Obstacles to Using Solar Energy for Heating

1. Introduction
Today, centuries after human use of the sun’s energy began, the “solar revolutionâ€​ in residential
heating has barely begun. On average, residential space heating accounts for nearly half of the total energy
consumption in the typical Canadian home. Summer and winter account for about the same amount of
energy consumption. Climate change is partly caused by use of burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural
gas. Fossil fuels are cause the rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which in turn trap more energy
from the sun within the earth’s atmosphere. Canada is a major consumer and producer of fossil fuels.
The burning of fossil fuels accounts for at least 25% of the total carbon output of greenhouse gases in
Canada. In turn, heating energy use in buildings makes up about a third of total greenhouse gas production.
Heating buildings is one of the world’s single largest personal energy-consuming activities. Given such a
context, the potential for simple solar energy systems in residential space heating is enormous. Yet, as a
simple survey of any average city neighbourhood will reveal, this potential is barely acknowledged (Ann
Mathew, 2010). Where the sun’s energy used to dry corn or heat water in rural areas, now it is barely
used at all. This is not to say that solar heating is not growing as a result of government incentive programs,
but that when discussing the pros and cons of various heating mechanism found in Canadian cities, the
occasional micro-generated electricity operation receives more attention than the greater potential solar
heating holds. At present, fossil fuels dominate household heating plants. In Canada, natural gas is the most
common space heater, followed by wood and heating oil. Depending on the region, solar heating is
completely absent, almost so and this pattern is duplicated around much of the world. This report will outline
some of the energy, cost and ecological advantages and obstacles of solar heating systems as a residential
space heating source. Systems available and possible here will be discussed and the north-south energy
implications of this potential yet completely undeveloped aspect of solar technology. Energy from sunlight
used to heat a home’s inside space is referred to as “solar heatingâ€​; mechanical devices such as
photovoltaic panels or windmills turned by the sun’s rays, which create electricity, will not be discussed
here - although there is an electric fan in the ductwork of some homes and some system descriptions will
thus include a fan. After providing insight into the potential of solar energy. Institution of a solar technology
will be seen as an essential part of a broader move towards a more balanced, sustainable energy policy. The
term “solar heatingâ€​ often conjures up an image of rows of expensive glazed black plates on the roof of
a middle or upper class home. But this configuration is only one of the many solar capturing systems on the
market. So before investigating the merits of solar heating, it is crucial to examine simplistic “low-
involveâ€​ solar heating systems (and their ecological benefit) available. The advantages are in fact clear. At
present, average Canadian heating costs account for nearly 40% of annual fuel bills. Yet much of this
expense goes to heat water. On average, only 14% of the annual bill makes for heating a home (the rest
goes to heating water and running air conditioning units). Heating costs in Canada are steadily increasing,
due to the gradual depletion of the country’s supply but also more wide spread ecological “add-onâ€​
taxes. Additionally, the predicted 2–4 ̊C rise in global average temperatures may bring about higher and
less predictable energy costs. Of the heating mechanisms available, the simplest, most cost affective is solar
heating. However, its usage is certainly not advancing rapidly. The reasons for this are several. Firstly, active
systems (systems using pumps, fans, ducts, etc.) at present account for over 70% of the market, they are
more expensive the passive systems ( that is, systems without moving parts). On top of this, passive
systems are slightly less efficient than their active counterparts (at least in terms of heat gain). The relative
dominance of active systems is in part due to the lack of awareness in high industrial countries, and in part a
result of the private industries desire to create higher priced products. And most importantly, initiative must
necessarily become government sponsored if it is to overcome the upfront cost of $1,500 or more (at present
the government pays only 25% of costs).

2. Overview of Solar Energy

Solar energy is the most abundant source of renewable energy. It is more easily harnessed, more spatially
well-distributed, and more constant than other types of renewables, since the sun shines at least during the
day, more than other renewable resources, like the wind or the power of the water currents. It is a form of
reliable, inexhaustible, environmentally benign, and clean energy, even if secondary effects of its utilization
might have an environmental impact. Solar energy is being harnessed using changes in near infrared, visible
and ultraviolet radiation spectra by exploiting several basic principles: photovoltaic devices (solar modules)
transform electromagnetic radiative energy into electrical DC (direct current) power by the photoelectric
effect, and thermal solar energy used in classical solar heating and concentrating solar power technologies,
even though a modification of the absorbing spectra of solar energy is needed to be more efficiently
harnessed ( (Dragos et al., 2015) ).

