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Environmental Issues By Alan J Hartley |
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Solar Energy Using Water Panels. |
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As far back as ancient Greece
scientists realised that a bottle, which was full of water, would get
hot if left out in the sun. Nowadays, in very hot weather, people joke
about being able As the water inside the panels heats
up from the action of sunlight on it, it is piped round the house for
heating, used as hot water in taps, or stored in a water tank for use
later. The idea of free heat from the sun is great in principal, but
very few people seem to be impressed with the systems that they have had
installed according to recent popular press reports. In an existing
house much plumbing work is needed and upheaval is caused by their
installation. Roof assemblies are heavy for some roofs and systems seem
to be expensive for the end results, which can be very poor with our
often dull, cold, British climate. This often results in the need for
additional back up heating for the night time that also has to be used
for some of the day time, in conjunction with the solar panels, to
provide enough heat to maintain a decent household and hot water
temperature.
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Unusual
& Old
Unusual
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to
fry eggs on the pavement, or on the metal body of a car. It is from this
knowledge that Solar (Water) panels have been developed for domestic
heating purposes. In very simple terms they are the same as the
radiators in your house. The difference is that they operate in reverse
and instead of giving out heat from the water flowing through them they
absorb heat. As with many household radiators they are coated on the
back with insulation to reflect heat back inside and to further increase
efficiency and heat absorption their surface is usually black.
The
general press give the impression that there are many “Cowboys” in
the trade who are very unscrupulous as regards to pricing and the
claimed benefits of systems. Perhaps with a little more development,
better designs, and better regulation, there will be a place for Solar
(Water) Panel heating systems in houses in the UK in future,
particularly in new build houses. The trade has been likened to the
early days of “Double Glazing” in the UK and as we all know, new
houses all have double glazing fitted as standard now and the Government
is trying to persuade the public to install double glazing in all older
houses as well.