RENEWABLE POWER - SOLAR THERMAL

Solar thermal collectors convert the sun’s energy into heat to generate hot water. It is one of the most efficient means of using solar energy. Think about how hot your car gets when you park it in the sun – with a thermal product, you capture this energy and make it work for you.

Thermal panels are mounted on buildings, where they trap the sun’s rays and use them to warm the fluid that circulates between the collectors and the solar storage tanks. When this fluid is warm enough, a solar control station activates a pump. This sends the warm fluid through the solar storage cylinders, where a heat exchanger heats the drinking water (and heating water too, in some systems) it contains.

There is a huge amount of energy in solar radiation, and the sunshine on one square foot in one year is equal to the energy in 2.5 gallons of oil. Two or three collectors can easily supply all the hot water for an average family on sunny days.

Even on cloudy days, they can make a substantial contribution and cut utility bills.
In addition solar thermal allows you to realize the benefits of:

• A strong return on a secure investment
• Huge federal, state and local incentives that cover up to 75% of the cost
• Increased home value
• Contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable world