To keep costs down and performance up, certain checks and balances should be applied to your solar heating system design.
- Keep it simple. The most successful systems work well for a long time because of their simplicity.
- Solar is usually supplemental—there will be cloudy days, so always include a backup energy source.
- Solar is site-specific. It will only work if the sun is able to shine on the collectors.
- The system must be appropriately scaled—it should have a reasonable return on investment, whether monetary or environmental.
- Aesthetics can be important. A well-designed solar thermal system can be visually unobtrusive, while providing good performance.