Broadly speaking, four different technologies can be used to harness solar energy. Two of these have already
been mentioned (and anticipated) above: photovoltaic (solar modules) for electricity production and solar
collectors, also called solar thermal systems or solar heating devices, focused on water and air heating
applications, for low-temperature thermal power generation, process heat and domestic or industrial space
heating and cooling applications. A different approach of more cost-effective space cooling by night cooling
(ventilative cooling, using the cool night air), in hot periods, is presented in (). The other two technologies
are concentrator photovoltaic modules and devices focused on concentrating the sunlight on smaller
photovoltaic areas. A still experimental solar energy technology (that needs a much more efficient way of
using the incident solar radiation, to get sufficient profitability) is concentrating solar power technologies,
like the parabolic trough collectors already mentioned, or power towers and flat heliostats (). Another
cheaper and more popular variant is the solar oven, a passive heating device. In this work the solar heating
verses solar cooling advantage is debated, but an easy-to-build solar collectors for the DIY market is
presented with two new original modular approaches, conjugating solar air heating collectors with solar
heating-wall air panel devices (). Some realizations of house solar heating obtain remarkable results and the
photovoltaic alternative is also presented due to its strong tendencies on the global market.

3. Solar Thermal Systems

The wooden deck you love stalking away from your house might look unremarkable from the outside, but its
underused space just might help solve the problems with residential solar. Some satellites use a similar
design that fans out once in orbit. If your home isn’t running on clean energy yet, your roof is the wrong
space to be toying with sun power. Predictable sunlight all day is impossible to guarantee while the sun
travels from east to west, and trees close to home will have you climbing trees to keep the shade away from
solar panels. That is no way to power your home. Overshadowed by a hill, the concept is an attractive way to
gather the sun’s heat or electricity. The rooftop mounts collect the sunlight that strikes them from above,
which is totally useless sunlight until you’re ready to cook a nice stew of your asphalt shingles. Instead of
power – which solar panels on a black background will absorb regardless, as they aren’t picky – your
home is getting free, unwanted heat absorbed into your AC bill.

Thanks to advancements in technology, such as the rise of high-functioning materials for sleek, solar energy
absorbing windows, don’t expect the field of solar energy to rely on solar panels forever. But that’s a
decadelong shift. For now, solar energy to keep your home heated efficiently follows the same principles of
any passive solar home heating system. Most typically, passive heating for homes uses windows placed on
the southern side of the house, as they will collect seasonal sunlight and heat the home when less sun
penetrates north- or west-facing windows. Solar thermal systems to water-use energy are the most seen
now. These systems operate by running a liquid through a solar collector. When the collector is hit with
enough light, it will begin to convert the light into heat with a certain degree of efficiency.

There are two types of systems, active and passive. Passive heating systems refer to a singular thermal
mass in the home that receives sunlight, such as a stone or open water tank. Passive systems operate with
their own limitations, as they require multiple windows and take up valuable real estate. A solar thermal
energy can also heat a home with more conveniences for homeowners, functioning like gas heat, except with
the fuel costs at zero. A network of piping runs through a solar collector and to a water heater tank filled with
freezing cold water. The runny tube receives heat from the collector and brings it to the water, which sits in
a closed loop while heating up.

3.1. Types of Solar Thermal Systems

The role of solar thermal systems in heating applications is delimited to hot water generation and space
heating. Moreover, given the heat demand trends and potential market drivers, the purpose of the analysis
resides on low to medium temperature applications – i.e., space heating chiefly with radiant terminals and
an average operation temperature below 50 °C. However, forced air distribution has also been considered
as it expands the restrains in the analysis whilst maintaining the low temperature condition. In the context of
a steady declining trend in heating demand – i.e. taking place in industrialized countries – a theoretical
model of a reference radiant panel has been simulated and the hypothetical variation in the operational
parameters explored in order to assess the achievable room temperature conditions.

