Thermal 101: Introduction to Solar Heating for Homeowners

Congratulations! If you are investigating solar thermal technologies, you are about to learn about the most efficient renewable energy investment you can make! This three hour class will provide an overview of solar air heating and solar domestic water heating. You’ll learn about the basic function and components, sizing and costs. We’ll also cover available rebates and incentives. This course will not address solar water heating for space heating which is covered in our Thermal 302: Design and Installation Class. Participants will leave this class with the ability to distinguish solar electric and solar thermal and with an understanding of the uses of both; have a good understanding of how to identify a proper site for a solar thermal system and have resources to explore local installation options.

If you plan to install your own system, or install as a profession, please sign up for our 300 level classes: Thermal 301 and Thermal 302.

By the end of this class, you'll understand:

• A little of the history and technology of solar thermal systems
• The benefits and limitations of solar thermal systems
• How to tell if you have a good site for a system
• How to estimate system size
• How to estimate system costs, rebates and incentives
• Your next steps toward a system

Lecture Topics:

• Solar Air Heating
• Solar Pool Heating
• Domestic Solar Water Heating
• Overview of system sizing
• Basic site assessment procedures
• Economic benefits of solar water heating

Having taken a few "green" courses over the years, Ben's real-world training in renewable energy began in earnest while he lived in Arizona, where he worked for a solar energy company as a crew-member doing installations of solar electric and solar hot water systems. That work, combined with extensive product knowledge gained at AltE, broadened his practical understanding of renewable energy. Hands-on experience and depth of knowledge along with his natural abilities as a communicator and teacher are what make Ben a valuable part of our instructor team.