QUICK GUIDE SOLAR SPACE HEATING

Solar thermal is not often used for space heating, largely because the solar resource is poor in winter (ie exactly when we need the warmth). However, in the shoulder months of autumn and spring, there are occasions when the collectors could contribute to space heating.

This requires a different type of setup, with the solar loop feeding a thermal store that has multiple inputs and can provide both domestic hot water and space heating. These inputs usually include a fossil fuel boiler or a heat pump, but you could use a biomass boiler or even spare heat from a woodburning stove.

However, it is important to bear in mind that any use of solar hot water to provide space heating would disqualify your installation from receiving the domestic RHI. That’s a real shame, because it can be an efficient use of spare solar resource and makes great sense environmentally.