Home Solar Power Systems Can Be More Than Just What Meets the Eye

When many people think of home solar power systems, they are thinking about passive solar collectors or panels. Usually placed on the southerly slope of the roof of a house, these collectors capture the heat from the sun during the day that is then transferred to other things like pool heaters in the evening. While this is a great way to jump into the solar energy market and to save money and valuable energy, there are also some other fantastic solar systems that are much more than what meets the eye.

Again using passive technology, there are many very viable water heating systems that that are also home solar power systems that involve the circulation of water through a series of pipes onto your roof. The water in the pipes is heated by the heat of the sun, and then by force of gravity travels down to an area inside your house where the heat is transferred to water used for washing and bathing.
Yet another home solar system involves the placement of a wall of special material outside of a south facing area of your house. This solar wall, which looks like a corrugated and perforated metal sheet, is is heated by the sun and as air behind the wall, in an approximately 1 inch space, is heated and rises to the top of the wall it is sucked in by fan into your house and circulated through heating ducts throughout your house.

While all of the systems described above are example of passive uses of home solar power systems, they can all be used to provide more than just heat and hot water. In combination with a battery to store the energy collected, and an inverter to change the energy into DC power, these systems can also be used as part of a home energy power grid system, replacing part or all of the electricity requirements of your household. While power grid systems do require a little more planning, they are also more and more viable alternatives for anyone who is renovating or building a new home. There are also many grants and programs available if you are interested in pursuing this option. Who knows, maybe your system will be become the next power generator for your neighbourhood.

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