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Solar cells , also referred to as photovoltaic cells (PV), absorbs energy from the sun and converts it to generate electricity. This, however, should not be confused with photovoltaic thermal cells or PVT which operates to generate heat for water in homes. Solar cells are linked electrically and also carefully organized into a large frame which is popularly called solar panels. Generally, solar cells are produced or made of silicon semi conductors which works to absorb sunlight and then turn it into electricity for use at a home. A solar panel comprises of either 60 or 72 solar cells which are electrically interconnected in series and parallel and also positioned in between glass and plastic which is then framed.

At present, solar panels incorporated for residential or domestic purposes only possesses the capacity to make use of only about 20 percent of the sunlight they’re able to absorb and convert it to electricity - also called solar efficiency. Available in the market are also a wide range of solar cell available for both industrial and commercial purposes. This type of solar panels have an efficiency rating of about 40 percent which will also automatically make them more costly than the domestic types.

One great thing about the solar industry is the fact that it keeps improving in such a way that raises both its efficiency as well as overall quality. And with further research and development, this is expected to even increase as the years go by. What’s more? As these aspects keep rising, it’s also expected that the solar panels price should be on a decrease. That way, they’ll become available to a wider range of individuals who’ll also like to save money on electricity bills and go greener.

Whether installing an air source heat pump will help you save money depends on your property, how long you expect to live there, and the type of heat pump you get.

Air source heat pumps are initially quite expensive to install. However, if you get an air-to-water air source heat pump, you’re eligible for money from the Renewable Heat Incentive [https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/grants-loans/renewables/renewable-heat-incentive] (RHI). This is a UK government scheme that gives you quarterly cash payments over seven years if you install an eligible renewable heating technology (air-to-air air source heat pumps aren’t included).

All this means that if you have long-term plans to stay in your property, then an air-to-water air source heat pump can be a great way to save money on your heating bills. However, if you’re planning on moving out of your property relatively soon, or are a considering an air-to-air air source heat pump, it may not be the best financial option for you.

It’s important to remember that air source heat pumps are at their most efficient when installed in very well insulated properties. If your property’s not very energy efficient, you may find that a heat pump won’t help you save money.

Air source heat pumps work by absorbing heat from the outside air and transferring it inside to heat up your property.

An air source heat pump has an outdoor unit containing a refrigerant. This absorbs heat from the air and passes into a compressor, where the temperature is increased. The heat then transfers either into water, which feeds into your wet heating system, or into air, which is dispersed around your property.

Air source heat pumps need electricity to run, but this is to power the compressor rather than directly generate heat.

If you’re thinking about installing a solar thermal system in your house, it’s always important to put into consideration numerous factors before you proceed. While some solar thermal systems are suitable for use at home, there are also some that are suitable for businesses or organizations which normally requires a big amount of hot water like hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals and many more. You’ll also find some types available in the market that are suitable for communities to satisfy communal hot water demands.

It should, however, be noted that solar thermal systems do not have the capacity to produce all the hot water demand of a house. In the UK, an average household will need an annual water heating of between 3000kWh to 5000kWh. Whereas, a solar thermal system is only able to meet about 40 percent to 60 percent of this demand.

With that in mind, it’s also worth noting that during the summer months when the solar radiation is at its peak and hot water demand is relatively lower when compared to other seasons, a solar thermal system may be able to provide all of your household’s hot water needs. This implies that during this period you may not find the need to operate your boiler at all. However, during winter or colder months, when you have a higher hot water demands in contrary to a lower solar radiation, a solar thermal system will only be able to take care of about 20 percent of your household’s hot water needs. And that ultimately implies that during this period, you’ll need to rely more on a alternative or backup source of heat like gas, coal, electricity, oil or LPG.

Biomass boilers do require some maintenance. Many manufacturers recommend servicing twice a year, although this is often included in the installation cost. Many systems have automatic fuel loading that removes the need to manually load fuel. You will need to remove the ash from the boiler, but this is as easy as emptying a vacuum cleaner.

First and foremost let’s look at the meaning of a ground source heat pump. A ground source heat pump is simply a renewable heating system which happens to absorb the low temperature solar energy stored in the ground or in water with the help of a pipework that’s submerged and converts this energy into a higher temperature through compression. A ground source heating pump is capable of supplying the entire heating and hot water needs of a building throughout a whole year regardless of the season. So how exactly does a ground source heat pump work? Let’s have a look!

In principle, a ground source heating pump makes use of a refrigeration system but in a reverse form as it extracts low temperature heat from one point or location which is the source and transfer a higher temperature heat to another point or location - the sink. The pumps are powered by electricity and the operational principle can also be incorporated at generating both heating and cooling energy.

Knowing fully well heat naturally flows from warmer to cooler places, the ground source heat pump takes advantage of this physics by distributing a cold fluid via ground array pipework either in the ground or in water. It’s able to extract low grade energy from external sources of heat which includes soil, rock, lakes as well as streams.

Once the absorbed energy has been released to the heat pump from the ground or water, the fluid proceeds with its circuit back to the pipework to start its cycle all over again. Some of the benefits of the ground source heat pumps includes low carbon emission and improved air quality, efficient and affordable heating, the use of free heat from the ground and lots more.

Are you interested in fitting a ground source heat hump in your home? If yes, then one of the thing you’d probably like to know is whether or not the heat pump is noisy. In this article, we seek to provide you with necessary information that’ll solve these mystery.

One thing you should when it comes to heating products is that they all make some noise. However, they’re usually a lot quieter when compared to fossil fuel heating systems. Generally, a ground source heat pump can reach within the range of 40 to 60 decibels depending on the manufacturer of the product as well as it’s installation.

The noise levels of heat pumps are a major concern for several homeowners. However, the fact is when the system becomes a nuisance or becomes noisy, that is always a sign of poor planning as well as poor quality installation. This is because heat pumps, in general, are not usually noisy.

In ground source heat pumps, volume isn’t quite associated due to the lack of a fan unit. However, it remains a very common question for homeowners who intends to install a ground source heat pump to ask whether or not the type of heat pump is noisy. Just like any other heating product, there are components in the ground source heat pump that produces some noise but this is always not as much as that of an air source heat pump. This is due to the fact that the heat coming from the ground is more consistent, hence the compressor’s power capacity wouldn’t be as high. What’s more? This type of heat pump doesn’t also work at full throttle which also plays a key role in its low noise level.