Solar Heaters for Homeowners

Overview

• Solar home heating begins with one or more solar panels or collectors installed on the roof of the home. A series of pipes carries water, antifreeze or some other liquid through the collector, where the liquid absorbs solar heat energy. A pump directs this liquid to a storage tank or heat exchanger within the home, where it is used to provide heat using either forced air or a radiant system.

Whole-House Systems

• A radiant solar heating system functions like a traditional boiler. After the heated water enters the home, it flows to an insulated storage tank, similar to those found on a boiler or hot water heater. From here, the hot water travels through pipes in the home, where it provides heat via a radiant floor system or using a network of baseboard heaters. Solar forced air systems work with your existing central heating system, relying on a heat exchanger to transform heated liquid into warm air for the home. The hot liquid from the solar collector passes through a heat exchanger positioned in the ductwork just before the furnace. Return air from the home passes over this heat exchanger to collect heat and is then forced through the ducts using the blower or fan on your furnace to heat the home. If the heat exchanger can't produce enough heat to warm your entire home, the furnace kicks in as a backup to provide additional heat energy.

Single-Room Systems

• Solar heaters designed to heat a single room can be installed directly into south-facing walls and windows. These units consist of a metal-framed collector box with a glass-plated surface to absorb solar energy and warm the air within the box. A fan then blows this heated air into the room, and cooler air from inside the room enters the collector to be heated.

Considerations

• The U.S. Department of Energy states that solar home heating is most cost effective in cold areas with plentiful sun exposure. These systems may also make sense in places like California where electricity and fossil fuels are more expensive than average. Generally, solar heating is most cost effective when the system is designed to meet between 40 and 80 percent of the home's heating needs, according to the DOE. While homeowners looking to live off the grid might wish to build a solar heating system to supply all the home's heat, most building codes and mortgage lenders require some form of backup heating, according to the DOE. Using solar panels to heat water or pools in addition to heating the home may help make solar systems more cost effective. Federal and local financial incentives aimed at encouraging the use of renewable energy may help offset the significant upfront costs associated with solar heating.