In most regions of Russia, huge sums are spent on heating residential buildings. This leads homeowners to look for additional opportunities in this area. The energy of solar radiation is environmentally friendly and free heat. By applying modern technologies, you can use solar energy to heat premises in the regions of central and southern Russia.

Possibilities of modern technologies

The surface of the earth receives a different amount of solar energy, it all depends on the location of the territory relative to the equator and the season. For example, in the Arctic there is much less sun than in the equatorial part. In addition, in summer, solar radiation is more intense than in winter period... When calculating the average values, experts have determined that in one hour a square meter of the earth's surface receives about 160 watts of solar energy. Modern systems are characterized by high productivity, which makes it possible to use the energy of solar radiation almost anywhere.

To receive maximum efficiency when using solar energy, two methods are used:

• Direct heating of heat collectors. Direct sunlight heats up the heat collectors, which in turn transfer heat to the liquid in the heating circuit and hot water supply system. Heat collectors can be open and closed type, can be flat or spherical. The heat energy received from the collectors can be used to heat the working medium in the water supply system and the heat carrier in the heating system.
• The use of solar panels. In this case, solar energy is converted into electricity, which is subsequently transmitted to the consumer through a special system.

Development of solutions for the collection, storage and use of energy sun rays progresses fairly quickly. However, there are many positive and negative aspects in this area.

Advantages and disadvantages of using solar collectors and batteries

The main advantage to using solar heating systems is general availability. In second place is the absence of emissions. Solar energy is considered the most environmentally friendly and natural form of energy.

In addition, the operation of solar panels and collectors is noiseless, and the location on the roof of the building saves usable space.

The main inconvenience when using solar energy for home consumers is from intermittent lighting. For example, at night there is no possibility of collecting energy, and at winter time when a lot of heat is required, the daylight hours are rather short.

In addition, it is necessary to constantly monitor the cleanliness of the panels so as not to reduce the efficiency. It should also be noted that the depreciation of equipment, work circulation pump and control electronics requires fixed costs.

Open solar collectors

The design of open solar collectors is made in the form of a system of tubes, unprotected from external influences... Inside this system, a coolant circulates, which heats up directly from the sun's rays. The tubes are fixed on the support panel in the form of a snake or with parallel rows and exit to the branch pipe. The tubes can be filled with water, gas, air or antifreeze.

Simple construction and no insulation makes open collectors affordable for almost all consumers. In addition, home craftsmen have the opportunity to make solar heating of a private house with their own hands.

The lack of insulation on the tubes of the system does not allow the received solar energy to be stored, therefore such systems have a very low efficiency. Their main use is to heat water in swimming pools and showers in summer time... Most often collectors open type residents of warm and sunny regions, where the temperature of the air and heated water does not have significant differences, are used. The greatest work efficiency was noted in sunny weather in the absence of wind.

Tubular solar collectors

For assembly of tubular solar collector separate tubes filled with water, gas or steam are used. This design is one of the types of open solar systems, but with a more coolant, more protected from the negative effects of external factors. These include vacuum installations, arranged according to the principle of a thermos.

In a tubular solar collector, the tubes are arranged in parallel with individual connections to the common system. This allows replacing a failed tube with a new element without affecting the operation of the entire structure. In addition, the system can be assembled directly on the roof of the building, which greatly simplifies the installation process.

The main advantage of the tubular solar collector is the cylindrical shape of the main elements. Thanks to this, solar energy is collected throughout the day, and this does not require the installation of additional devices that monitor the movement of the sun.

Depending on the design features, solar collectors are divided into two types: feather and coaxial.

Coaxial type tubes bear some resemblance to a conventional thermos. Their design consists of two flasks with air pumped out between them. The surface inside the first bulb is coated with a highly selective substance that is capable of absorbing solar energy as much as possible. It is this layer that serves as a kind of conductor of thermal energy to the internal heat exchanger, which consists of aluminum plates. However, this stage is characterized by a large amount of unwanted heat loss.

Feather tubes are made of glass and have a cylindrical shape; a feather absorber is located inside the glass cylinder. The absence of air inside the tube significantly increases thermal insulation characteristics... The amount of heat transferred from the absorber practically does not decrease, therefore, the efficiency of such collectors is much higher.

Heat transfer is carried out by a direct-flow system and by means of a thermotube.

A thermotube is a sealed container, inside which an easily evaporating liquid is poured, which is most often used as water under low pressure. Heating up from the inner walls of a container or a feather absorber, the liquid boils, and its vapors rise upward. After the transfer of thermal energy to the heat carrier of the heating system or hot water supply, steam condenses into a liquid, which flows down the walls.

The straight-through system is a U-shaped tube with a coolant circulating inside.

In one half of the tube, a cold heat carrier is located, through the second part, the heated liquid is discharged. As the temperature rises, the coolant expands, and it enters the storage tank to ensure natural circulation.

The main condition for the location of the thermotube and the direct-flow system is the creation of a certain angle of inclination, which should not be less than 20 degrees.

The systems of the direct-flow type are characterized by the greatest efficiency, since the coolant is directly heated in them.

