General Plumbing • Solar Installations • Renewable Energy • Gas Servicing • Bathroom Installations • Heating & Hot Water Installations • Underfloor Heating

Solar Installations
Solar panels are a popular way to invest in your home and your energy future - reducing your carbon footprint and dependence on traditional energy.

With current interest rates and unstable utility energy prices, micro generation and installing solar panels in particular, currently represent one of the best investments, increasing your properties value and reducing your energy bills.

A quality solar water heating system will provide up to 70% of your home’s annual hot water, reducing your energy bills and CO2 emissions and your families’ carbon footprint for 25-30 years.

• High performance Evacuated Tube Collectors • Available in range of sizes • Can be free-standing or on a pitched roolar Key marked and EN12975 Certified • Heat pipe design – offer low maintenance • Will produce hot water even in cool sunny conditions

How Do Solar Thermal Collectors Work?
Solar Collectors work by converting sunlight into hot water. Each collector is made up of a number of evacuated tubes with a selective absorbent coating and copper heat pipe. Light enters the tube and the coating converts it to heat, this in turn s transmitted to the heat-pipe, the vacuum in the tubes prevents this heat being re-emitted to the atmosphere, meaning that the collectors will work in cold outside temperatures. Each tube with its heat-pipe is connected to a manifold through which fluid is pumped and warmed by the tips on the heat-pipes, the heated fluid is contained within a sealed circuit that connects to a dedicated solar coil on your cylinder.

In order to use a thermal solar collector to assist heating your hot water you will need:

• Ideally a southern facing un-shaded roof space to mount the collectors
• A cylinder with a second solar coil fitted
• A dedicated pump unit and electrical controller
• Space to mount an expansion vessel

The Solar System
The Panels work just like your existing heat source, except they are powered by free, clean solar energy rather than an expensive, dirty, carbon fuel. The Solar System is your primary heat source. Your boiler, stove or immersion heater will automatically raise the water temperature if required. Even when solar energy levels are low the system will add some heat to the water, so your existing heat source will do far less work. The system comprises of four main components: Solar Panels, Digital Controller, Circulation Module and a Hot Water Cylinder.

The Digital Controller
The Digital Controller is the digital heart of the system. It uses sensors to compare water in the panel with that in the cylinder. When the panel is 3°C warmer than the cylinder, the solar pump switches on and the water circulates through transferring heat to the cylinder. If the temperature difference is below 3°C the pump turns off to stop the water in the cylinder being cooled. What about the Cost and Payback?

Each Installation is different and costs will vary, but you should budget an installation cost of around £3000 - £4000 depending on the size of the property, and whether a cylinder change is required. With regard to payback this again will depend on your property size, what type of fuel you are using and how effective your existing boiler is. A typical payback period at today’s energy prices with a modern condensing boiler on mains gas would be under 8 years, and of course if energy prices increase even by a small amount this figure will reduce further.

The various options that we are able to offer are:
• Heat pipe solar collectors
• Direct heat solar collectors
• Flat panel solar collectors

When a survey is conducted we will discuss the options available and advise you as to which system would be most suitable for your application.