Are SHW systems suitable for domestic use?
SHW technology is ideally suited to use on residential buildings, providing hot water. The use of active solar heating in households has grown substantially in the UK over the last few years, with many examples already in operation (see photo). SHW systems can be incorporated into buildings in various ways. Sloping rooftops are an ideal site, where collectors can simply be mounted using frames. Systems can also be incorporated into the actual building/roof fabric. In most SHW systems, only the collectors are visible. They look similar to dark roof lights. The overall area of the collector array may be typically 3-4 square metres.