Advantages and disadvantages of heating systems

Like any system, tubular solar collectors have their own positive and negative sides... The advantages of the system are the following:

• Slight heat loss.
• The ability to use at a sufficiently low air temperature, up to -30 degrees.
• High efficiency throughout the day.
• High performance indicators in regions with cold and temperate climates.
• Low windage, which is explained by the fact that the tubular systems pass through the main amount of air masses.
• The ability to heat the coolant to a high temperature.
• Long operational life.

Of the shortcomings of the system Special attention attracts the following:

• The system is not capable of clearing snow, ice and frost on its own.
• High price level.

As for the high cost, it should be noted here that tubular collectors pay off in a fairly short time.

Closed-type flat solar collectors

The flat collector structure is an aluminum frame with a special absorbing layer and a transparent coating. It also includes piping and insulation.

Blackened copper sheet with excellent thermal conductivity is used as an absorbent layer, ideal for solar systems. The absorber absorbs the energy of solar radiation and transfers it to the coolant, which circulates through the adjacent pipeline.

The outer part of the panel has a protection in the form of a transparent coating, for the manufacture of which tempered glass was used, resistant to mechanical damage. This allows you to create reliable protection from the hail. The bandwidth of such glass is 0.4-1.8 microns, which is sufficient for maximum solar radiation. The inner side of the panel has a good thermal insulation layer.

Closed flat panels have a number of undeniable advantages:

• Simple construction.
• High efficiency when used in warm regions.
• The presence of a device for changing the angle of inclination of the panel, which allows you to choose the optimal arrangement of the structure.
• Self-cleaning from frost and snow.
• Acceptable cost.
• Long service life, quality products can last up to half a century.

If the use of the system has been included in the design of the building, then a great benefit can be obtained.

Of the shortcomings, attention is drawn to the following:

• High heat loss.
• Enough large mass constructions.
• High windage of inclined panels.
• Low performance at temperature changes up to 40 degrees.

Area of ​​use of flat closed panels for heating a house using solar panels is wide enough:

• In summer, the systems fully satisfy the hot water demand.
• Between heating seasons, they are able to replace gas appliances heating and electric heaters.

Comparative characteristics of some types of solar collectors

The main characteristic of any solar collector is its performance. The efficiency of the system is determined depending on the design features and the temperature difference. it should be borne in mind that the cost of flat collectors is much lower than that of tubular systems.

When choosing a solar collector, you should carefully study the parameters on which the efficiency of solar water heating and the power of the structure depend.

Solar collectors have a number of rather important characteristics:

• The coefficient of adsorption can be used to determine the ratio of the total and absorbed energy of solar radiation.
• The ratio of the amount of transferred heat and absorbed energy is determined by the emission factor.
• The ratio of the total and aperture area.
• Efficiency.

The aperture area is to be understood as the working area of ​​the collector. Systems flat type characterized by the maximum values ​​of this indicator. The aperture area corresponds to the area of ​​the absorbent layer.

Ways to connect to the heating system

One of the disadvantages of solar collectors is the impossibility of a constant supply of energy. Therefore, when connecting, it is important to select a system that is capable of operating in a limited mode.

In the regions of central Russia, solar collectors are used as an additional source of heat, since they do not guarantee a constant flow of energy. Connecting solar collectors and batteries to a functioning heating and hot water supply system has some differences that must be taken into account.

Connecting heat collectors

The connection diagram is determined by the direct purpose of the structure, most often two options are used:

• For heating water in summer.
• For heating the coolant in winter in heating and hot water supply systems.

The first option is distinguished by its simplicity, its work is based on the natural movement of the coolant. Therefore, such a scheme for using solar energy for a private house can be used without a circulation pump. The principle of operation is as follows: when heated by the sun's rays, the water in the collector expands and enters the storage tank. Cold liquid is sucked in place of the leaving water.

However, it should be borne in mind that for greater efficiency of the system with natural circulation, it is necessary to create a certain angle of inclination. In addition, it is important to locate the storage tank more high level than a solar collector.

To maintain a high temperature of the coolant, the storage tank requires additional thermal insulation.

Maximum effective work solar collector requires more than complex scheme connections.

Antifreeze coolant is poured into the system and a circulation pump is cut in. To control its operation, a controller and temperature sensors are installed. The first sensor shows the values ​​of the water temperature in the storage tank, the second sensor is installed on the pipe supplying the hot coolant from the solar collector. This scheme works according to the following principle: when the water in the tank heats up above the set parameters, the circulation pump is turned off, and the movement of the coolant stops. When the temperature drops to the control values, the controller turns on the heating boiler.

How solar panels are connected

The connection diagram of the solar collector, in which solar energy is accumulated, cannot be used to connect solar panels. In this case, you will have to additionally install an expensive battery pack. Therefore, you need to use another option.

Energy from solar panels is transferred to a charge controller, which is designed to continuously supply energy to the batteries and stabilize the voltage. When electricity is supplied to the inverter, the direct current is converted into an alternating single-phase current of 220 V.

Receiving a universal form of energy for heating a house from the sun makes solar panels more profitable, but do not forget about the lower efficiency of this system. It should also be borne in mind that a solar collector cannot store energy, as solar panels do.

