Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
6
6
Solar Thermal Systems -
Year-Round Heating from
the Sun
The light and warmth of the sun give us a special sense of well-being, which is why
summer is eagerly awaited in cool parts of the world such as Northern Europe. Most
people in these countries are also lucky enough to be able to reproduce these condi-
tions even in the depths of winter. Our homes and workplaces are heated to a
comfortable level and well lit, and our water is heated so that we can enjoy hot
baths and showers at any time. The luxury of always being able to set the desired
temperature is taken for granted today, one of the most pleasant achievements of
our prosperous society. It is diffi cult to imagine the period after the Second World
War, when not enough fuel was available in the cold winters to maintain even
reasonably bearable temperatures in our dwellings. However, our prosperity and
fossil fuels have eliminated these conditions once and for all - not everywhere in
the world but at least for us.
But even eliminating fossil fuels will in no way jeopardize our privilege of always
being able to select the temperature we want. Solar thermal energy - the heat from
the sun - is an important alternative. When sunlight shines through the windows,
the power of the sun is already helping to warm up the building. For centuries the
sun has been a major source of heat for our homes.
In 1891 the metal manufacturer Clarence M. Kemp from Baltimore was awarded
the fi rst patent in the world for a technical solar thermal system. This was a very
simply constructed storage collector for heating water. In 1909 the Californian
William J. Bailey introduced an optimized system concept that separated the solar
heat collector from the water storage cylinder. Solar heating systems were marketed
successfully in certain regions until the Second World War, after which the market
collapsed because of competition from fossil fuel.
