solar water heating

Solar water heating (or solar thermal) is an established and reliable technology with over 42,000 systems currently in use throughout the UK and twenty times this number in Germany.

It works by adding an extra coil to your hot water storage tank, linked to a collector on your roof. Fluid is pumped through the collector, where it is warmed by sunlight, and then through the coil in your tank, where it heats your water. A well-insulated (i.e., modern) hot water tank will keep this water warm for at least 24 hours until it is needed.

In the UK solar water heating can usually deliver all your hot water needs in the summer, and between 10% and 30% of your needs in the winter (depending on the type of collector). Specifying a system to provide all your hot water needs in the winter is not generally sensible, as this will be massively oversized for the summer months. Instead most people use their central heating system as a backup.

Solar water heating is not normally suited to providing central heating, just hot water. This is because for most properties the space heating energy demand is much bigger than hot water demand, although on some modern properties this is no longer true.

It is simple to install and maintain, reliable, and costs of the order of £2-4000 for a modest system. You will save the carbon dioxide emitted in manufacturing your system within a few months of installing it. Our design tools, site assessments and evaluations from plans can help provide a tailored estimate and specification for your property.

images courtesy of imagination solar and ecowarm