Power calculation

To use solar collectors profitably, it is important to consider the following manufacturer's recommendations:

• The system should provide only 70% of hot water supply.
• V heating system solar collectors can receive no more than 30% of the energy.

Only in this case it is possible to achieve savings in heating and hot water costs by almost 40%.

When calculating the collector capacity for heating a house with solar energy, you should also take into account the location of the system, the angle of inclination of the panels and the average annual temperature in the region.

The main criterion for comfort in a private cottage or apartment is warmth. In a cold house, even the chicest setting will not help create comfortable conditions... But in order for the optimal temperature for living to be maintained in the room not only in summer, but also in winter, you will need to install a heating system.

This can be done easily today by purchasing a gas, diesel or electric boiler as a heat source. But the problem is that fuel for such equipment is expensive and not available in all localities. What then to choose? The best solution are alternative sources heat and in particular solar heating.

Device and principle of operation

What is such a system? First of all, it should be said that there are two options for solar heating. They involve the use of elements that are different both in terms of design and purpose:

• Collector;
• Photovoltaic panel.

And if the equipment of the first type is intended solely to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room, then solar panels for home heating can be used to generate electricity and heat. Their principle of operation is based on converting the energy of the sun and storing it in batteries, so that it can then be used for various needs.

We watch the video, everything about this collector:

The use of a collector allows you to organize only solar heating systems for a private house, while using thermal energy... Such a device operates as follows. The sun's rays heat the water, which is a heat carrier and comes from the pipeline. The same system can also be used as hot water supply. The composition includes special photocells.

Collector device

But besides them, the complete set of solar heating includes:

• Special tank;
• Avankamera;
• Radiator made of tubes and enclosed in a box, in which the front wall is made of glass.

Solar panels for home heating are located on the roof. In it, the water, warming up, moves to the front chamber where it is replaced by a hot coolant. This allows constant dynamic pressure to be maintained in the system.

Heating types using alternative sources

The easiest way to convert the energy of a luminary into heat is to use solar panels to heat your home. They are increasingly being used as additional energy sources. But what are these devices and are they really effective?

We watch the video, types and their features of work:

The task of the solar heating system installed on the roof of the house is to absorb as much solar radiation as possible, then converting it into energy so necessary for a person. But it should be borne in mind that it can be converted both into heat and electrical energy... Solar heating systems are used to generate heat and heat water. Special batteries are used to generate electric current. They store energy in the daytime and release it at night. However, there are also combined systems today. In them, solar panels generate heat and electricity at the same time.

As for solar water heaters for home heating, they are presented on the market with a wide range. Moreover, the models can have a different purpose, design, principle of operation, dimensions.

Various options

For example, in appearance and design, the heating systems of a private house are divided into:

1. Flat;
2. Tubular vacuum.

By purpose, they are classified as used for:

• Heating and hot water supply systems;
• For heating the water in the pool.

There are differences in the principle of work. Solar heating with collectors is perfect choice for country houses, since they do not require an electrical connection. Models with forced circulation are connected to a common heating system, in which the coolant is circulated using a pump.

We watch the video, compare flat and tubular collectors:

Not all collectors are suitable for solar heating country house... According to this criterion, they are divided into:

• Seasonal;
• Year-round.

The former are used for heating suburban buildings, the latter in private households.

Compare with conventional heating systems

If we compare this equipment with gas or electric, then it has much more advantages. First of all, this is fuel economy. In summer, solar heating is able to fully provide the people living in the house hot water... In autumn and spring, when there are few clear days, the equipment can be used to reduce the load on a standard boiler. As for the winter season, usually at this time the efficiency of the collectors is very low.

We watch the video, the efficiency of collectors in winter:

But besides saving fuel, using solar-powered equipment reduces dependence on gas and electricity. To install solar heating, you do not need to obtain a permit and anyone who has basic knowledge of plumbing can install it.

We watch the video, the criteria for the selection of equipment:

Another plus is the long service life of the collector. The guaranteed service life of the equipment is at least 15 years, which means for this period your utility bills will be minimal.

However, like any device, the collector has some disadvantages:

• On solar water heaters for a private house, the price is quite high;
• The inability to use it as the only source of heat;
• Installation of a storage tank is required.

There is one more nuance. Solar heating efficiency varies by region. In the southern regions, where solar activity is high, the equipment will have the highest efficiency. Therefore, it is most profitable to use such equipment in the south and it will be less effective in the north.

Solar collector selection and installation

Before proceeding with the installation of equipment included in the heating system, it is necessary to study its capabilities. In order to find out how much heat is required to heat a house, you need to calculate its area. It is important to choose the right place for installing the solar collector. It should be as lit as possible throughout the day. Therefore, the equipment is usually installed on the southern part of the roof.

Performance installation works it is better to entrust it to specialists, because even a small mistake in the installation of a solar heating system will lead to a significant decrease in the efficiency of the system. Only when correct installation solar collector, it will last up to 25 years, and fully paid for itself in the first 3 years.