It is found that there is a narrow window for the operational conditions that maximize the heating efficacy
– suggesting that room temperature conditions may not be achieved or may only be guaranteed under
very specific circumstances. Considering the importance of the external factors – insulation material,
envelope materials and properties, etc. – the model has also been tested under different hypothetical
scenarios. Given the premises of the model, the findings show that radiant panels may not ensure room
comfort conditions under high external heat losses, which could be the case in a retrofit scenario of badly
insulated buildings. It is argued that a more efficient heating source would be essential in order to overcome
this issue. An off-plan experimental validation of the model is in progress.

4. Barriers to Adoption of Solar Energy for Heating

Although approximately 87% of firewood used in South Africa is for energy purposes, this paper will focus
mainly on the potential for solar energy to be used for heating. Details regarding a particular electricity
based space heating system in South Africa designed for retrofitting the practice of prosecutions into public
buildings are assumed as given, and potential users of such a system are referred to as S/H manufacture & E.
Barriers that might prevent the adoption of solar energy as a substitute for this space heating system are
then identified. The S/H manufacture & E stand to benefit in that they may thereby recognize hurdles
impeding the sale of their system, and thus minimize what will require the designing of an appropriate
adoption trajectory. There exists a significant amount of research on the barriers hindering the wider
adoption of solar energy based technologies in energy end-use applications by South Africans. Such
investigations have offered a qualitative approach and have primarily uncovered the generality of the
barriers to various applications as told by practitioners and experts in the field. The barriers identified have
generally been of an economic, technical, social, and regulatory, or arena-specific nature, and there is
consensus that the existence of these obstacles is likely to bring about a considerable roadblock for
prospective end-users and practicing industries. This body of work represents a valuable synthesis of views
on barriers to solar thermal technologies in general, but does not address the question of why, in spite of the
recognized potential of solar heating systems, they have not been more widely adopted.

4.1. Economic Barriers

There are several economic barriers to the adoption of solar thermal systems, and the lack of consumer
financing or credit facilities has been reported as a main barrier for solar heating. This helpful schematic
initially lays out a range of possible barriers that could be hindering households from adopting solar heating.
Cost is an important factor inhibiting the adoption of solar heating systems. High upfront cost of acquiring a
solar thermal system is the main financial barrier to solar heating adoption. When dealing with systems such
as solar thermal, which require a high initial capital investment cost, households are often expected to have
enough financial reserves to make the investment, which the majority do not. The payback period refers to
the time it takes for an investment to return the investment’s original cost. Normal payback periods
typically range between 5 to 10 years, and payback periods longer than this generally mean that the
investment is not appealing. The high costs associated with solar heating systems also make the technology
unattractive and impractical, as household budgets cannot afford it. Furthermore, if people can somehow
afford the technology, the long payback periods make it a suboptimal investment option. The world is
witnessing a long ongoing case of oil market turmoil. Variation in oil prices can result in dramatic changes in
the payback period of solar heating systems; thus making solar heating a very volatile investment in a global
market of oil prices. Finally, economic incentives have become an important element for the diffusion of
renewable energy technologies. Solar heating adoption has the potential to increase significantly if
households are assured that their energy savings will offset some of the initial costs of purchasing and
installing the system.

4.2. Technical Barriers

The potential of large-scale solar technologies in contributing to the future energy needs of the planet is
beyond question. The range of solar technologies is wide, with possibilities for electrical, heating and cooling
applications. However, solar technologies still have to overcome various technical, financial and social
barriers to achieve large scale in some energy markets. This subsection begins by addressing the technical
barriers that hinder the deployment of solar heating systems, such as installation complexities, maintenance
requirements, and reliability of the system. It then explores the financial barriers, which consist of the high
investment costs and long payback time of solar heating systems. Finally, the social barriers and obstacles
that stem from the weak public image of solar heating systems are investigated.

