Benefits of Solar Thermal Power
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This energy source is free, and better technology makes it easier to convert it into the electricity needed for household use. Better photovoltaic cells are more efficient and batteries are cheaper and more effective at storage. This means that more sophisticated systems can easily be set up.
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Low temperature collectors are generally used for heating and cooling, including swimming pools and dwellings. Such collectors in residential buildings can be tied in with passive ventilation methods that have been in use for centuries. There is a link below to Wikipaedia which has a good section detailing this.
Medium temperature collectors are largely used to heat water, while high temperature collectors make use of mirrors and reflective surfaces to intensify the solar heat to convert into electricity.
solar array
Before installing solar thermal power, be sure to insulate halls and roofs, change lighting to energy efficient bulbs and learn to turn off appliances at the wall. This will give the potential user of solar thermal power a much reduced demand to plan a system around.
A renewable source of energy solar thermal power has less effect on the environment than other forms of alternative power – such as wind generation or geo thermal plants. There are no noisy blades or the sight of large piping criss-crossing the land.
Conversion of the average home to solar thermal power may fit in with retrofitting or roof replacement. No need then for major structural changes or wiring to utilize this. There is a requirement for a flat area and housing for the battery, but the space needed is only a few square feet. The solar thermal power panels are light and easily assembled by even the average DIY person with a workshop.
There is a downside with solar thermal power in relation to the potential hazard in disposing of the storage batteries. The maintenance and servicing costs after installation however are minimal compared with other power generation methods, even those using renewable energy.
Building a solar thermal power system is surprisingly simple and economical to construct. The aim is to reduce the utility bill and become independent from external energy supply. Remember that black outs in summer, the best operating time for solar power, can be just as bad as in winter if you can’t drive that air conditioning system.
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Solar thermal power has been around for decades and works in environments as harsh as Space. Small scale units even work in the harshest and most isolated places on Earth, coming to life in summers to provide power for communities without any other access to energy.
Even on semi cloudy days enough solar thermal power can be generated for the average home demand. Solar thermal power is clean energy with no pollution or other negative environmental effect during operation.
For some adherence, the solar panels even look so good that they have become a design feature of the home demonstrating the modern approach to household architecture.
One other thing about solar thermal power is that as more and more domestic users choose this as their preferred renewable energy option, the price of systems continues to fall.
They are becoming more and more efficient, simpler to install and maintain, and it is not hard to find a supplier in your area with a demonstration model that will inspire once seen.
Solar thermal power is the energy source for the environmentally concerned or a home owner just wanting to save on utility bills. Choose this form of renewable power to become energy self reliant and yet still enjoy the comfort and security of your home for future generations.
This definition from Wikipaedia may make the distinctions easier to understand
Solar thermal energy (STE)[1] is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy (heat). Solar thermal collectors are classified by the USA Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat swimming pools. Medium-temperature collectors are also usually flat plates but are used for heating water or air for residential and commercial use. High temperature collectors concentrate sunlight using mirrors or lenses and are generally used for electric power production. STE is different from photovoltaics, which convert solar energy directly into electricity. While only 600 megawatts of solar thermal power is up and running worldwide in October 2009 according to Dr David Mills of Ausra, another 400 megawatts is under construction and there are 14,000 megawatts of the more serious concentrating solar thermal (CST) projects being developed.[2] “
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_thermal_energy
