Solar collector or photovoltaics? Think carefully
The difference between these two renewable energy installations is key. Before choosing, you need to think carefully about what you actually want to achieve.
Renewable energy sources (RES) convert the energy of wind, solar radiation, geothermal energy, waves, sea currents and tides, river falls and energy obtained from biomass, biogas, agricultural biogas and bioliquids. This is how electricity is created.
What if the goal is not to generate electricity, but to generate heat?
Which is better – solar panels or photovoltaics? It depends on what
Poles have become familiar with photovoltaics. Photovoltaic panels are made of silicon, thanks to which they convert solar energy into electricity. However, this installation cannot be confused with solar panels, which play a completely different role – the task of solar collectors is to convert solar energy into thermal energy.
Photovoltaics and solar collectors (solar panels) are similar at first glance. Both solutions use solar energy and can complement each other. You can have both devices.
Solar panels can be used to heat water or support central heating. In turn, photovoltaics provides electricity that can be used on an ongoing basis or stored.
In Poland, photovoltaics has replaced solar panels – is it right?
Data from the Energy Regulatory Office, cited by the Bankier.pl portal, show that photovoltaics dominates in the segment of the smallest renewable energy installations in Poland – with a capacity of up to 50 kW. Panels constitute as much as 99.9 percent. all installations of this type, and their number in the country exceeds 1.635 million.
Supporters of solar collectors argue that, under appropriate conditions, they can convert from about 80 to even 90 percent of solar energy into heat. solar energy reaching them. However, such a high result concerns the efficiency of the collector itself, and not the entire heating system throughout the year. The durability of solar panels is estimated at 20-25 years.
However, the effect of solar panels is limited to days with positive temperatures. The higher the outside temperature, the better they work. In turn, photovoltaic panels also work in winter, as they only need sunlight to work.
