There is a category of solar power designs which generate heat directly from the Sun. They are called thermal solar power systems, and are a reliable and inexpensive way to make your life more self sustainable for years to come.
Thermal solar power can be used in as many ways as you can think. Designs exist from heating up your hot water tanks, to industrial steam generation and everything in between. Many of these systems are attractive because of their low cost and simplicity.
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.
Pebble bed heat exchangers can be used in a variety of ways. They can be wall mounted units, or embedded in the floor. They can provide the heat source for everything from a family room, to a workshop, greenhouse, or dry sauna installation. They have good aesthetic qualities, being composed of natural materials, and can be incorporated in an attractive way into any home.
The typical operating temperature of a basic thermal solar power system will be somewhere between 100F and 200F. For high performance designs, up to 700F has been achieved for making high pressure steam. The exact temperatures we can obtain will depend entirely on the solar collector design and your system’s needs.
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 circulating fluid flows through the solar collector to distribute the heat through your system. It should be selected based on the peak operating temperatures and equipment compatibility. Typical fluids are glycol, oil, and water. A low flow pumping system will be needed that is agreeable with your operating conditions.
Anyone seriously interested in energy independence should start with thermal solar power technology. The components are simple and inexpensive. If you could identify your climate as having reasonable amounts of Sun, then thermal solar power is encouraged to the fullest extent.
Thermal power systems are typically less expensive than solar power electricity, and can create household hot water and heat reliably. With the addition of pebble bed storage and higher operating temperatures, then the amount of potential uses suddenly becomes many. With the markets of sustainability re-growing their roots we expect to see a variety of new designs and installations in years to come.
Walter Hull is a mechanical engineer with expertise in solar energy power systems. For a short time you can get his free checklist to solar energy from your own yard.
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