Solar themal (solar water heating) systems are not new. Heating water with the sun goes all the way back to 1860! Check out this solar thermal timeline (click here).
Posts Tagged ‘solar thermal’
Solar Thermal Timeline
September 8th, 2009Solar Water Heating Payback
August 10th, 2009
One of the most common questions I hear is, “What is the payback period for a solar water heater?” While I do have accurate figures from numerous Maryland solar case studies, it is important to realize solar panel payback can be a rather complicated calculation and each home must be analyzed individually. Whether you are installing solar PV panels or solar thermal for water heating, the payback periods will depend on your specific scenario. That being said, one could over simplify the whole solar panel payback period topic by shedding light on the fact that it actually has a payback period while fossil fuel based alternatives do not. So, whether your solar panel payback period is 3 years or 7 years…at least you have a payback.
Fossil Fuels Solar Panels
-No Payback Period -A Payback Period
-High Levels of CO2 Emissions -Almost No CO2 Emissions
-Dependence On Energy Suppliers -Energy Independence
A Great Solar Thermal Book
June 15th, 2009
Whether you are a homeowner considering a solar water heater installation or a student writing a paper on solar energy…This is a great book
Solar Panels & Cloudy Days
June 3rd, 2009
Robert Kyriakides is a big part of the solar thermal industry in the U.K. In a recent blog post he gave a great scientific answer to this common solar panel question…
“Do solar panels work on cloudy days?”
Investing In Solar Energy
June 1st, 2009
Many people in Maryland are making the choice to switch to a solar water heater purely for investment and energy security reasons. The fact that solar water heaters eliminate CO2 emissions is an additional bonus for many people, but not the reason they decided to install a solar thermal system.
With the stock market doing poorly and the real estate market in a tailspin opportunities for investing become more uncertain. The days of buying a house and waiting for it to double in value are over and the stock market is incredibly unstable with companies struggling to stay afloat.
Where does this leave you as an investor? Where do you put your money? Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate?
Investing in energy producing assets for your home can make a lot of sense. Energy producing assets help to reduce your cost of living by eliminate fossil fuel based energy consumption. This reduces your bills and your dependence on foreign oil.
High levels of uncertainty and low returns in traditional investment vehicles makes the idea of investing in technologies that produce energy very attractive. Something to think about.
