Solar Thermal for hot water

Sometimes called Solar Heating, most Solar Thermal systems are designed to assist buildings with supply of solar hot water.

Although the system is often called Solar heating, very few solar thermal systems do more than just hot water.

How It Works

Flat Solar Panels or Solar Evacuated Tubes collect sunlight which in turn heats up fluid carried in pipes underneath a glass surface.

These tubes or panels carry the heated liquid into your hot water cylinder through a heat exchanger which then heats up your hot water.

All solar systems require a solar heating cylinder which is a twin coil cylinder or thermal store. This will replace your old cylinder and work alongside your normal boiler. The solar panels heat up the bottom of the solar cylinder, the boiler heats up the top.

Your solar heating system is rarely independent, and can connect to your other heating systems and boilers.

Benefits

• Solar heating (Solar thermal) is one of the most cost effective Renewable energy systems.
• Can provide up to 70% of your hot water needs.
• Wide range of solar hot water products offering great value for money.

Typical Costs and Payback

For Solar heating systems it is difficult to give an exact figure as all buildings vary. Often with heating and hot water systems the efficiency of the building can be a factor itself. Generally you can expect a payback of between 12 and 15 years from a solar heating system, which should last 25 years. This will accelerate in April 2011 when the government introduces the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) paying you for the heating offsets, similar to the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme for electricity.

Typical costs for a high quality system are around £3,900 for a 2 panel system with a vented cylinder.

We are able to supply kits for self installation as well.

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