Solar charging: Difference between revisions
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'''Solar Charging''' is a concept of using the earth as a thermal battery by collecting heat with solar panels, storing the heat in a [[borehole]], and then retrieving it later using a Ground Source [[Heat Pump]] ([[GSHP]]). The GSHP is a well established technology, but the ground deep down does get cooler with time, reducing the efficiency of the GSHP. | '''Solar Charging''' is a concept of using the earth as a thermal battery by collecting heat with solar panels, storing the heat in a [[borehole]], and then retrieving it later using a Ground Source [[Heat Pump]] ([[GSHP]]). The GSHP is a well established technology, but the ground deep down does get cooler with time, reducing the efficiency of the GSHP. | ||
To avoid confusion with electric charging of cars etc from solar panels, it might also be termed '''Solar Geocharging''' but this is a longer mouthful. | To avoid confusion with electric charging of cars etc from solar panels, it might also be termed '''Solar Geocharging''' but this is a longer mouthful. | ||
The deep subsoil remains at one temperature all the year round - broadly it receives and stores solar heat, but only the top 5 metres (and somewhat less in temperate climate) seems to be affected by the seasons. More than 5m down and the ground is perpetually 10-12 º Celcius, and solar heat could take many decades to get deeper. A scientific discussion of thermal storage in soil is very well covered in the Wikipedia article '''Seasonal Thermal Store''' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_thermal_store] . | The deep subsoil remains at one temperature all the year round - broadly it receives and stores solar heat, but only the top 5 metres (and somewhat less in temperate climate) seems to be affected by the seasons. More than 5m down and the ground is perpetually 10-12 º Celcius, and solar heat could take many decades to get deeper. A scientific discussion of thermal storage in soil is very well covered in the Wikipedia article '''Seasonal Thermal Store''' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_thermal_store] . | ||