Flat plate or evacuated tube? Open or closed systems? Size and type of solar thermal store?
Any experts out there?
- posted
17 years ago
best solar thermal system?
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- posted
17 years ago
You could always ask in alt.solar.thermal - there's more than a few experts there
My 2-pennorth - evacuated collectors are reckoned to be more efficient, although they are more costly to purchase.
A closed (sealed / pressurised) system allows you flexibility in where you position the collectors, as there's no need to have a f&e tank above the highest collector. It's no more difficult to install.
We put in our system when we were renewing the plumbing / hot water tank in this bungalow - so there was plenty of plumbing going on at the time - and we needed a new tank anyway so we went for a dual-coil one.
It's worthwhile (if not essential !) to fit a thermostatic mixing valve on top of the hot water tank - as, on a good day, the solar water can get HOT ! (Currently the sensor half-way up our tank is showing 68 C....)
From May to September we'd expect the solar kit to deliver most of our hot water heating, outside those times you can still get useful gain. Our system is from Solarmax - and has 20 collector tubes. I bought a kit from the supplier, he installed the panels and I did the rest. Cost 5 years ago in the region of £2300, not including new DHW tank, copper pipe and my time...
Hope this helps Adrian Suffolk UK
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- posted
17 years ago
Do you have contact details for Solarmax? A Google search brings up a site called Sunshine Solar, but they seem to be an installer - and there's no mention of DIY kits as far as I could see.
Thanks,
Mike
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- posted
17 years ago
Sorry - I didn't make it clear. The manufacturer of the collectors is Solarmax, but they were purchased from an installer - Solarworks in Sudbury, Suffolk.
I believe that there are now cheaper evacuated collectors available - but I haven't used them....
...even seen them on eBay... !
Probably best to find a supplier local to where you are - Solarworks delivered everything for me, installed the collector mainfold on the roof and then left me to it (though they were able to offer assistance by phone). After I'd plumbed everything together they came back, fitted the collectors and commissioned the system. Very straightforward - no problems....
Regards Adrian
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- posted
17 years ago
it sounds like youre describing DHW systems. If you want lower install cost and max payback you need to be looking at solarthermal space heating, which is able to return far more energy than a DHW system ever can.
heres one:
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an odder one:
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- posted
17 years ago
snipped-for-privacy@care2.com wrote in news:1153080453.219818.108710@
75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:check out
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- posted
17 years ago
like say dimensions or links to data offsite.
Actually there is a url, which has to be pasted manually, for hydro turbines but it is invalid.
Go to the contact page and it says something about a Suburban Griller but not who these people are.
Jon
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- posted
17 years ago
Hi,
Download 'solar.doc' from the downloads section.
cheers, Pete.
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- posted
17 years ago
On Mon, 17 Jul 2006 08:31:33 GMT someone who may be Jonathan Schneider wrote this:-
Which products do you don't have any technical data and what data?
I have got the dimensions of their panels from their site, along with the cylinder sizes.
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- posted
17 years ago
I think the problem is the lack of links back from the shop to anywhere useful. Now looking at the site proper it isn't too bad.
Jon
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- posted
17 years ago
On Sun, 16 Jul 2006 13:32:24 +0100 someone who may be "Keith D" wrote this:-
There is no such thing as the best. What matters is what you want from the system, what your existing systems are and how many modifications you want to make to your existing systems. Give us a clue and we might be able to help.
Solar space heating systems may work for single wooden rooms in some parts of the world. However, in the UK they will only provide supplementary heating for some parts of the year in the typical house.
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- posted
17 years ago
It is best to use a Thermal Store/Heat Bank tat the CH and DHW is take off. Then CH can gain from any solar gain. The more panels you have the more hot water produced. If low temperature operating underfloor heating is used, a large thermal store and enough panels are fitted, much of the CH side will cost nothing to run, even on colder days too. Worth considering if doing a major refurb.