THERMAL SOLAR ENERGY
1What is solar thermal energy for?
The most widespread applications of this technology are the obtaining of domestic hot water (DHW), underfloor heating and the preheating of water for industrial processes. Other extended applications are the heating of water for indoor or outdoor swimming pools and obtaining cold for air conditioning.
2How do solar systems work to produce domestic hot water (DHW)?
Basically, a solar system for the production of domestic hot water consists of a collector or solar panel and a water storage tank.
The operation is very simple: the water in the tank is heated by the circulating heat transport liquid that is heated by the solar radiation that hits the panels.
There are different systems such as Thermosiphons that do not usually carry a pump and the heat transport liquid works by thermosyphonic effect of natural circulation or forced systems, where a pump forces the recirculation of the heat transport liquid that heats the domestic hot water through a coil or the vacuum tubes with or without Heat - Pipe.
The operation is very simple: the water in the tank is heated by the circulating heat transport liquid that is heated by the solar radiation that hits the panels.
There are different systems such as Thermosiphons that do not usually carry a pump and the heat transport liquid works by thermosyphonic effect of natural circulation or forced systems, where a pump forces the recirculation of the heat transport liquid that heats the domestic hot water through a coil or the vacuum tubes with or without Heat - Pipe.
3Why might I be interested in installing a solar thermal energy system at home?
By installing a solar thermal energy system in your home you will save money and be able to obtain tax credits.
4What other benefits does installing solar thermal energy for ACS have?
In addition to fuel economy and therefore economic, the use of solar thermal energy has the following advantages:
It avoids us the disgust to a large extent by the constant increases in gas and electricity and other fossil fuels.
Eliminates the energy dependence of our home from a first need such as sanitary hot water.
It provides added value to housing, and can serve as an argument for sale and improvement and the energy certification of our home.
It allows reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming.
By reducing pollutant emissions, it contributes to greater air cleaning and to preventing respiratory diseases.
Reduces the state's energy dependence on third countries.
It generates employment and helps to boost the economy.
Its amortization is short term.
It does not require initial investment since it can be paid with the savings generated month by month until its total amortization, therefore we positively affect the family economy by reducing our energy dependence.
It avoids us the disgust to a large extent by the constant increases in gas and electricity and other fossil fuels.
Eliminates the energy dependence of our home from a first need such as sanitary hot water.
It provides added value to housing, and can serve as an argument for sale and improvement and the energy certification of our home.
It allows reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming.
By reducing pollutant emissions, it contributes to greater air cleaning and to preventing respiratory diseases.
Reduces the state's energy dependence on third countries.
It generates employment and helps to boost the economy.
Its amortization is short term.
It does not require initial investment since it can be paid with the savings generated month by month until its total amortization, therefore we positively affect the family economy by reducing our energy dependence.
5How much does a solar thermal system cost?
It will depend on the characteristics of the system and the region in which we are located and the number of solar collectors to be installed and the degree of difficulty of the installation.
6How long is the investment recovered?
The period of recovery of the investment will depend mainly on the geographical area, the size of the installation and the energy source we are replacing and the daily consumption habits.
We can point out as a reference, that the average amortization of the last five years of the installations carried out by DiselEnergy has been 3.2 years on average in Catalan territory.
However, the trend in the price of fossil fuels such as electricity or gas / butane / diesel is on the rise, so investment recovery times will be less and less.
We can point out as a reference, that the average amortization of the last five years of the installations carried out by DiselEnergy has been 3.2 years on average in Catalan territory.
However, the trend in the price of fossil fuels such as electricity or gas / butane / diesel is on the rise, so investment recovery times will be less and less.
7And what is the useful life of the installation?
The useful life of a solar thermal energy installation for obtaining domestic hot water is estimated to be an average of 25 years.
SELF-CONSUMPTION
1How do I know if I can do this installation on my roof?
You must contact DiselEnergy either by phone / email or through the contact form that we have enabled for this purpose, so that one of our specialist technicians checks the technical / energy needs of your home and informs you of the solutions possible according to the solar resource available in your home and your consumption habits. This visit is free and without obligation. Once all the data of the measurements made by the Technician have been obtained, an on-site study will be carried out to adapt the proposal to your real needs, taking into account various factors such as consumption habits, total annual consumption of thermal / electrical kW, housing orientation , available area, typology and level of isolation, subsidies and current legislation. If the study requires greater depth of data to offer a comprehensive solution tailored to your needs, it will be carried out in our facilities and a second visit will be made to present it and discuss the details about it. This visit is also free and without obligation.
2Is it legal to have this installation?
The message must be changed: self-consumption is viable, both technically and legally.
3Do I have to pay the so-called "sun tax"?
RD 900/2015 indicates that the energy term tax does not affect installations of less than 10 kilowatts (kW) and most domestic installations have lower power. Therefore, only those installations with batteries with the aim of reducing power or in those cases where the power of the installation exceeds the power contracted to the home or community will be affected. This also does not happen in most domestic installations. Currently, there is no knowledge about any facility that is paying the famous "sun tax."
