Title: Unit 1 Overview
Course: REEC 220 Solar Thermal Systems > Section: REEC 220 Solar Thermal Systems

Unit 1 Overview

Unit 1 Overview

Solar thermal is collectively the name given to any number of systems that collect the energy from the sun and use it to heat.  This heat produced most of the time means heating water, but not always.

Solar thermal systems include the following:

- Domestic hot Water
- Pool Heating
- Space Heating
- Commercial

Solar thermal heat production is more efficient than producing electricity from the sun.

When performing a site assessment of a location the first task that really needs to be done is an investigation of the needs of the location and the location itself.  When investigating if the location is a viable place for solar thermal a solar pathfinder needs to be performed.

After completing the solar pathfinder activity the next step is to complete a RETScreen solar thermal heating assessment.

The data and graphs collected from these two parts will be combined into the MREA’s Solar Thermal Site Assessment.
Important Terms | Definition
Insolation | The amount of sun that strikes the Earth.  In PV we measure in kWh/m^2/day in solar thermal we measure it as BTUs/ft^2/day.
BTU | The amount of energy needed to heat 1 pound of water one degree F.  Think a single wood match that is completely burnt, this is about one BTU.  Of BTU means British Thermal Unit.
Azimuth | The angle the sun with respect to the north.  Based on 360 degrees.  If the sun is due south of the location of the solar thermal system the azimuth would be 180 degrees.  NOTE sometimes this angle maybe noted as 0degrees.  Based upon true south.
Tilt | The angle of the solar collectors set to an angle that will maximize energy collection.  Many times this angle is set to the same angle as the solar thermal site latitude.
Sun Path Finder | A tool used to measure the amount of available solar energy at a proposed site.