How much do you know about solar thermal heating? If you have ever left a bucket of cold water in the sun, or left a hose pipe uncoiled and lying on the ground while the sun is out, you’ll be able to understand the principle behind solar thermal technology. After a while the water in the bucket will be heated by the sun and will get warmer as a result. Similarly the water in the hose pipe will be warmer when you turn it on, because it has been sitting in the sun for a while.

This same principle is used for solar thermal systems that are designed to ensure we can get our hot water heated courtesy of the sun itself. This means we don’t have to worry about using energy that we pay for to heat our water. Providing the sun is there to provide heat – and it can do this throughout the year and not just in the warmer months – we can enjoy hot water without paying to heat it.

Most solar thermal installations do have a traditional boiler connected to the hot water tank however. This means that if the sun is not strong enough to provide the required degree of heat to the water before it sends it back into the tank (such as in the depths of winter) it can still be heated up the remainder of the way.

This may make it sound as if it isn’t worth having a solar thermal installation. But think of it like this. Let’s say you want your water heated to 100% of the temperature you would normally achieve with a boiler alone. A solar thermal installation might be able to heat it to 100% of the temperature in the summer and just 50% of the temperature in the winter. So while it doesn’t heat it the whole way at that time of year, you only have to pay for 50% of the energy it would otherwise take to heat it to 100% of the usual temperature. When you think of it like this you can see how useful solar thermal can be.

Solar Thermal Panels

We’re familiar with solar panels that generate electricity for our homes, but solar thermal panels work in a different way to this. In this case they are properly called solar collectors. This is because they literally collect heat from the sun. It is this heat that is then trapped efficiently inside the panels and used to heat the water that travels through them.

So if you are considering getting such panels for your home to heat your water for you, you must ensure you get the right ones. Fortunately most people would consult an experienced installer who would supply the correct panels and install the solar thermal system on their behalf. Once the system is installed you can immediately begin to enjoy getting your hot water heated for you by the free heat provided by the sun – saving money on your energy bills as a result.

Most of us are more energy conscious today. We have become aware of the need to save energy wherever we can in order to help preserve the environment. But saving energy is one thing – what about generating our own? This might sound unlikely but in fact it is perfectly possible if you think about installing solar panels on the roof of your property. The first question that will come to mind in this situation is obvious: “How much are solar panels?”

How are solar panels priced?

When you are looking around at the various companies that install these panels so you can make use of free energy provided by the sun, you will notice that they typically price their panels per kW of energy produced.

Most homes will require an installation that can produce two or three kW of energy. Once the company knows what size installation your property can have, they will provide a price for the installation. This will include the right number of solar panels for your roof, and the cost of the installation itself.

When you look at the prices for solar panels you can expect them to cost anything between £2,500 and £3,500 per kW. This will usually include several panels since they come in a certain size. Several panels will be included per kW of energy created.

So for example you might see a roof with twenty panels on it, whereas another one might have many more or less than this. But this is not the only factor to consider.

How much are solar panels of different sizes?

A single installation will have solar panels of the same size. But there are many different companies that produce solar panels, and there is some variation in size between the panels they produce.

For example Suntech produce more than one size of panel, and these sizes vary from the panels produced by the likes of Sanyo, Sharp and Trina. The size of the panel can also affect the number of watts it is able to produce. All of this information will have a bearing on the number of panels you need and the price of the installation.

Is it possible to get a rough idea of how much an installation would cost?

Yes you can do this. There are websites online that can give you an estimate on your solar panel installation costs if you know the size of your house roof. Once you know this – even roughly – you can get an idea of how many panels will be needed and how much the installation will be.

The good news is that the cost of solar panels is coming down all the time. This is due to better technology and advances in the industry. There is a difference between the cost of the earliest installations and those taking place today.

So when you ask “how much are solar panels” you can see the answer is not as difficult to get hold of as you might think.