Europe, through European directives, is committed to the renewable energy generation model such as photovoltaics. In this sense, it is expected that "issues" such as the sun tax will disappear in the future and that more mechanism will be available for proactive consumers. The proactive consumer or prosumer is a recognized figure in the "Energy Efficiency Directive Winter package 2016" directive.
Europe, through European directives, is committed to the renewable energy generation model such as photovoltaics. In this sense, it is expected that "issues" such as the sun tax will disappear in the future and that more mechanism will be available for proactive consumers. The proactive consumer or prosumer is a recognized figure in the "Energy Efficiency Directive Winter package 2016" directive.
4When there is the public electricity retailer, will I have more advantages?
In the future, the public energy trader may take over, in case the small generator wishes, the surplus management, as a market agent. Even if the users have a contract with the energy marketer, they can subtract that energy they have generated from home from the final supply bill.
5How much does a solar thermal system cost?
It will depend on the characteristics of the system and the region in which we are located and the number of solar collectors to be installed and the degree of difficulty of the installation.
6How long is the investment recovered?
The period of recovery of the investment will depend mainly on the geographical area, the size of the installation and the energy source we are replacing and the daily consumption habits.
We can point out as a reference, that the average amortization of the last five years of the installations carried out by DiselEnergy has been 3.2 years on average in Catalan territory.
However, the trend in the price of fossil fuels such as electricity or gas / butane / diesel is on the rise, so investment recovery times will be less and less.
We can point out as a reference, that the average amortization of the last five years of the installations carried out by DiselEnergy has been 3.2 years on average in Catalan territory.
However, the trend in the price of fossil fuels such as electricity or gas / butane / diesel is on the rise, so investment recovery times will be less and less.
7Self-consumption: with batteries or without? What is the difference?
A photovoltaic generation installation can be combined whenever desired with batteries. The incorporation of batteries will allow to store a certain energy when there is no energy consumption but there is a solar resource, with the aim of making use of this energy stored at times with high demands and without sufficient instantaneous photovoltaic generation. We will have to assess what is best for each case. If there is instantaneous consumption, including batteries can make installation difficult, both at the exit price level, and at the level of space or maintenance requirements. In the event that the installation of batteries is finally considered appropriate, the Generalitat foresees subsidies http://icaen.gencat.cat On the other hand, the Barcelona City Council also has grants.
8If I decide to install without batteries, can it affect my consumption?
No, the generation installation with or without batteries must not in any case affect the consumption of electrical energy. What will change is where the energy comes from, since a part will be of renewable origin and generated by us from our deck.
9Can I run out of energy at some point?
It must be taken into account that, despite having a generation installation, we will always be connected to the electricity grid and, therefore, there is no risk due to the availability of a renewable generation installation, beyond what it could have Any other customer connected to the power grid.
10You have to be the owner or have the consent of the owner to start any process.
You have to be the owner or have the consent of the owner to start any process.
11Do I need the agreement of all the floors of my housing block?
If it is a community facility, the compliance of the neighbors of the stairs will be necessary. The regulation that regulates the communities of owners is that of the fifth Book of the Civil Code of Catalonia, regarding real rights. Article 553.25 regulates the general regime for the adoption of agreements and establishes as necessary for the adoption of these a simple majority of the owners who have participated in the vote and who, at the same time, have represented the simple majority of the total of their participation fees. The farm administrator is responsible for validating the agreements made by the community.
12What if I want to do the installation only for my home?
In the case of an individual installation on community roof but for private use, the community must be asked for permission whenever there is any modification or action on the roof of the building. In the event that the cover is the property and its use also, it will be necessary, in any case, to request compliance from the neighbors of the staircase and, as in the first case, a simple majority will be required according to current regulations, the Book fifth of the Civil Code of Catalonia, relating to real rights. (Article 553.25).
13Do I have to do some kind of works to get the electricity generated in my house in case d
The supply connection is the part of the electrical installation of the company that supplies the energy to us. When they are installations with self-consumption mode, the connection of the generation installation with our network must be linked to the interior part of the home, that is to say, the meter of ours towards the interior of the house.
What is known as "inland". In the case of a generation installation for self-consumption, in addition to installing the modules and auxiliary connection elements that are needed (inverter, protective equipment, counter in some cases, etc.), the power line must be connected inside from the home, inland from the supply connection. This does not imply doing a great work, but you have to provide for the physical electrical connection inside the home and enable a small space inside the home for possible protections or electronic devices.
It is a very small space (a wall one meter wide approximately), but it must be taken into account. If the installation of batteries is considered adequate, a space for the placement of these elements should also be taken into account. Finally, it should be borne in mind that the set of elements will always be connected by wiring, and therefore, it will be necessary to provide for the passage of a small wiring tray in the event that there is no installation passage or a hidden wiring step ( under wall).
What is known as "inland". In the case of a generation installation for self-consumption, in addition to installing the modules and auxiliary connection elements that are needed (inverter, protective equipment, counter in some cases, etc.), the power line must be connected inside from the home, inland from the supply connection. This does not imply doing a great work, but you have to provide for the physical electrical connection inside the home and enable a small space inside the home for possible protections or electronic devices.
