With the growing popularity of Solar Panels a question we are often asked is, “Can you use Solar Panels to power your Under Floor Heating?”
It’s a great question, so let’s delve in a little.
Firstly let’s have a quick look at how a solar panel works.
Here is a straightforward explanation from the Clean Energy Council,
“When the sun is shining, solar panels convert sunlight into DC (direct current) electricity. The solar inverter converts this electricity into AC (alternating current) power for use in your home. Your home appliances (fridge, dishwasher, pool pumps etc.) use this power instead of drawing power from the electricity grid.”
https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/consumers/buying-solar/how-does-solar-work
Advantages of using Solar with your Floor Heating
The biggest benefit of using solar to power your floor heating is obviously the reduced running costs. So you enjoy paying less for energy over a long period of time. This also means you are reducing your home’s carbon footprint by relying less on “non-renewable” energy.
So does solar work with Floor Heating?
In short, yes, Solar will effectively allow you to power almost any electrical appliance in your home. Solar panels simply generate electricity and you can use that however you like.
That being said, you do need to think about when you are using your floor heating and when you have access to the energy generated by your panels.
For example, if you only use your floor heating early in the morning, there might not be enough light to generate electricity through your panels.
If you are using solar panels to power your living area, then you should have light and, therefore, power throughout the day.
Solar Batteries
A solar battery will store the energy generated from your panels to be used whenever you need it. If you really want to mazimise your investment in solar panels it might be worth considering investing in a battery.
Here is a great explanation from Can Star Blue.
https://www.canstarblue.com.au/solar/should-you-buy-a-solar-battery/
You may even be eligible for a rebate to assist with your purchase. Again, from Cam Star Blue,
“Most states and territories though, now offer solar rebates and discounts to eligible homes and small businesses looking to install batteries or solar storage units. These incentives can help to lower the initial install and purchase costs of the battery system. To see if your state or territory is offering any interest-free loans or rebates for solar storage it is best to visit your relevant government website.”
Conclusion
So you can absolutely use your solar to power your floor heating. That being said floor heating, particularly in wet areas, is very economical. A typical bathroom-size underfloor heating system is only 600 watts. This represents running costs of only a few cents an hour. So even if you don’t have a solar battery and you are using “grid power” your floor heating has a very small impact on your electricity bill.