The main types of collectors and their characteristics

If the building for some reason is not suitable for the installation of equipment, then you can place the panels on the adjacent building, and put the drive in the basement.

Benefits of solar heating

The nuances that you should pay attention to when choosing this system were discussed above. And if you did everything right, then your solar heating system will bring you only pleasant moments. Among its advantages it should be noted:

• The ability to provide the house with heat all year round, with the ability to adjust the temperature;
• Full autonomy from centralized utilities and reduced financial costs;
• The use of solar energy for various needs;
• Long service life of equipment and rare emergencies.

The only thing that stops consumers from buying a solar system for heating a private house is the dependence of their work on the geography of their residence. If clear days are rare in your area, the efficiency of the equipment will be minimal.

It is no secret that the lion's share of utilities goes to pay for electricity, heating and hot water supply. Getting energy from non-renewable sources is not an easy task. There is no country where heating is cheap. Therefore, many residents of the northern and southern regions pay attention to the possibility of using solar energy for heating. Any owner of a private house would like to use the sun's rays for domestic needs. The energy obtained in this way is absolutely free and inexhaustible.

However, not all so simple. One bulb does not need a lot of power. But for a family of three, you need from 200 to 500 kW per month for household appliances. How realistic is it to equip your home modern system solar heating? First, let's look at the pros and cons of alternative heating.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Heating

In addition to saving money, what other advantages can you pay attention to?

• Energy independence. You are not dependent on gas, oil or coal prices. The economic situation in the country also does not affect the amount of heat in the house.
• Environmental friendliness and safety. There is no need to worry about gas leaks or waste from conventional fuels.
• Installation does not require special permissions or approvals.

The disadvantages include the following:

• large investments at first. Typically, a heating system pays for itself in 3-4 years. But the equipment isn't cheap. One module can cost from 2,200 to 17,000 rubles. Since the power must be high, the number of panels must be impressive. It is estimated that the installation of an alternative heating system can take up to 200,000 rubles;
• dependence geographic location and the season. V middle lane In Russia, the use of solar energy for heating a residential building is justified from April to September. During this period, 90% of the energy requirement is covered. In winter, during the heating season from November to March - only by 10 - 50%. It's all about the number of sunny days per year - there should be at least 200;
• operating costs. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the collectors and batteries. Cleaning, replacement of parts can take a lot of time, effort and additional costs;
• in some cases it is necessary to equip solar panels with tracking systems.

Despite the flaws, alternative ways solar water heating systems are gaining popularity. They are durable and pay off quickly.

Experts advise developing a solar heating system even before building a house, including it in a project. What are the best materials and equipment to use when installing your “solar heating”?

The principle of operation of batteries for heating water with solar energy is based on the absorption of light by photocells. They convert the energy of the sun into permanent electricity which is then fed to the inverter. Here, direct current is converted to alternating current. All household appliances and electric water heater work on alternating current. The battery stores incoming energy for use at night or on cloudy days.

A self-contained home can be recognized by its roof covered with photovoltaic panels. One square meter of the module produces 120-250 watts. In order to provide the house with electricity, it is necessary to cover 25 sq.m. with panels. area. Even more energy is needed for heating. So not only the roof of the house, but also additional buildings are needed to achieve the required power.

Silicon semiconductor solar cells are commonly used in “solar” regions. But we are not talking only about countries closer to the equator. In northern latitudes, for example, in Chukotka, the use of photocells is very effective due to a large number sunny days.

Water heating with solar energy takes place in a special tank. When the required temperature is reached, hot water displaces cold water and fills the heating system.

The main disadvantage is that solar panels do not directly convert the sun's energy into heat. For this purpose, solar collectors are used.

In the case of solar collectors, the sun's rays do not affect the semiconductor, but the coolant. It heats up and gives off heat to the heating system. This is how solar heating works. There are two types of collectors:

• Flat solar collectors are equipped with a tube system connected to a special plate. The coolant from water and glycol passes through the tubes, heats up and goes to the exit. The advantage of this type of collector is that it can be made by hand. However, for all its simplicity, this option is suitable for the southern regions. The water is heated to a maximum of 45-60 degrees. This is not enough for cold winters.
• Tubular collectors are suitable for northern latitudes. The snake made of tubes is equipped with reliable thermal insulation. No heat loss occurs, as is the case with flat counterparts. The heat exchange tube system is also different. The conventional U-type system is considered more reliable, but does not work at night. The Heat-pipe system is ideal for countries with constant fogs and harsh winters as it requires little solar energy. But you need to clarify what substance is used in the system. As performance may vary. Both types of manifolds use a pump. The heat carrier can move by gravity. But the efficiency of solar heating water for heating in this case is low.

When choosing one or another method of solar heating, do not forget that it is unlikely that it will be possible to completely get rid of traditional heating methods. It is most reasonable to use combined options.

Choosing the right solar heating system

Solar panels can be combined with solar collectors. Photovoltaic cells are suitable for generating electricity for the pump and household appliances. More powerful solar collectors will completely cover the need for heat supply.

The gas boiler must be left as a backup option. In some cases alternative heating can be a supplement to the main heating method, and not vice versa. For example, in the event of a breakdown.