When investigating technical barriers, compatibility with existing space or water heating systems comes to
the front. With respect to space heating, many space heating systems require the inclusion of a boiler
(Ramos Cabal et al., 2017). In addition, many systems operate on low-speed low-temperature hot water,
which most conventional flat-plate collectors cannot supply. The installation of an additional sub-system
would be costly and generally unacceptable (Shirinivasan. Naicker, 2010). Similar problems exist with
respect to water heating systems. In mild climates, many water heating systems are electrical, and
customers show a strong preference for these systems due to their low installation and maintenance costs.
In addition, most consumers lack the technical know-how to judge the offer of (solar) water heating systems.
Customers prefer standardised solutions, where it is easier to compare competing systems and installers. In
several countries, financing of residential solar systems is a problem as credit-institutions demand high
interest rates due to the uncertainty on the future development of the technology. This, in turn, increases
the payback time of the residential solar systems. On the other hand, although solar technologies are seen
as environmentally beneficial, seen as a single technology category, there is an average skepticism about
them. Polls show that on average people see solar systems to be more expensive and less effective than
environmental and efficient use of energy techniques. Installation, maintenance and potential environmental
hazards such as decommissioning of the systems are also perceived to be problematic. Most problems are
due to lack of experience and some misconceptions. Additionally, there are no sophisticated or specialized
services for solar system consumers in the vast majority of countries. The competent legislation especially
concerning quality and performance is also weak or non-existent. Moreover professional associations do not
support solar systems sufficiently and the general standards are often not applicable to solar heating
systems - a situation, which is slowly changing due to the development of the sector. All these issues affect
the good image of the technology, leading to low market acceptance.
4.3. Regulatory Barriers
The installation of a solar water heating system may be discouraged as the regulatory environment,
including existing laws and building codes, does not sufficiently accommodate solar energy technologies.
Apart from these existing conditions, the permitting and bureaucratic hurdles that are to be overcome in
order to install and operate a system are discussed. New policies and guidelines are suggested that national
or sub-national governments might consider that could facilitate the easier implementation and operation of
solar water heating systems. In consequence, solar energy utilization for heating could be driven, and
patterns of energy use amended in the heating sector. All over the world, countries acknowledge the need to
reduce the dependence on the incumbent high-carbon fossil-fuel based energy sources and to develop more
sustainable and reliable energy solutions. Demand-side alternatives, including solar heating, offer compact,
site-specific energy opportunities. However, as with other energy technology paradigms, there are several
barriers to widespread uptake. It is found that several of these centred on the regulatory environment, both
at the macro level of government adopted and enforced laws, and at the micro level of the permitting
processes superimposed on the building industry. The challenges faced not only upon the federal
government’s general rules regarding the use of renewable energy sources for thermal energy demand,
but also upon the additional and varying rules regarding solar energy systems implemented at the regional
level. But also, as with many other jurisdictions, in several regions in the country the regulations regarding
solar energy systems on residential and non-residential buildings are outdated. Indeed, it is found that, in
some instances, the permitting system is so protracted that the additional costs and delays upon the already
high price of purchasing and installing a system serve as a deterrent, producing a negative return on
investment (ROI) for the consumer. Even where the relevant codes and regulations are relatively up to date,
it is found that the rules for installing roof-mounted solar water heating systems vary so widely, particularly
in relation to building aesthetics, as to unavoidably increase the costs of designing, purchasing and installing
the system, delaying by months potentially cheaper systems than who meeting planners (Ramos Cabal et al.,
2017).

