Solar Thermal Heating: Quietly Ramping Up

clipped from www.worldofrenewables.com And it appears to have been heating up for a while now, according to numbers released this morning by Worldwatch Institute. The nonprofit says that solar thermal heating (using solar thermal power to heat swimming pools and fuel water heaters, space heaters, and some industrial processes) posted its highest annual worldwide growth rate since 1995, expanding by 19 GW from 2006 to 2007 to reach 147 GW total capacity — that’s enough to heat 15 percent of American homes. Solar heating is a popular choice in areas where sun is plentiful and lower-cost natural gas heating is not an option (like China), because the upfront cost of a solar thermal heater is on par with that of an electric heating unit and its life cycle cost is 3 percent to 6 percent lower. It can also help home owners and facilities managers reduce the use of natural gas and electricity, making it attractive to those trying to cut down on their energy use in general.