In a world with dwindling supplies of fossil fuels and living in a part of the world with a large demand for heating andhot water surely it makes sense to utilise the free and everlasting energy supplied to us by the sun. Remember there is up to 1KW heat per sq. met of free energy for us to use.
There are three main ways in which the energy of the sun is utilised.
Passive Solar
This is accommodated for in the design of some homes where living rooms aresouth facing with large windows and floors and sometimes walls have a large thermal mass. While it is necessary to use the solar to heat in winter overheating in summer has to be avoided , this is normally done by having a roof overhang which blocks the high summer sun but not the low winter sun. While it can provide some free heat it doesn’t supply hot water and there are design constraints.
Active Solar
There are two main types of active solar collectors
Photovoltaic collectors convert light into direct current DC electricity which is converted by an inverter from DC to AC ( alternating current ) electricity and can be used to run electric appliances in the building. Surplus electricity can be sold to the National Grid in most cases , if this is not possible as in some remote areas the surplus DC electricity can be stored in batteries. At this moment we don’t supply this type of system , as suppliers and designers of warm water underfloor heating system we supply the other main type of active solar collectors :-
Solar Water Heating
Every year in the UK and Ireland over 1000 KWh of solar energy is received on every square metre of surface area. An average home requires approximately 3000 KWh per year for domestic hot water.
As suppliers and designers of warm water underfloor heating systems and stainless steel thermalstore cylinders we are most interested in this type of solar collector . There are two main types of these solar panels ;-
Flat Plate Solar Panels
There are two types of flat plate collector :-
Type one is mainly used in new build or renovations as the collector panel is installed directly on to the roof structure and the tiles/slates fitted to it. The collector is normally supplied with flashings to weather the roof. This type of collector is for installation on a inclined roof.
Type two can be used on new build or retrofit and is supplied with the necessary brackets for fitting to an inclined roof or a frame for installation on a flat roof.
Evacuated Tubes.
vacuated Tube Solar panels will take up less roof space than flat plate collectors as they are far more efficient than flat plate collectors especially in the cold and cloudy days that are far to frequent in the UK and Ireland. Because of their round aperture they also make better use of the sun when it is low in the sky as in winter plus morning and evening sun. Remember it is light rather than heat that generates the solar energy so the collector within the evacuated tube is protected from heat loss , moisture , condensation and pollutants by the vacuum in the tube , this results in a better all round performance.
Orientation
The ideal position for a solar collector is facing due south at an angle of 45˚ to the horizontal. However from 30˚ east of south to south west and at an angle of 30 – 45 ˚ to the horizontal is acceptable. This will suit the angle of most sloped roofs, in the case of a flat roof a frame is used to give the collectors the appropriate angle. , this frame can also be used to install collectors in other positions for example the garden.
Controllers
Solar hot water /heating systems are supplied with differential controllers, sensors and pump sets. Quite simply this allows the pump to pump the hot water from the collector to the hot water cylinder /thermalstorewhen the water in the collector is hotter than the water in the cylinder.
Hot water
Normally when installing solar collectors into an existing heating/hot water system the existing hot water cylinder has to be changed to a twin coil. The bottom coil is connected to the solar collectors and the top coil to the heating source so that hot water can be provided when there is no solar gain. Also the cylinder has to be sized to suit the hot water requirements and the number of collectors. Normally for a small family you would have two solar panels and a 140lit cylinder and for a larger family three solar panels and a 210 lit. Cylinder.
Solar Hot Water/Heating
When using our Thermal Store Cylinders the solar collectors provide hot water ( supplied at mains pressure )and also contribute to the central heating . When the solar is maintaining the heating and hot water requirements at any time the central heating boiler will be switched off by the cylinder thermostat. When the solar or any other secondary heat source isn’t keeping up with the heating/hot water requirements the boiler will automatically come on to help. We normally suggest four solar panels for our 280 lit. Thermal store and five panels for our 350lit. Thermal store. Also remember that if you are not intending to install solar panels at the same time as installing your heating/hot water system you can install them at any time in the future without ever having to change the cylinder and our cylinders have a lifetime guarantee.click for cylinder specification
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