There is an option to make heating from solar energy with your own hands. But the number of sunny days is not always true. The amount of insolation for each region is known, but relying on the weather service is dangerous.

Therefore, before installing an alternative heating system, it is necessary to carefully consider all the details. Specialists in this field can help with this. With their help, you can find the optimal solution.

Building solar heating for a private house with your own hands is not such a difficult task as it seems to an uninformed layman. This will require the skills of a welder and materials available at any hardware store.

The relevance of creating solar heating for a private house with your own hands

Full autonomy is the dream of every owner starting a private construction. But is solar energy really capable of heating a residential building, especially if the device for its accumulation is assembled in a garage?

Depending on the region, the solar flux can produce from 50 W / m2 on a cloudy day to 1400 W / m2 with a clear summer sky. With such indicators, even a primitive collector with low efficiency (45-50%) and an area of ​​15 sq. M. can produce about 7000-10000 kWh per year. And this is the saved 3 tons of firewood for a solid fuel boiler!

• on average, 900 watts per square meter of the device;
• to increase the water temperature, you need to spend 1.16 W;
• taking into account also the heat loss of the collector, 1 square meter will be able to heat about 10 liters of water per hour to a temperature of 70 degrees;
• to provide 50 liters of hot water needed by one person, you will need to spend 3.48 kW;
• After checking with the data of the hydrometeorological center on the power of solar radiation (W / m2) in the region, it is necessary to divide 3480 W by the resulting power of solar radiation - this will be the required area of ​​the solar collector to heat 50 liters of water.

As it becomes clear, effective heating system solely using solar energy is quite problematic to implement. Indeed, in a gloomy winter season, solar radiation is extremely small, and place a collector with an area of ​​120 sq.m. on the site. will not always work.

So are solar collectors non-functional? Don't discount them in advance. So, with the help of such a storage device, you can do without a boiler in the summer - there will be enough power to provide a family with hot water. In winter, it will be possible to reduce energy costs by supplying already heated water from the solar collector to an electric boiler.
In addition, the solar collector will be an excellent companion to the heat pump in the house with low temperature heating(warm floors).

So, in winter, the heated coolant will be used in warm floors, and in summer the surplus heat can be sent to the geothermal circuit. This will reduce the power of the heat pump.
After all, geothermal heat is not renewed, so over time, an ever-increasing "cold bag" forms in the soil. For example, in a conventional geothermal circuit at the beginning heating season the temperature is +5 degrees, and at the end - -2C. When heated, the initial temperature rises to +15 C, and by the end of the heating season does not fall below + 2C.

Homemade solar collector device

For a self-confident master, it will not be difficult to assemble a heat collector. You can start with a small device for providing hot water in the country, and in case of a successful experiment, move on to creating a full-fledged solar station.

Flat solar collector made of metal pipes

The simplest collector is flat. For his device you will need:

• welding machine;
• pipes from of stainless steel or copper;
• steel sheet;
• tempered glass or polycarbonate;
• wooden boards for the frame;
• non-combustible insulation capable of withstanding metal heated to 200 degrees;
• matt black paint, resistant to high temperatures.

Assembling the solar collector is pretty simple:

1. The pipes are welded to steel sheet- it acts as an adsorber of solar energy, so the fit of the pipes should be as tight as possible. Everything is painted in matte black.



2. A frame is placed on a sheet with pipes so that the pipes are with inside... Holes are drilled for the entry and exit of pipes. Insulation is laid. If a hygroscopic material is used, you need to take care of waterproofing - after all, when wet, the insulation will no longer protect the pipes from cooling.





3. The insulation is fixed with an OSB sheet, all joints are filled with sealant.
4. Transparent glass or polycarbonate with a small air gap is placed on the side of the adsorber. It serves to prevent the steel sheet from cooling down.
5. The glass can be fixed using wooden window glazing beads, having previously laid a sealant. It will prevent cold air from entering and protect the glass from frame squeezing when heated and cooled.

For the full functioning of the collector, you will need a storage tank. It can be made from plastic barrel, insulated from the outside, in which a heat exchanger connected to a solar collector is laid in a spiral. The heated water inlet should be at the top and the cold water outlet at the bottom.

It is important to correctly position the tank and manifold. To provide natural circulation water, the tank should be above the collector, and the pipes should have a constant slope.

Solar heater made from scrap materials

If it was not possible to make friends with the welding machine, you can make a simple solar heater from what is at hand. For example, from cans. For this, holes are made in the bottom, the cans themselves are fastened to each other with a sealant, and they sit on it at the junctions with PVC pipes. They are painted black and fit into the frame under the glass in the same way as ordinary pipes.

Solar house facade

Why not decorate your home with something useful instead of regular siding? For example, by making a solar heater on the south side of the entire wall.

Such a solution will optimize heating costs in two directions at once - to reduce energy costs and significantly reduce heat loss due to additional insulation facade.

The device is simply outrageous and does not require special tools:

• a painted galvanized sheet is laid on the insulation;
• laid on top of a stainless steel corrugated pipe also painted black;
• everything is covered with polycarbonate sheets and fixed with aluminum corners.

