In early October, residents of Fairbanks, Alaska were able to participate in a self-guided Solar Tour designed to make them aware of the possibilities of solar energy in a place where sunshine is often limited. As residents toured both homes and businesses, they got a look at one of the most exciting new technologies: solar thermal.

Solar thermal is different from photovoltaic in a number of ways:

• Energy Generation – Photovoltaic systems capture the sun’s visible rays and convert them directly into electricity. This is the type of system you typically see mounted on the roof of a residential home. Solar thermal is different in that it captures energy from ultraviolet rays and converts it into heat.
• Application – The limits of photovoltaic technology make it useful primarily as a supplement to traditional electrical generation. Solar thermal can be used to completely replace traditional electric when systems are designed properly and include efficient heat storage systems.
• Environment – For photovoltaic panels to work at peak efficiency, the sun must be shining brightly. On cloudy days photovoltaic is not able to produce much energy, if any at all. Solar thermal does not need direct sunlight because it relies on ultraviolet rays; rays that easily penetrate cloud cover. A solar thermal system with evacuated tube collectors can effectively produce energy from sunup until sundown.

Evacuated Tube Collectors

The heart of the solar thermal system is the evacuated tube solar collectors installed in neat rows on a frame. Special material inside the tubes captures ultraviolet energy and converts it to heat. The heat is drawn away from the tubes by way of a thermal transfer liquid and then used to heat water for direct use or for space heating.

Solar America Solutions manufactures the SunQuest 250 panels for commercial applications. We install these panels and their associated equipment in manufacturing environments, agricultural operations, government buildings, educational institutions, and more. Our systems are helping more and more business and government entities achieve dramatic cost savings for heating and hot water needs.

Imagine two or three panels mounted on the roof of your building, collecting solar energy and turning it into heat whenever the sun is up, regardless of whether it’s cloudy or not. Imagine the system generating so much heat it can provide for all of your space heating and hot water needs with some left over. What you do with the excess?

The best idea is to install a storage tank inside your building. The tank captures all of the excess heat for later use when the sun goes down. Under ideal conditions, your system could be generating space heat and hot water around the clock. And this isn’t just theory; this is something already being experienced by solar thermal users.

If solar thermal can be an effective sustainable energy source in Anchorage, Alaska, it can be used just about anywhere. Solar America Solutions would love to show you how we can make it work for you.