ᐅ Do solar thermal panels effectively support heating systems?

Hi,
I would like to get some opinions. What do you think about solar collectors for heating support?

My situation: The house faces south and there is little shade. About 160 sqm (1,722 sq ft) of living space. I am not planning a large heating system inside the living areas. The walls are built with 24cm (9.5 inches) Ytong blocks. New doors and windows will be installed. The roof is insulated.

An energy consultant advised against solar collectors, saying we don’t get enough sunlight. The investment costs are high and energy savings would be minimal. For domestic hot water support, they said it would be okay.

I also visited two specialist companies. Company A said the opposite. They claimed the investment costs would be limited and the heating support would be excellent.

The second company gave arguments similar to the energy consultant. They said at least 800 liters (210 gallons) of storage would be necessary, which is very expensive. They only recommended solar collectors for domestic hot water support.

So, now I’m out of ideas and asking here: what is your opinion?

Thank you very much

Well, if the experts themselves don’t even agree, what can we laypeople say? 🙂 Solar energy is always somewhat a matter of belief, since it initially involves significant costs that can pay off only after many, many years.
Still, if I had the money, I would do it this way, because otherwise your money loses value every year due to inflation.

Solar energy is always also a matter of belief, because at the beginning there are initially huge costs that can pay off after many, many years.

That is true to some extent. In my opinion, this type of heating support has too few advantages. In winter, when I need it, it is dark and daylight comes too late. Often, during the day it is overcast here and there is no sunshine at all. Considering the extremely high investment costs, no thanks.

Here are at least 800 liters

How large is this 800-liter (211-gallon) tank?
That could easily take up half a room, which I find quite substantial.

I don’t know the exact size of the 800-liter (210-gallon) tank either. However, there is enough space available. It’s not a new build, after all. I would also consider splitting it into two tanks of 400 liters (105 gallons) each.

Hello,

I believe a solar thermal system is more cost-effective than the variant that supports the heating system. I have my doubts about whether this 800-liter (210-gallon) buffer tank is sufficient. However, it still makes sense to use this system for domestic hot water preparation, especially if there is no underfloor heating in the house.

Best regards