Solar-Thermal

What is Solar-Thermal?

There are 3 solar thermal technologies to be assessed in this study.

  1. Solar thermal water heating:
    Solar thermal water heating converts sunlight into heat energy. Through the use of solar collectors, heat is created by the absorption of the sun’s rays through a dark coloured absorber. This heat is then transferred, usually through water or a glycol mixture, to a process or load, through a heat exchanger.
  2. Solar thermal air heating:
    Solar thermal air heating converts sunlight into heat energy. Through the use of solar collectors, heat is created by the absorption of the sun’s rays through an absorber. This heat is then transferred to air and is then drawn into the building’s ventilation system or process.
  3. Solar thermal cooling: Solar thermal cooling converts sunlight into cooling energy. Through the use of solar collectors, heat is created by the absorption of the sun’s rays through a dark coloured absorber. This heat is then used to drive a cooling process to produce chilled water. This chilled water can then be used for a process or load through a heat exchanger.

Why Solar-Thermal?

The development of solar thermal technology at your agricultural operation will have a number of the following economic, social and environmental benefits, such as:

  1. Use of a free, renewable energy resource to offset current energy costs;
  2. Protection from increasing costs in traditional energy sources;
  3. Help reduce peak load demands to postpone the need for additional energy resources; and
  4. Production of energy with minimal climate change consequences