5. Case Studies of Successful Solar Heating Projects

The aim of this chapter is to present successful solar heating projects to demonstrate developed solutions
and inspire confidence that low temperature solar thermal systems can deliver the desired outcome of cost
savings. A selection of solar heating projects implemented in various places and contexts such as Portugal,
Nepal, Ethiopia and the UK, and designed for different applications including air heating, crop drying,
community heating for residential buildings, and commercial hot water production is presented. Case studies
have been selected to illustrate different approaches that can be taken to overcome obstacles to the use of
solar energy for water and space heating by local communities, self-help groups, industries, and
organizations. They show that successful implementation of solar thermal systems to satisfy thermal needs
depends critically on the level of stakeholder engagement, selection of an appropriate technology and an
identification of key barriers that need to be overcome. The chapter demonstrates a wide range of different
solar thermal technologies which have been successfully developed and implemented to provide space and
water heating. Furthermore, it is showed how the use of solar energy in heating contributes also to the
reduction of CO2 emissions and other environmental impacts. This chapter provides a potential solution for
an identified barrier to furthering the use of solar energy in heating, represents the most cost-effective solar
heating projects and the most rapid payback period.

The presentation of the case studies has been guided by the type of technology used in the projects. Each
case study provides some background information on the setting in which the project was implemented,
describes the design and operation of the solar thermal system, the stakeholder engagement process and
the barriers they helped overcome, and concludes with an analysis of the financial and energy performance
of the system. Each case study has been given a two-page spread. Taking advantage of the sun’s energy
to heat buildings and water is one of the most economically viable and sustainable solar technologies.
Improving understanding and raising the awareness of the benefits of this technology is important for
fostering its further implementation. Finally, based on the lessons learned from the presented case studies,
some recommendations are provided for communities, entrepreneurs and designers willing to implement
affordable and successful solar window-heating systems.

6. Technological Advancements in Solar Heating Systems

Solar energy can cover up to 90% of yearly domestic hot water heating needs, additionally contributing to
space heating by means of combining solar heating systems with low temperature heating systems. With a
view to the potential worldwide end-users’ community, it might be interesting to focus research in the
field of non-traditional energy systems and sought to develop new versions of solar heating systems, an
example of “insulatedâ€​ one (i.e. composed from glass tubes). There is a growing world consist of more
convenient to use and most reliable solar systems manufactured from specifically shaped plastic materials.
Combined with the new implementation possibilities, it might help in overcoming existing barriers--
highlighted below--in the user-friendliness and low efficiency of the older versions of systems considered as
solar heating one .
Numerous factors determine a significant dependence of solar hot water systems’ performance on
manufacturing, installation and exploitation conditions. Apart from using durable and efficient materials as
well as efficient and stable solar absorbers, solar heating systems are very sensitive on minor efficiency of
the following components, and particular entire systems (e.g. selective surfaces on metallic bases are
comparatively sensitive on mechanical damage as small non-flammable objects’ blows). Another
potential problem appears as a result of ageing, more intensive in these systems in comparison to the other
types of solar ones: life longer plastic items; artificially created vacuums surrounding selective pieces and
damages related to vacuum interference; entirely filled by water items sensitivity on low temperatures and
ions precipitation on the metal surfaces; overpressure explosions within vacuum tubes or glass tubes
systems, etc. However, applied to an insulated solar system, such problems are much less significant and
easier in overcoming using repairable plastics. Lack of usable solar energy in the sunless period of the day
might be overcome by auxiliary energy use including electricity (though much more effectively compared to
other traditional energy systems), highly preferable the gas energy—though more expensive and
environmental unfriendly with respect to coal energy. The development of “smartâ€​ grids significantly
enhances the systems’ reliance, and thus accelerates investments return. Such grids may timely
redistribute the required amount of ‘useless’ peak energy to the nearest regions over-storage much
cheaper by four times during certain hours when solar energy is abundant and quite cheap (around 2 kW net
produced electrical power after pyramid-like structure exploitation by the double productive resources
according to the meteorologic conditions average per year), and vice versa lead the chemical energy
storages to re-produce the previously over-produced electrical power if insolation is low. Besides that, the
“smartâ€​ metering devices typically contain the sophisticated electronic temperature controllers able to
keep the surrounding electrical load under the temperature which might be expected as leading to the
household fires. By means of such a device, the solar system owner is capable to receive a discount on
electricity price for the heating loads.