If this method also seems complicated, the video shows an option made of tin, polypropylene pipes and films. Much easier!

Good homeowners are always on the lookout for ways to save money on hot water and heating costs. This is especially true lately, when prices for utilities have a steady upward trend almost every quarter. Nature itself comes to the rescue with its inexhaustible source of energy - solar radiation... Applying the laws of physics in practice, craftsmen find interesting ways saving, developing and assembling solar collectors, which, probably, any homeowner can do on his own - you just have to put a little effort and skill.

A do-it-yourself solar collector can be made in many ways and from the most various materials, sometimes even of those that simply "roll underfoot." They are constructed from ordinary old beer cans, plastic bottles, hoses or pipes, using glass, polycarbonate panels and other materials.

Some of the methods for making collectors will be discussed below, but first it is worth examining the connection diagrams - they, as a rule, are approximately common for any solar water heating systems.

Solar water collector connection diagrams

The effective operation of the water heating system from the sun's rays depends not only on what the collector is made of, but also on how correctly it will be installed and connected. There are a lot of connection schemes, but you should not look for the most complex ones, since it is quite possible to use the basic ones that are available and understandable.

"Summer" version of hot water supply from a solar collector

This simple scheme for connecting a solar collector is applicable for both heating water for and for household needs. If hot water is needed outside in a summer building, then the tank for it is also installed in the air. In the case when hot water supply is distributed around the house, and the storage tank is installed there.

"Summer" collector connection option

This scheme usually provides for the natural circulation of water, and in this case, the collector battery is installed 800 ÷ 1000 mm lower than the level of the capacity, where hot water will flow - this should be ensured by the difference in the density of the cold and heated liquid. To connect the manifold to the tank, pipes with a diameter of at least ¾ "are used. To keep the water in the storage tank in a hot state, which it reaches from heating by the daytime sun, the walls must be thoroughly insulated, for example, with 100 mm thick mineral wool and polyethylene (if a roof is not installed over the boiler). But it is still better to provide for a stationary shelter for the container, since if the insulation gets wet from the rain, then it will significantly reduce its thermal insulation properties.

Natural circulation is not very good for use in a system with a solar collector, as it creates a slight inertia of water movement in the circuit. And if the battery and the tank are far enough from each other, then the water, having passed this path, will gradually cool down. Therefore, in order to increase efficiency, a circulating one is often installed. This option is suitable for warming water only in the warm half of the year, and for the winter, the water from the system will have to be drained, otherwise, when it freezes, it will easily rupture. T tons of rubles.

"Winter" connection diagram for solar water heating

If you plan to use the solar collector all year round, so that the water does not freeze in extreme cold in the pipes, a special antifreeze is poured into the circuit instead of it, that is, an anti-freeze liquid. The scheme takes on a completely different form - an indirect heating boiler is installed. In this case, the antifreeze heated in the solar collector will pass through the boiler's heat exchanger, heating the water in the tank.

A "security group" is necessarily built into this system - automatic air vent, pressure gauge and safety valve designed for the required pressure. For the constant movement of the coolant, a circulation pump is usually used.

Solar heating option

When using solar thermal energy to heat a house, an indirect heating boiler connected to the collector is also used, as well as for additional heating of the coolant - operating on solid fuel or gas. On autumn or spring days, when the sun is able to heat the coolant to the desired temperature, the boiler can simply be turned off.

The solar collector is a good help for heating the house.

If the winters in the region are very cold, then you should not expect great efficiency from the collector, since there are few sunny days during this period, and the luminary itself is low to the horizon. Therefore, additional heating of the coolant and hot water is simply necessary. The only thing that the solar battery will help to save on fuel is that the boiler will not be supplied with cold, but already somewhat warmed water, which means that less gas or firewood will need to be burned to bring it to the desired temperature.

You also need to know that the more a solar thermal collector is made in area, the more energy it will be able to absorb. Therefore, in order for such a system to generate enough heat to heat the house, the size of the collector area must be increased to 40 ÷ 45% of the total area of ​​the house.

Hot water and solar heating option

To use the solar collector for both heating and hot water supply, it is necessary to combine both previous options in the system, and use a special boiler for water with an additional tank that has a coil through which the coolant heated by the solar battery circulates. Due to the fact that the inner tank is much smaller than the main one, the water in it heats up from the coil much faster and gives off heat to the general tank.

The manifold can be included in common system"Heating - hot water supply"

In addition, the boiler must be connected to an additional heating source - it can be either an electric boiler or a solid fuel heat generator.

The instability of temperature created by the solar battery can contribute to the overheating of the coolant or, conversely, its too rapid cooling in the heating and water supply circuits. To prevent this from happening, the entire system must be controlled by automation. The wiring is installed controller temperature, which can either redirect the coolant flows, or turn on or off circulation pumps, or perform other control operations.

In the above diagram, such a temperature controller is referred to as a regulator.

So, with the connection diagrams (strapping), in general terms, there is clarity. But now it makes sense to consider several options for self-manufacturing solar collectors.

