Solar Thermal
Solar thermal power is usually used for water heating. It’s a simple technology: the panels on your roof are the collectors of sunlight, thus heating up the liquid in the tubes which is then transported into your cylinder ready for use.
Let’s take a closer look at Solar Thermal’s advantages:
Solar thermal is more space efficient than solar PV
They can be up to 70% more efficient in collecting heat from sun rays than solar PV
The technology itself is less complex than solar PV
Perfect solution for heating up water
They also have great value for businesses
And now let’s move to the downsides:
Solar thermal is less effective in winter months when sunlight is not so strong
Solar PV systems are more versatile than Solar thermal ones
Shorter lifespan than solar panels
It can be very time consuming to find the right supplier
If you choose this option you are going to enjoy an energy solution that is superior compared to other sources of green energy. However, solar thermal is still considered to be an option exclusively for water heating, as that is its best function.
Solar PV
Solar PV panels are a relatively newer technology compared to thermal. There are few types of them - Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline and Thin-film solar panels. They absorb sunlight and transform it into electricity by utilizing a silicon based technology.
Solar PV’s advantages include:
They can provide you with clean green energy for about 30 years
Their lifespan is incredibly long
They can cover around 60% of your household’s energy needs
They are incredibly efficient in summer time
They can’t freeze in winter time
They also cover the needs of appliances with high energy consumption, such as refrigerator, dryer and so on.
Thanks to the Feed-In Tariff, solar PV takes much less time to payback for itself compared to other green energy solutions
Impressive, but let’s look at some of the disadvantages now.
The initial investment is quite hefty
They require larger area of space for installation than solar thermal
It can be very time consuming to find the right supplier
Just like with solar thermal, if you choose solar PV you are also going to enjoy having a superior green energy solution. Solar panels will cut your energy bills significantly and you will also be getting money thanks to the Feed-In Tariff.