7. Strategies to Overcome Obstacles

Although solar energy may seem like a perfect method of electricity generation, there are many obstacles
with its use. The largest problem with solar energy is that it requires a large investment at the beginning to
cover the costs for the installation. Additionally, technical problems may occur within the process on many
levels. First of all, the system installed can be, and in most cases will be, inefficient. This means only a small
percentage of solar radiation is transformed into electricity. Improper maintenance can also become a source
of technical problems. The batteries in a solar energy system are easily affected by temperature, and need
to be kept within a small range. Furthermore, other problems can occur due to grid interfacing, ground fault
detection, harmonics, and lightning. Lastly, a likely obstacle to the use of solar energy is regulation. Since
solar energy is relatively young, technologies are less standardized, and often will be created with no
regulation followed.

7.1. Financial Incentives and Subsidies

Financial incentives can do well to support solar space heating. Financial help in the form of government
rebates, grants, and tax credits can be extremely useful in reducing the barrier of high upfront costs
experienced by consumers when installing a solar space heating system (i.e. $7,500 upfront with a payback
timeframe for the average-sized residential solar space heating model of 18 years, otherwise only 300 of the
2.5 million US home heating systems in 2017 owned). The Finnish government's ongoing support system has
been noted as being very useful. Companies developing heating products, storage devices, and building
technologies are eligible for grants to fund their renewable heating R&D projects. Similarly from the
perspective of an innovative company a national accelerator scheme promotes the switchover to hydro,
wind, solar geothermal and aerothermal heating systems. Notable positive impacts of this can be lower
running costs, customer incentive program, immediate reduction in emissions, and independent tariffs.

There are also several successful enablement measures involving partnerships between public sector bodies
and private companies. Charities are increasingly working in partnership with private sector groups on
initiatives to encourage the market change to renewable heating. Moreover, the right financial platform is
seen as a precondition for the funding of heating with renewable energy sources. An expert stated that there
must be an availability of a mix of R&I, public and private funding in all levels to promote sustainable heating
and cooling. State aid rules can enable this, supporting such measures by encouraging citizens to renovate
houses or invest in heating solutions, especially if they are based on renewable energy sources.
Furthermore, lone workers, SMEs, and non-residential consumers should be targeted by energy suppliers in
partnership with industry. Attractive renewable heating and cooling green bonds could be issued to these
suppliers. Market failures that will be addressed include the arrangement of accessible financing options in
all EU member states, the setup of a one-stop shop for those willing to switch to renewable heating and
cooling, and encouragement of greater public awareness about the advantages of renewable-based heating
and cooling solutions (Paul, 2013).

8. Conclusion and Future Outlook

Solar energy for heating is a broad category of renewable energy products which can be utilized for heating
homes, pools, water and reduce the need for electricity, fossil fuels, and natural gas. Solar energy for heating
has a relatively short payback period in comparison to other solar technologies, and it can be easily
incorporated in homes and other properties. The primary issue with solar energy for heating is that there are
numerous structural and institutional barriers for its use. Solar energy can never function during the night,
and it can lose function on a cloudy or rainy day. It needs a large surface for installation, and some solar cells
may not function because of atmospheric conditions. Current solar cells can only convert sunlight with a
limited band gap range. Solar cell assembly is also cost-prohibitive. It is many times cheaper for us to use
electricity for heating in one’s home or commercial building with the national electricity provider (Ann
Mathew, 2010).

References:

Ann Mathew, A. "Identifying opportunities and obstacles for the use of solar energy in commercial office
buildings in the northeastern region of united states." (2010). [PDF]

Dragos, C., Ciprian, B., Mihai, T., and Imre, K. "Solar air heating collectors in two modular solar panels build
into a „do-it-yourselfâ€​ type project." (2015). [PDF]

Ramos Cabal, A., Guarracino, I., Mellor, A., Alonso-Alvarez, D., Ekins-Daukes, N., and Markides, C. "Solar-
thermal and hybrid photovoltaic-thermal systems for renewable heating." (2017). [PDF]

Shirinivasan. Naicker, J. "Solar water heating : reducing the barriers.." (2010). [PDF]

Paul, T. "A consumer assessment of household attitudes, awareness, drivers and likelihood of installing solar
water heaters under a monthly payment scheme in Cape Town, South Africa." (2013). [PDF]