This solar thermal system provides both hot water and in-floor heating to this house and garage for a family of four, and has a 40 gallon tank for thermal storage along with a 15kW electric heater as a back-up.
In the summer, 2 of the 4 banks of evacuated tubes are covered, and the heat is used for hot water.
During the winter, all 4 banks of evacuated tubes are used, producing the main source of heat for the garage and house, which are both one story and have an area of roughly 186 m2 (2000 sq. ft.). The heat comes from passing glycol through tubes set in the concrete floor of the buildings. Each section of the house has its own separate heating control.
This system, combined with the energy-efficient envelope of the house, allows the solar thermal system to meet a majority of the heating needs for the buildings, with the electric heater as a rarely-used backup. At times, too much heat is produced by the solar thermal system. For the winter of 2008, the owners spent only $200 in heating costs!
