Powering Your Heating Loads

Photovoltaic systems and the power they produce are best suited and most economical for operating appliances, pumps, electronic equipment, lighting and the like.

PV's are not recommended to run your heating loads. Appliances such as toasters and microwaves are not a problem because of the low running times. Yet electric ranges, water heaters or baseboard heaters simply require enormous amounts of power, and cannot be run by photovoltaics in an economically effective manner.

To power these loads we recommend solar thermal systems for space and water heating. In cloudy weather, wood and gas, either natural gas or propane, will run these appliances efficiently and economically. In many systems we recommend propane or natural gas for cooking, water heating and sometimes refrigeration.