Sunlight is converted into heat in a solar thermal energy system. It can be used for heating and domestic hot water heating. Thus, your heating costs can be reduced significantly. In addition, the environment also benefits because fossil fuels need not be used for generating energy. An additional benefit: You can combine your solar thermal system with any heat generator in the house, e.g. with a gas or oil condensing boiler, a pellet heating system or with a heat pump.
If you use solar thermal energy only for preparing domestic hot water, then you will need only a few solar panels on the roof. The solar energy heats an absorber that is connected to copper pipes. The pipes are filled with an anti-freeze liquid, the solar medium. This heated medium finally transfers its energy to the domestic hot water tank or heating storage tank via a heat exchanger.
Reduce energy consumption
You can generate about 60 percent of the energy demand for domestic hot water by yourself using solar thermal energy. A heat generator is automatically turned on if the solar energy is not sufficient. To prepare domestic hot water and heat your rooms as well with the help of solar thermal energy, you will need an additional buffer storage tank or you can use a combined storage tank with integrated preparation of domestic hot water.