Utilizing Solar Heat Energy for Air Conditioning

Solar heating is a cost-effective way to incorporate solar power for homes. Solar heating needs very little maintenance as well as being good for the environment, unlike the more traditional methods of air conditioning.

You can use solar heat energy in different ways, and the method will also
depend on the kind of building that you live in – residential or
commercial.

How Solar Heat Energy Works

There are different ways of using solar heat energy, such as active solar
cooling, passive solar cooling and photovoltaic conversion.

In passive solar cooling, you have a process which slows down the heat
transfer rate as it goes into a building. This will also greatly improve
the way unwanted heat is removed.

This passive solar cooling is very appropriate for use in new buildings.
This is because it can be hard to adapt the passive cooling system to
buildings that are already existing.

You also have active solar cooling on the other hand. This one works
differently compared to passive solar cooling. Here, you have solar
thermal collectors that can get the solar heat energy and use it to make
absorption chillers works.

You have water heated inside thermal collectors, which will then initiate
a dynamic process to chill the water. It will get cold up to an estimated
forty four degrees Fahrenheit.

The water will then travel through several copper pipes and as it travels
it gets too cool the air which is distributed around the building.

You also have photovoltaics, which gives electricity for many cooling
systems. These photovoltaics convert the solar heat energy right into the
electric current.

Such electric currents are channeled in order to provide power to
conventional compressor and cooling systems which are absorption based.

Right Uses of Solar Heat Energy Air Conditioning

Another one is photovoltaic solar cooling, which could either be based on
evaporative cooler or conventional air conditioner, depending on whether
or not you live in a commercial or a residential building.

The evaporative cooler can be based on dry climates while the other kind
is better for most climates. Such methods will save up to one hundred
percent of the energy that is used by the conventional air conditioning
systems.

To use this, the business owner will have to put in evacuated heat pipes
or flat plate solar collectors onto the building roof. The evacuated heat
pipes are the preferred method since the tubes are on the lightweight side
and very easy to install.

And finally, you have the active solar cooling, which is good for most
climates. It is less expensive compared to photovoltaic, but is only
available for the commercial buildings only. This also requires the use of
solar energy panels, too.

About the Author:

Mary Mattoon writes for the air conditioning units blog , her personal hobby blog focused on tips to consume less energy using home air conditioning systems.

Tags: