Can I Use Underfloor Heating with Solar Power? 

Underfloor Heating offers a low-carbon heating solution for your home and many of our systems are compatible with solar PV systems. In this article we’ll explore the benefits of using solar energy to power your underfloor heating system, examining which systems are best for you and how much energy you will need to heat your home sufficiently. You’ll learn more about: 

• How solar powered UFH helps to lower your home’s carbon emissions and save you money 
• The best electric floor heating systems to use with solar arrays 
• How solar energy can work with water floor heating and heat pumps 
• The heating demands of your home 
• How to maximise the energy savings of solar-powered underfloor heating 

What are the benefits of using underfloor heating with solar? 

Solar power converts energy from the sun into energy for your home and is an increasingly popular technology to use as part of a heating solution for new-builds and renovation projects too – offering a renewable energy-based alternative to carbon-emitting heat sources such as gas boilers. Using an underfloor heating system with solar panels can improve your home’s energy performance, lowering its carbon footprint.  

Floor heating is more energy-efficient than traditional methods of heating, making it perfect for use with a PV system as this increased efficiency will reduce the demand on the solar panels. You can directly power electric floor heaters and other electric technology in your home with a connected solar array, eradicating the need for gas-fed utilities in a property completely, and our range of water systems are ideal to use with solar-powered heat pumps, which are a much cleaner heat source to use in contemporary homes. 

Can I save money with solar-powered floor heating? 

The combined energy-efficiency of UFH and solar technology can significantly reduce the costs of heating your home. Our floor heating systems can reduce energy usage by up to 35% compared to traditional radiator systems which can in turn, reduce the costs of your energy bills.  

Installing solar panels on your home’s roof with batteries to store this energy will lessen your reliance on national grid-produced electricity, which can help save you huge amounts of money on your energy bills and in some cases, eliminate energy costs altogether. You may also have the opportunity to generate money by selling excess electricity from your solar PV system back to the grid. 

Which electric UFH solutions can I use with solar panels? 

The low power needs of the DCM-PRO low wattage system make this system perfect to install with solar. Installing the low watt DCM-PRO with your own PV panels and batteries to store excess power can allow your home to be heated by zero-carbon, self-generated electricity with no need for supplementary energy from the grid.  

The Inscreed Cable System is also compatible with solar PV systems in homes that don’t require 100% off-grid energy. The Inscreed System has been designed for installation in concrete screeds with a thickness of 50mm to 100mm and this installation method allows the system to act as a storage heater – making it ideal to use with solar arrays as the solar energy produced during the day will be stored in the subfloor, radiating heat into the room above through the evening. 

Are solar PV systems compatible with water underfloor heating? 

Water UFH systems are ideal for use with heat pumps and you can power your heat pump using solar technology.  Ground and air-source heat pumps operate best at lower temperatures than traditional heat sources and floor heating systems also utilise lower temperatures than radiator systems (flow temperatures of 35°C vs. 55°C) whilst providing the same level of warmth. Water UFH systems also use a larger mass of water than radiators, helping to improve heat pump efficiency. Using solar-powered heat pumps with a water system can reduce your energy usage by 35% through these innovations alongside the system’s radiant heat technology and connected Smart controls. Our VLo line of low-profile water floor heating solutions are perfect for use with solar-powered heat pumps in both new-build projects and home renovations. 

Find out more about the compatibility of heat pumps and underfloor heating in our expert guide. 

How much solar energy will I need to heat my home? 

If you’re considering installing underfloor heating with solar panels in your home, the most important thing to work out is how much energy will you need for your purposes. Some properties will be able to become fully off-grid using solar whilst others may require some purchased energy to sufficiently heat the space. This will depend on your home’s construction, including its insulation levels and the size of your PV system. There are a variety of options available when thinking about the scope of your solar energy solution with regards to your property’s heating demands, these include: 

Fully off-grid homes 

• 100% of annual heating demand supplied by solar  

Mostly off-grid homes 

• 80% of annual heating demand supplied by solar  

Homes using complementary solar 

• 35% of annual heating demand supplied by solar 

Looking for the best UFH system to install with solar technology in your home? It’s a good idea to speak with your solar provider to get the best advice before purchasing a new heating system. You can also speak with Warmup’s Global Projects Division for in-depth expertise: they can provide a full system design and heat outputs, which you can share with your solar provider to specify the solar-powered UFH system appropriately.  

Our easy-to-use online water floor heating quote tool can also help find the best heating solution for your project. It calculates the heating demand of your home on the coldest days and can be used in conjunction with your solar provider to ensure you get the right system for your needs.  

It’s also worth remembering that all solar systems will need to take into consideration the energy load demands of other devices in your home – such as your kitchen appliances or an electric car charger – so that this usage won’t interrupt your heating. 

How can I enhance the performance of my solar-powered floor heating? 

To maximise the energy-efficiency of a solar-powered floor heating system, you should also ensure that your home features adequate levels of insulation. Good quality insulation installed throughout your home will lower the building’s heat loss, thereby requiring less energy from the solar PV system to heat the space. Insulation is always recommended with underfloor heating as it also helps to improve the response times of the system.  

To help conserve even more energy with a solar-powered UFH solution, system-dedicated Smart heat controls should also be used. Our range of Smart thermostats are perfect for maximising the efficiency of floor heating and ensure that your home is heated at the right time, at precisely the right temperature, for your requirements.