Keep your pool warm year-round with a solar pool heater.
Solar power is being used increasingly in homes to both reduce electricity and gas bills and to develop greener habits. The most common uses are the generation of power through photovoltaic solar panels or the installation of a solar water heater that feeds the hot water cylinder and reduces the amount of energy needed to keep it hot. But there are other ways in which you can use solar power in your home.
Electricity Production
Collect the power you need to run your home through the installation of panels of photovoltaic cells to attract sunlight. Convert the DC power collected into AC power through the installation of an inverter. Store the accumulated energy in a bank of batteries. You can choose whether to switch to a completely solar-powered home or a grid-tied system that contributes to your electricity requirements. When more power than you need is produced in this type of system, it goes back into the grid and you are credited for it. This will give you a backup power supply when necessary and enable you to reduce your bills to offset the high installation costs.
Water Heating
Install a solar water heater that warms the water in the panel and pumps it into a storage tank. From there it is fed into your hot water system, reducing the amount of power needed to keep the water hot. Since your hot water tank is one of the highest users of power, this will make an immediate difference to your electricity bill.
Pool Heating
Your swimming pool water can be kept pleasantly warm year-round with the installation of a solar pool heater, provided you live in an area that gets direct sunlight almost daily. This is an independent solar collector panel that transfers the sun's heat to the water as it passes through the panel. The water then goes back into the pool and helps to warm the water around it.
Lighting
Use energy produced during daylight hours and stored in your battery bank to power your indoor lights. Outdoor lights can be installed that have self-contained units of solar cells that collect and retain enough power to last for around eight hours.
Cooking
Replace your old barbecue with a solar cooker. These come in a variety of designs, including a parabolic cooker, a panel cooker and a box cooker. A solar oven can be built in your garden and used whenever there is direct sunlight.
Warming and Cooling
Keep your home cool through the installation of a solar-powered attic fan. This prevents the buildup of humidity in the attic or crawl space and will reduce your air-conditioning and other cooling costs.
Prevent the loss of warmth in winter through the use of double-glazed windowpanes. These work by collecting direct sunlight or ultraviolet to warm the air between the panes. Coupled with insulation, this helps to maintain warmth in the home.
