends on weather conditions or time of day. For regions where climatic and weather conditions allow get enough kilowatts for heating, this option becomes optimal. solar heating provides a lot of opportunities and advantages, which should be discussed in more detail.

Device and principle of operation

An innovative technology that not everyone has a clear idea about yet. Meanwhile, almost any homeowner has all the possibilities for installing and using the corresponding complexes. Necessity financial investments exists only for the purchase of apparatus or equipment, everything else he gets for free.

There are two options for organizing solar heating:

Solar collectors.

More cost method requiring presence a lot of equipment. Photovoltaic cells are used, located in an open area at the right angle for the most perpendicular incidence of sunlight. They work out electricity, which accumulates in batteries, is converted into alternating current with standard parameters, after which it is sent to heating devices.

Heating from solar panels in a private house gives a lot of additional opportunities. This method has a significant advantage - the electric current generated by solar panels, can be used not only for heating the house, but also for powering any appliances for lighting or other needs.

Solar panels for home heating, the cost of which is quite high, may not be profitable from a financial point of view.

They operate on a different principle. They do not produce, but receive heat energy from the sun, which heats the coolant in containers or tubes. In principle, any container of water exposed to the sun can be considered a collector, but there are special designs that can demonstrate the greatest efficiency. This version of the system is much simpler, cheaper and available for DIY.

The resulting heat is immediately realized in an increase in the temperature of the coolant, which is accumulated in a storage tank, from where it is distributed to the heating circuits of the house. The best heating method is use of low temperature systems such as underfloor heating. They do not need strong heating, which corresponds to the capabilities of solar collectors. At night, the coolant heated during the day is consumed.

For maximum efficiency of solar collectors, it is necessary to insulate the storage tank with high quality.

Advantages

The main advantage is that The sun is a constant and inexhaustible source, stable and completely predictable. Unlike wind turbines, which can be idle for weeks, solar energy is supplied at predetermined time intervals. the only the disadvantage is the possibility of cloudy or cold weather, when the efficiency of batteries and collectors drops. However, modern designs allow you to receive minimal amount even in the most difficult conditions, so no surprises threaten the heating system.

Moreover, one must not forget that solar energy is available for free. If, when heating a house with gas or electric boilers, it is necessary to purchase the equipment itself and then constantly pay for energy or fuel, then solar energy is not paid, which significantly changes the level of profitability of the equipment and the entire system as a whole.

However, we should not forget that solar heating of a private house, the price and labor costs for installation of which often become the main problem, beneficial only in regions with suitable climatic and weather conditions.

An additional advantage is high maintainability of the system and the possibility of increasing its performance. There are no restrictions in this matter - how many panels or collectors are installed, so much energy will be received. If the installed kit was unable to efficiently heat the house, it can always be enhanced by adding the right amount of equipment. This is convenient if you need to rebuild or expand the house, make an extension, etc. need to buy new system it does not occur completely.

Types of heating

Photovoltaic cells do not work exclusively for heating, which is a special case of their use, while solar collectors serve only as power sources for heating circuits. Therefore, let's consider collectors, providing heating with solar panels, the price of which is much lower than that of photovoltaic cells.

There are several designs of solar collectors:

open;
tubular;
flat collectors.

These designs have different capabilities and are used to solve problems corresponding to their effectiveness. Let's take a closer look at them: