Solar Thermal Hot Water Heating Systems
Solar thermal renewable technologies utilise the solar gain from the sun to provide FREE hot water and reduce your family’s carbon footprint.
Contrary to popular belief the amount of solar gain received in the United Kingdom is enough for solar water heating to be a viable supplement to existing domestic hot water heating. Perhaps surprisingly the UK receives 65% of the amount of solar gain that is received by the south of Spain. The solar gain in the UK is made up from direct gain on sunny days, which could account for around 40% and diffused gain on all other days which makes up the other 60%.
The summer months will provide the largest amount of solar gain but a useful contribution will be provided by the other seasons.
How does it work?
In general the solar collector (either a flat plate or evacuated tube) which is filled with (in most cases) a ready mixed liquid containing glycol and water absorbs the heat from the sun. This liquid is them pumped through the solar panels during periods of high solar gain, to a coil within the domestic hot water cylinder where the heat is transferred to the domestic water stored within. This reduces the energy input required from the conventional method of heating the hot water, in turn reducing the energy bills and carbon footprint.
