Solar electricity is high on our list of solar priorities, but heating is equally important. That’s where solar thermal power comes in. These systems are designed to collect, absorb, and distribute heat. This applies in the swimming pool, your shower or hot water tap, your warm and hot laundry cycles, or the interior spaces of your home. While smaller, standalone systems are used for domestic purposes, solar thermal power plants such as SEGS generate hundreds of megawatts of power. Here’s a recap of solar thermal prowess.

• According to a peer-reviewed study by Ausra, solar thermal power plants closely match the U.S.’s daily and annual energy needs, playing a huge role in our country’s quest for affordable, independent power.
• Solar thermal power plants create two and one-half times as many skilled, high paying jobs for the communities in which they operate as do conventional power plants that use fossil fuels.
• The manufacture of concentrating solar devices and solar thermal devices is far from heavy duty, comparable to that used for windows, water heaters, or mirrors.
• Flat plate collectors are the most common type used for residential solar thermal power applications, such as swimming pools. These rectangular boxes store water that moves along a storage and distribution system as it’s heated by the sun.
• Alternatives to flat plate collectors are evacuated tubes and integral collector storage boxes.
• Solar thermal power systems can be active or passive.
• According to Treehugger, solar hot water is the cheapest and most effective active solar power system there is.

Ready to install a passive integral collector storage system? Using this method, you can preheat your water with the sun before it reaches a back-up system, saving money on your energy bill. Ready to heat your swimming pool via the solar route? We’re here to help. Contact a professional solar installer through CalFinder Solar’s free screening and referral service.

Posted on March 19th in Solar Information by Renee.