Solar installations (systems equipped with solar collectors) are devices whose task is to convert solar energy into heat. Although solar collectors in the Polish climate zone are not as efficient as in countries located closer to the equator, their popularity is constantly growing, both in commercial and individual applications (in private homes). What are solar installations? Check what are the applications of solar installations?
Check out solar installations at the Onninen wholesaler
Solar installations are an investment, not an expense
Solar installations are effective wherever there is a need for heat with a relatively small demand for electricity. Solar collectors are installed to reduce the costs of traditional energy sources supplied from the network (independence from external suppliers), support central heating and heating utility water. The benefits of the installation increase with the increase in demand for heat energy.
The economic justification for installing collectors is the efficiency and service life of the solar installation, which can be reduced to the time of acceptable ability to convert solar energy into heat. In the case of flat collectors, their service life is estimated at over 25 years, while the service life of vacuum solar collectors is slightly shorter, around 20 years, with a certain compensation being higher efficiency compared to flat counterparts.
An excellent example of such a solution is the Wolf TOPSON F3-1 d liquid flat solar collector .
Low maintenance and operating costs of solar installations
Solar collectors are one of the easiest to install and at the same time - as a renewable energy source - the cheapest method, thanks to which heat is obtained by using solar energy. The construction of a solar collector, in contrast to what a photovoltaic installation presents, is very simple.
The collector assembly does not require the use of specialist tools, which is why some users decide to do the installation themselves. This fact contributes to significant savings, not to mention the benefits for the environment.
Investment in collectors (solar panels) is characterized by a low purchase price, negligible operating costs (possibly service fees and maintenance services) and a long service life of the devices, which in each case ensures a quick return on investment and, consequently, further free use of heat for many years.
High collector efficiency, which is the ratio of the volume of energy received by the working medium to the energy delivered to the active surface of the collector, generates significant savings. Of course, the more intense the solar radiation, the more efficient the solar energy. An example of such a device is the high-performance Wolf CFK-1 solar collector with a harp structure for vertical installation .
The efficiency is improved by good absorber insulation and its low temperature. Comparing solar collectors to photovoltaic panels, the first one is very good. While in the case of panels, an efficiency of over 20% is satisfactory, vacuum solar collectors can generate an efficiency of 50 to even 70%.
Problems with solar energy storage
A situation that can happen during the operation of solar collectors is a power failure. The working medium (usually glycol) transporting heat requires the use of a circulation pump powered by electricity. Even a momentary power failure can lead to relatively rapid overheating of the glycol and damage to the heating collectors.
To avoid this, it is worth investing in an uninterruptible power supply system (UPS), consisting of a UPS converter and a battery storing the generated electricity, such as the Solplanet 2.56 kWh high-voltage battery module, voltage 51.2 V, AI-HB_2.56LG-Unit G2 .
Otherwise, the user will be forced to cover the collectors located on the roof or facade, which will result in a decrease in the temperature of the working medium.
Unfortunately, in the case of devices using renewable energy sources – in this case the sun – storing energy is associated with additional costs and the need to use technical support. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to install a photovoltaic installation equipped with an efficient inverter.
Are solar panels actually profitable in Polish conditions?
Collectors do not produce electricity, the essence of their operation is the extraction of heat energy via the absorber. In order to provide access to one's own power source, photovoltaics are necessary.
It is worth adding here that, contrary to the opinions that appear, photovoltaic panels are always fully profitable, regardless of the settlement method. Of course, the level of savings depends on the efficiency of the FV installation and the way the energy is used, in which an energy storage should help.
The profitability of photovoltaics is also clearly increased by available funding. For years, the "Mój Prąd" program has provided financial support for photovoltaics, which, among other things, is supposed to have a positive impact on the state of the Earth's atmosphere.
Solar collectors are treated in a similar way, and they are a subsidized element within the modernization of central heating and domestic hot water installations. However, it is important to purchase solar sets apply in the same application for funding for the purchase and installation of a new heat source.