It is a very small space (a wall one meter wide approximately), but it must be taken into account. If the installation of batteries is considered adequate, a space for the placement of these elements should also be taken into account. Finally, it should be borne in mind that the set of elements will always be connected by wiring, and therefore, it will be necessary to provide for the passage of a small wiring tray in the event that there is no installation passage or a hidden wiring step ( under wall).
14How long will they need to do the installation?
The time required to make such an installation is reduced. Once the project is clear and all the materials are available, the execution will last a few weeks or days, depending on the dimension it has and the difficulties in the wiring.
15How long is a photovoltaic installation?
The useful life of this type of installation is long, the guarantee of the generation panels is 25 years. Once these 25 years have passed, the performance of the panels and of the installation as a whole is slightly reduced, but still continues to be produced. Currently in Europe, photovoltaic installations of more than 40 years operate. Keep in mind that the life of the installation will depend on the maintenance performed; Therefore, it is important to take care of the installation. In case the installation has batteries, the useful life of these depends on the cycles and the use made, but, in any case, it is shorter than the useful life of the rest of the components (panels, inverters, etc.). ) and, therefore, the replacement must be foreseen during the life of the installation.
16How do I have to do the maintenance?
The maintenance of this type of facilities is very simple; There is, however, to ensure that the different components, for example the inverters, are clean of dust and that there is no item of equipment that may be damaged.
17Is the once-a-year visit of an expert maintenance technician of this type considered appropriate?
If the installation has batteries, more precise monitoring will have to be done. Depending on the type of batteries, more or less maintenance will be required; For example, if they are lead, it must be ensured that they do not heat up and that the vessels are not emptied. This is solved with other batteries, such as lead-gel, Ni-Cd or Li + (lithium ion).
18What happens if it breaks down?
Like any other easy-to-maintain electrical installation, it may happen that, at any given time, there is a component that is damaged. We must take into account the guarantees of the components and equipment and, beyond that, it would be advisable to have a maintenance that includes small repair actions in the event of an incident.
19How much does a photovoltaic installation cost?
The cost of a photovoltaic installation will depend on the installed power but we cannot always speak of a direct proportionality, since, depending on the size, scale costs are applied, so that, as the installation is greater, they can be Get more competitive prices. On the other hand, the price will depend on the facilities of the work to do the installation.
The simpler the installation of the panels and auxiliary equipment as well as the passage of the wiring, the easier it will be to obtain a cheaper price. It is very important to keep in mind that, currently, facilities such as those mentioned have associated tax aids and bonuses.
The simpler the installation of the panels and auxiliary equipment as well as the passage of the wiring, the easier it will be to obtain a cheaper price. It is very important to keep in mind that, currently, facilities such as those mentioned have associated tax aids and bonuses.
20What is the initial investment and how much will I save in the future?
The initial investment will depend, in large part, on the power and location of the installation as well as the associated technical difficulties that may arise. These installations connected in the self-consumption mode allow saving the energy consumed from the external network and reduce the cost of the electricity supply bill.
In the hours in which there is consumption, the savings will be greater or lesser depending on the kWh generated.
In the hours in which there is consumption, the savings will be greater or lesser depending on the kWh generated.
21How can I pay for the installation?
You can pay in cash, in convenient terms or by taking advantage of some of the financing options that DiselEnergy has for you, or you can opt for the zero cost modality: pay a monthly fee of lesser amount for the installation than the amount of monthly savings that Generate the installation of self-consumption and thus do not increase the general expenses of your economy.
22How long does it take to amortize the investment?
The objective of the energy transition proposed by DiselEnergy is to achieve that, in the same way that a citizen currently assumes the cost of installing a boiler, a canopy or a blind, without doing any economic feasibility study, the generation of energy through renewables Become an essential element to consider. If tax aids or bonuses are not taken into account, the amortization will depend on the energy coming from the photovoltaic installation that can be used, as well as the price of the installation.
The recovery of the investment, if aid and bonuses are used, occurs after 3 to 5 years, always depending on each case, and in many cases, in less than 3 years. It must be taken into account that these installations have a useful life of more than 25 years, with a guarantee of generation of the panels during the first 20 years at 90% of the performance, and in the first 25 years at 85%; therefore, once the installation is amortized, there will still be many years of generation and economic savings in the invoice.
The recovery of the investment, if aid and bonuses are used, occurs after 3 to 5 years, always depending on each case, and in many cases, in less than 3 years. It must be taken into account that these installations have a useful life of more than 25 years, with a guarantee of generation of the panels during the first 20 years at 90% of the performance, and in the first 25 years at 85%; therefore, once the installation is amortized, there will still be many years of generation and economic savings in the invoice.
23Are there other types of aid?
There are many mechanisms promoted by organizations and also private that can help carry out this type of facilities, we have examples of voluntary solar generation facilities for the use of sanitary hot water through this system. Likewise, there are also soft loans from private entities to promote this type of facilities as well as other renewable projects.
24What tax advantages do you have?
The DiselEnergy Technician can inform you about the tax credits existing in your municipality and how to obtain it, since in most of the Catalan municipalities there are bonuses that involve discounts on the real estate tax (IBI) and on the tax on construction, facilities and works (ICIO).
