Solar
for Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Swansea Area.
1) Overview of Solar Water Heating
Solar Heating is a rapidly growing market in the UK. As solar thermal technology does not rely on sunlight but on solar radiation, it can work efficiently in our climate even on overcast days. The solar solutions we provide are capable of providing all of your hot water needs for up to 8 months of the year. Solar renewable energy offers both a sound financial and environmental investment in our future.
Solar systems use energy from the sun to preheat the water in your cylinder, providing hot water or space heating needs and can be installed on either domestic or commercial buildings. The system needs to absorb, retain, transfer and store energy as efficiently as possible.
The diagram above shows the total average solar radiation falling on 1m² surface, inclined at 30° to the horizontal, measured in kilowatt-hours. To supply an average property with domestic hot water, 3,000 kWh are required per year.
2) Key Benefits of Solar
- You could expect to save between 50% - 70% of your annual water heating costs.
- Can be installed on most buildings
- Provides a free energy source
- Reduces CO2 emissions by as much as 2000 cubic metres per year.
- Adds value to your property.
- Suitable for heating swimming pools
3) What types of solar collector are there?
There are two basic types of collector:-
- Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors use an evacuated glass tube to enclose each pipe and its associated absorber plate. Convection losses are almost eliminated by the vacuum in the tube, making this type of collector more efficient than the flat plate type, especially at high temperatures.
- Flat Plate Solar Collectors use an absorber plate with a specially developed black coating to maximise the collection of solar energy whilst simultaneously limiting re-radiation of energy back to the atmosphere. They tend to be simpler and more robust to install.
4) About the Solar Solutions we provide
Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors
The high performing evacuated tube collectors that we provide absorb 93% of the sun’s energy with minimal heat loss and can provide up to 70% of the household’s domestic hot water requirement per annum.
They are unaffected by factors such as wind chill or ambient air temperatures due to the vacuumed structure, which allows them to absorb whatever solar energy is available, even on cold/dull days. This enables the system to provide hot water for 8 months of the year and assist your existing water heating during the winter months.
One single 20 tube 47 mm solar panel is sufficient for a 200 litre water cylinder and can provide adequate hot water for an average household of 3- 4 people.
To provide heat for underfloor heating, high water usage or swimming pools there are options to increase the collector area by either increasing the tube size or number of panels, depending on space and requirement. For Guidance the solar collector area for a 20 tube 47 mm panel = 2.25m² / 30 tube panel 47 mm =3.38m².
The Evacuated tubes can either be on-roof or flat roof mounted
Flat Plate Solar Collectors
These quality solar collectors can provide between 50 - 70% of a household’s domestic hot water requirements per annum.
These solar collectors have a total area of 2.34m². For flat plates, you need to allow 1.0-1.3m² of collector per person. For a water cylinder of approximately 200 litres, you would need to provide two collectors for an average household of 3 - 4 people.
The panels have been developed to be flatter than most available on the market, they are available in two colours:- silver, for a more contemporary look, or bronze, which blends with most roof types on domestic dwellings. This construction maximises solar absorption whilst minimising reflection by up to 95%.
The flat plates have a wider choice of mounting options, they can either be on-roof mounted, set into the roof tiles/slates or mounted on a flat roof.