Solar panels (solar thermal) heat domestic water and can be used in addition to the heating support. This saves valuable resources (oil and gas) and avoids environmentally and climate-damaging emissions. The Solar Panels Claims are essential there.
Installing Solar Panels: Roof orientations from East to South to West are possible
For east or west orientation, more collector area is needed. A system for hot water production needs per person 1 to 1.5 m 2 collector surface and for four people about 300 liters of storage. It supplies approx. 60% of the required hot water throughout the year. 6 m 2 of surface generate approx. 2,000 kWh / year. This saves about 450 kg of greenhouse gases. The investment costs for flat-plate collectors are approximately 4,000-6,000 dollar. Vacuum tube collectors provide better energy yield but are more expensive. The profitability of the plant depends on the condition of the building, the current heating system, and fuel prices. Precise individual planning is essential. It covers the topics:
- Only water heating or heating support?
- Which collector type?
- Which heat storage?
- Which system concept (suitable interconnection of solar collectors, heat storage and heating system)?
- Costs, financing and funding opportunities
- Heating cost savings and economy
- Choice of an experienced craft company.
A manufacturer-independent energy consultancy offers, e.g. many consumer centers. Helpful online consulting tools and a return calculator can be found on the links.
Support programs and legal obligations: In existing buildings, combined solar systems for domestic water heating and heating support are eligible under the market incentive program. In the new building, solar panels are a way of fulfilling the obligations under the Renewable Energy Heat Act. For some plant sizes and building types, there are notification or approval requirements. Therefore, the local building authority should be in demand.
Prefer quality: The Blue Angel distinguishes solar panels with a particularly high energy yield. Also, the heat transfer medium must contain no halogenated hydrocarbons, as these substances damage the ozone layer. Also, these must not be used in the production of insulation materials. The manufacturer must undertake to take back and recycle.
Environmental situation: The share of solar thermal energy in the heat supply in 2012 was 6,700 GWh or 0.5%. Thus, 1.8 million tons of greenhouse gases (CO 2 equivalents) were avoided, whereby the production of plants and supplies has already been taken into account. Likewise, approx. One thousand six hundred seventy-eight tones of acidifying substances are saved. From an environmental point of view, the generation of heat by solar collectors has many advantages over biomass combustion: no land competition for food cultivation and no exhaust fumes in operation. However, solar heat can only cover a part of the energy requirement for hot water and room heat.
Legislation: The Renewable Energy Heat Act prescribes the use of a certain share of renewable energy in the new building. The type of energy can be chosen freely. In the case of solar thermal energy, the law for residential buildings with a maximum of two apartments requires 0.04 m 2 of collector area per m 2 of heated usable area. For buildings with more than two apartments, there are 0.03 m 2 collector areas. The federal states can prescribe higher shares. There is no funding for new construction. The market incentive program for renewable energy can be used to subsidize solar systems.