Solar collector prices

Solar collectors

Solar collector from hose or flexible pipe

Those who have a private house with a vegetable garden or a summer cottage, of course, know that the water remaining in temporary light lines after irrigating the beds heats up quickly. it positive quality hoses or flexible pipes and used by craftsmen, creating solar heat exchangers from them. It should be noted that such a collector will cost many times cheaper than one bought in a store, but in order for the manufacturing process to be successful, some effort must be made.

On the roof - a whole battery of solar collectors

Such a collector can consist of one or several sections, into which hoses tightly coiled in a spiral "snail" are laid and fixed.

"Snail" - heat exchanger

This design can be called the simplest, both in terms of design and installation. Its main disadvantage can be called the fact that it practically cannot be used without application forced circulation, since with too long pipe circuits, the hydraulic resistance will exceed the head force created by the temperature difference. However, solving the issue of installing a circulation pump is not difficult at all. And such a system installed in country house, will be an excellent help and will quickly pay off, including the costs (very insignificant) for the power supply of the pump.

Similar collectors are used to heat water in swimming pools. They are connected to a filtration system, which is necessarily equipped with a pump. The water, circulating through the collector pipes, has time to heat up before entering the pool.

In some cases, creating the entire system, you can do without installing a storage tank. This is possible when hot water is used only during the day and in small quantities. For example, a circuit of 150 m of pipe with an inner diameter of 16 mm holds 30 liters of water. And if five or six such "snails" from pipes are assembled into a single battery, then each family member can take a shower several times during the day, and there will still be a lot of hot water for household needs.

If anyone still has doubts about the effectiveness of such water heating, we recommend watching a video showing the test of a manifold from hoses:

Video: the efficiency of a simple solar collector

Materials for making

To make such a solar water collector, you need to prepare some materials. It is not at all excluded that some of them will be found in a barn or garage.

• A rubber hose or a flexible black plastic pipe with a diameter of 20 ÷ 25 mm is essentially main element a system in which heat exchange will occur during the circulation of water. The amount of hose will depend on the size solar battery- it can be 100 or 1000 meters. The black color of the hose is preferable because it absorbs heat more than all other shades.

It should be noted right away that metal-plastic pipes not particularly suitable for the manufacture of a collector, even if they are covered with black paint. The fact is that their plasticity in this case is insufficient - they break when bends of a small radius and thus, even if the integrity of the walls is not violated, the intensity of the water flow will decrease.

The hoses are sold in coils of 50, 100 or 200 meters. If you plan to make a large-volume battery, you will have to purchase several bays. In the event that in each section it is planned to use, for example, 50 or 100 m of hose, then it is not worth buying a whole 200-meter coil, it is better to purchase a ready-made measured hose. This will help save time during installation.

The hose can be laid not only in a round spiral, but also in an oval one, as well as in the form of a coil.

As a good alternative, you can try modern PEX pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene. They have good plasticity, but how to give them a black color if it is not on sale is easy to come up with.

• If the slope of the roof on which the collector battery will be installed is steep, then special boxes are made from the hose for spirals - from bars, plywood or metal sheet. This will require bars of 40 × 40 or 40 × 50 mm, plywood 6 mm thick, or a metal sheet 1.5-2 mm.

The workpieces of the future module are processed (wood) or anti-corrosion compounds (metal). Then a box is assembled from them into one or more spirals.

By the way, you can use old ones as the sides of the box. window frames, on which the bottom part is simply mounted.

• For pretreatment of metal and wood, it is necessary to purchase antiseptic, anti-corrosion and priming compounds.
• Hoses (pipes) will experience considerable loads from the mass of the coolant, and from temperature changes and internal pressure. Therefore, they will try to disrupt the styling, deform, sag, so you need to provide special fasteners to maintain them in the originally specified position.

This can be a metal strip that is fixed between the pipes with self-tapping screws.

Another option is a loose bundle with a tight cord or a plastic tie-tie with a cross or crossbar. Still, this method of fastening is more suitable for a plastic pipe than for a hose, since it can sag on the cord when the rubber expands. If a reinforced rubber hose is chosen for the collector, then this method is quite suitable for fixing.

Another mounting option suitable for a plastic pipe or reinforced hose can be nails with wide heads. They can be hammered either into the bottom of the box (in this case, it must have a thickness of at least 10 mm), or onto a kind of cross made of a bar.

• It will also be necessary to prepare the fittings for the hose or pipes. There are a lot of varieties of such fittings, but you need to choose exactly those that are intended for the one selected for manufacturing material collector.

In addition to such connectors, threaded fittings are required to switch from a plastic or rubber pipe to a common metal one. Such a connection will be necessary if the collector will consist of several modules.

To know how many connecting elements are required, you need to draw in advance schematic diagram the system being created and calculate their number on it.

• To combine all modules into a single battery, two collector - section metal pipe... Through one of them, fixed at the bottom of the battery, cold water will flow into the heat exchangers, and in the second, fixed from above, warmed water will be collected.

The upper pipe will be connected to the storage tank, that is, go to the consumer. It should have a diameter of 40 ÷ 50 mm.

Battery installation

Having prepared everything you need, you can get to work.

