Different Solar Power Uses

If you're looking into purchasing a solar power source, you're definitely going to want to know what it's capable of. So in order to help you out on your journey into going solar, we've listed all of the different ways you can put solar technology to use, and which technologies do what specifically.

Solar Water Heater Systems:

Homes:

Solar technology used: glazed flat plate collectors (solar panels), batch collectors (thermal), Vacuum tube collectors

Secondary technology (where applicable): heat exchanger, hot water tank

Commercially:

Solar technology used: Liquid based collectors

Secondary technology (where applicable): heat exchanger, medium-large water tank

Agriculture:

Solar technology used: Glazed flat plate collectors, unglazed flat plate collectors

Secondary technology (where applicable): heat exchanger, medium-large water tank

Aquaculture:

Solar technology used: Unglazed flat plate collectors

Secondary technology (where applicable): medium-large water tank

Solar Pool Heaters:

Outdoor Pools:

Solar technology used: Unglazed flat plate collectors

Indoor Pools:

Solar technology used: Glazed flat plate collectors

Secondary technology (where applicable): heat exchanger

Heating- Ventilation/air:

All building types:

Solar technology used: all air-based collectors

Secondary technology (where applicable): by-pass dampers, make-up air handling units

Solar Heating- Buildings:

Homes/Commercial:

Solar technology used: Advanced windows, transparent insulation, trombe wall (requires no secondary tech), liquid-based collectors

Secondary technology (where applicable): Appropriate building materials, building design (for insulation/windows), heat exchanger, and advanced thermal storage (for liquid based collectors)

Community-wide:

Solar technology used: liquid based collectors, large scale arrays (solar panels)

Secondary technology (where applicable): seasonal thermal storage, district heating network

Greenhouses:

Solar technology used: Transparent insulation

Solar Cooling- Buildings:

Commercial:

Solar technology used: Vacuum tube collectors, glazed flat plate collectors

Secondary technology (where applicable): Cooling cycles (various)

Daylighting- Buildings:

Homes and Commercial:

Solar technology used: advanced windows, transparent insulation

Secondary technology (where applicable): Building design

Solar Crop Drying:

Agricultural:

Solar technology used: Air-based Collectors

Solar Electricity Generation - Off grid:

Cottages/Seasonal Homes

Solar technology used: photovoltaics - small arrays

Secondary technology (where applicable): batteries, power invertors, small wind turbines or microhydro

Power for remote Equipment:

Solar technology used: Photovoltaics - small-medium arrays

Solar Electricity Generation - Distributed power:

All Building Types:

Solar technology used: Photovoltaics - building integrated medium scale arrays

Secondary technology (where applicable): Power invertors

Remote Communities:

Solar technology used: Photovoltaics - medium scale arrays in a hybrid system

Secondary technology (where applicable): combined with diesel generators on local grid.

Electric Utilities:

Solar technology used: Photovoltaics - large scale arrays, power tower, parabolic trough

Secondary technology (where applicable): power invertors, sun trackers (for arrays), steam turbine and high temperature thermal storage.

Solar Detoxifying - Water:

Industrial/Municipal:

Solar technology used: Photocatalysts (for oxidation), thermal catalysts (for oxidation with concentrating collectors)

Secondary technology (where applicable): UV lamps for back up

Solar Detoxifying - Air:

Commercial/Homes:

Solar technology used: Photocatalysts (for oxidation)

Secondary technology (where applicable): UV lamps for backup

Solar Cooking and Water Treatment:

Homes:

Solar technology used: Solar cookers/Solar ovens

Source(s): Government of Canada Website - http://www.canren.gc.ca/tech_appl/index.asp?CaId=5&PgId=121