Solar Thermal

70% of the energy used in the residential and commercial/institutional buildings sector is used for heating. Canada also has a very large potential for solar energy use and it has excellent solar resources. Since 2007, there are an estimated 544,000 m² of solar collectors operating in Canada. They are primarily unglazed plastic collectors for pool heating (71%) and unglazed perforated solar air collectors for commercial building air heating (26%), delivering about 627,000 GJ of energy and displacing 38,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

Canada leads the world in solar air collector development and commercialization. CanmetENERGY is moving the development of solar thermal technologies forward primarily in the areas of:

• Low temperature (<60°C) heating applications for residential, commercial, and industrial applications where there is large near- to medium-term market potential
• Supporting new product development and testing, standards development, technology assessments, market research, and new technology demonstrations and performance monitoring in cooperation with industry, research organizations, and other government and funding program partners
• Providing technical support to ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat program, which provides financial incentives for solar water and air heating systems
• Supporting Canada’s National Solar Test Facility in Mississauga, Ontario, which provides solar equipment testing and certification services year-round with the help of a 200 kW indoor solar simulator
• Determining the feasibility of concentrating solar thermal power generation for locations in Western Canada where there is a high direct-beam solar resource in the summer (similar to southern Spain)

CanmetENERGY’s solar thermal technologies research and development

Practical applications resulting from CanmetENERGY’s research and development (R&D) include:

• Improving the cost-effectiveness of residential solar water heaters and solar air heating systems for commercial building applications
• Increasing the utilization of solar energy for space heating through seasonal storage for both community-scale and single family home applications
• Developing solar cooling systems for commercial/institutional applications
• Initiating the first demonstration of solar seasonal storage technology applied on a community scale in North America (Drake Landing Solar Community) and the first in the world capable of supplying more than 90% of the space heating requirements from solar energy (this project utilizes both short-term and seasonal storage of solar energy and is a good example of how communities can increase the utilization of solar energy in the future)
• Providing software, downloadable at no charge, for modeling the performance of solar collectors to heat pools, homes, buildings, and water heating systems
• Developing testing and certification standards for innovative technologies nationally and internationally

Examples of CanmetENERGY’s major solar thermal research and development (R&D) accomplishments, which resulted in products that are now fully commercialized and experiencing greater than 20% annual growth rates in the marketplace, include the:

• Development of the transpired solar air collector (Solarwall^TM) — sales have now captured approximately 30% of the solar market in Canada and have been installed in 40 countries worldwide, including China’s Olympic site
• Development of the low flow residential solar water heater — we were also instrumental in the development and commercialization of the Canadian low flow solar water heater, considered by many to be the most cost-effective solar water heater system in the world

How solar thermal technologies work

Solar thermal technologies (also known as active solar systems) involve the conversion of solar radiation into heat and include the use of pumps or fans to actively transfer the heat to storage or for distribution directly to its intended use. The key component of any active solar system is the solar collector, which absorbs the sun’s radiant energy and transforms it into usable heat.

Various types of collectors are used in solar energy conversion, depending on the application and temperature requirements:

• Unglazed metal and plastic flat plate collectors are used for low temperature applications such as residential pool heating and ventilation air heating for commercial and industrial buildings
• Glazed flat plate and vacuum tube collectors are used for mid-range temperature applications such as domestic hot water and space heating and cooling applications
• Concentrating collectors that focus the sunlight onto a much smaller area are used for higher temperature applications such as industrial process heat, absorption cooling, and large-scale solar thermal power applications to generate steam for electricity generation
  

Performance directory of solar domestic hot water systems

Disclaimer

This directory is generated for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Canada nor constitute an endorsement of any commercial product or person. Neither Canada nor its ministers, officers, employees or agents makes any warranty in respect of this directory or assumes any liability arising out of this directory.

Background

This directory provides potential buyers with independent data on the thermal performance of solar domestic hot water systems that are designed for residential use. The thermal performance is an important factor in the purchase decision since the water heating capacity can vary between systems. However, actual thermal energy output will vary depending on hot water usage, geographical location, and several system installation and operating parameters. Energy output is not the only criteria for selecting a solar domestic hot water system. The cost, expected service life (and warranty), quality of installation, availability of parts and quality of service are also important factors.

All systems listed in this directory have completed certification to CSA Standard F379 "Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems". The ratings in this directory have been determined using the standard day specified in that Standard for the 300 litres/day hot water load. For system models that were not tested, detailed computer models were developed and the standard day test was simulated using TRNSYS software.

Download a copy of the table (PDF, 48 KB).

Requirements for Inclusion in the Performance Directory

Systems must be certified to CSA Standard F379. To have your system listed, please contact the Directory Coordinator.

Links

1. ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes - Certain solar domestic hot water systems are eligible under the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program. Only products purchased after June 6, 2011, and installed after a pre-retrofit evaluation are eligible for a federal grant.
2. ENERGY STAR® in Canada
   ENERGY STAR® helps consumers quickly and easily identify major appliances and other energy-using equipment that save energy. Solar domestic water heaters sold in Canada may qualify.
3. Canadian Solar Industries Association (CANSIA)
   CANSIA is an association for solar manufacturers, installers, resellers, and consultants. They offer a member industry directory, as well as a listing of certified solar hot water installers across Canada.
4. Exova
   Formerly Bodycote Testing Group, Exova houses Canada’s National Solar Test Facility (NSTF), for testing and rating of solar technologies under controlled sunlight, temperature, and wind.

Contact us

To find out more about solar thermal energy research visit our publications section, download our modeling software and tools, or contact us.