• First you need to process antiseptic all wooden parts of the future structure.
• Further, if the bottom of the modules is made of a metal sheet, it must be covered with an anti-corrosion compound. Usually, a mastic is used for this, designed to cover the underside of cars.

Known to all motorists "anticorrosive" - ​​what you need

• After the compositions dry on the prepared elements, single or general modules are assembled from them.
• Then the hoses are laid in them, for which the holders are fixed.

• For free passage of pipes through the sides of the modules, holes are drilled for them - in its upper part and in the lower one. Accordingly, the cold water inlet pipe is led into the lower hole, and the heated water outlet into the upper one.
• If several modules are mounted vertically, or one common one, in which several "snails" of the pipe are also laid, one above the other, then the lower end of each of the spirals is connected to the upper outlet of the underlying one - and the entire "column" is switched according to this sequential principle. The lowest end connects to a common metal manifold through which cold water will flow. All adjacent vertical rows are mounted in the same way - with general connection to the supply manifold.

• Accordingly, the upper ends of the hoses of the uppermost horizontal row of modules are connected to a metal collector pipe, through which hot water is removed for consumption.
• The spiral contour of the collector can also be mounted on a metal sheet installed not on the roof, but near the house, on the south side of it, or near the pool, if it requires heating. In this case, the metal base will contribute to faster heating of water and preservation of heat in the pipes, since it has good thermal conductivity and heat capacity.

• Another option for a thermal solar collector can be laying the contour on the roof plane in special boxes in long parallel rows along the entire length of the roof.

Prices for XLPE pipes

XLPE pipes

Video: Simple Linear Solar Collector

Enhancing the effect with plastic bottles

The picture shows a solar collector made of hoses (pipes), the efficiency of which is significantly increased by using ordinary plastic bottles. What is the "trick" here? And there are several of them at once:

The action of a plastic bottle as a casing - schematic

• The bottles play the role of a transparent casing, and do not allow the air currents to take away heat during absolutely unnecessary mutual heat exchange. Moreover, the air chambers themselves become a kind of heat accumulators. There is a greenhouse effect, which is actively used in agricultural technology.
• The rounded surface of the bottle acts as a lens that enhances the effect of the sun's rays.
• If the lower surface of the bottle is covered with a reflective foil material, then the effect of focusing the rays in the zone of the pipe passage can be achieved. Heating will only benefit from this.
• Another important factor. The plastic transparent surface will to some extent reduce the destructive negative impact ultraviolet rays, which neither rubber nor plastic "do not like". Such a circuit should last longer.

To make such a solar collector you will need:

1 - Rubber hose, metal or black plastic pipes - as a heat exchanger.

2 - Plastic bottles, which will become a casing around the pipes of the circuit.

3 - Foil or other reflective material can be placed in the bottles, in their half, which will be adjacent to the base. The reflective part must face the sun.

4 - It will be quite easy to mount the stand from a bar or a metal pipe.

5 - Storage tank for heated water, which must be connected to the intake point - tap, shower, etc.

6 - Tank for cold water, which can be connected to the water supply system.

Solar collector installation

The assembly of the option shown in the upper diagram is as follows:

• To begin with, a stand is mounted from a metal pipe or bar. If it is made of wood, then it must be covered with an antiseptic compound, if it is made of metal, then it must be treated with an anti-corrosion agent. It is necessary to calculate the length so that an even number of bottles are installed between the two racks.
• On the racks, in the distance the width of the bottles, horizontal strips are fixed, on which it will be possible to make additional fastening for the coil. In addition, they will give the frame additional rigidity.
• Next, the required number of plastic bottles is prepared - the bottom part is cut off from them so that one bottle with the side of the neck fits tightly into the resulting hole.

• A hose (pipe) of the required length is taken, which will be sufficient for laying coil circuit on a ready-made stand frame.

Having stepped back from the edge of the hose 100 ÷ 150 mm, mark the place of its attachment. Then, over this edge, the pipe is put on required amount prepared bottles, which will be enough to completely cover the area to the opposite rack. The bottles are installed tightly to one another, so that the neck of the second fits into the hole cut in the bottom of the previous one.

• When the pipe section for laying the upper section of the coil is completely covered by the box of bottles, its edge is fixed on top of the left frame post. For fastening, you can use clips-holders for plastic pipes with a snap, of the desired size.

• If necessary, the position of the bottles is corrected so that their foil half is at the bottom, at the collector frame.
• Then the pipe is given a smooth turn, and it snaps onto the clip again.
• The next step is to put bottles on the pipe again, and it is fixed on the left rack. This follower is observed further until the entire frame is filled with the collector coil.
• Now all that remains is to "pack" the fittings through which the resulting manifold will be inserted to the cold water supply and to the hot storage tank.

This is what can happen in the end - it couldn't be easier!

Such a collector, as you can see, absolutely not difficult in production, but it can become a good "helper" in a private house, taking over the functions of heating water.

By the way, solar energy can be used not only for heating water, but also for supplying heated air to the premises. For example, how to make it yourself, you can find out if you follow the link to a special publication of our portal.

Video - DIY solar power plant assembly