Solar Thermal tankĪ solar thermal tank looks remarkably like a conventional hot water tank, and we generally install it adjacent to your existing tank. Once the water in the solar thermal tank gets quite hot, up to 120 degrees, it is ready for use. There, a heat exchanger extracts the heat from the glycol to heat the water. The glycol is pumped in a continuous closed-loop system to your basement where it reaches a solar thermal tank. Inside the panels, a fluid called glycol passes through a series of tubes, which are heated by the sun’s energy. In a Solar Thermal system, the array of panels on your roof is relatively small a pair of solar thermal panels can usually provide enough hot water for a household of four.

A Solar Thermal, or Solar Hot Water system simply takes advantage of that effect to heat water for your home.Īll Solar Thermal systems use three main components: solar heat collector panels on your roof, a hot water storage tank in your basement, and an online dashboard that lets you monitor system performance.