Whereas the PV Solar systems focus on saving and generating electricity, Solar Thermal systems focus on saving you money on your gas bills by reducing the need to heat your hot water.

How it Works:-

Solar Thermal Heating Systems absorb solar energy through a collector on the roof.

This energy is transferred into heat in a glycol solution that flows through pipes in the collector and the heat is then transferred to the water which is stored in a conventional hot water cylinder.

The system can deliver up to 90% of your hot water heating demands in the summer when little space heating is required and can provide at least 40-60% of all your hot water requirements throughout the year.

A FREE source of hot water can make a dramatic financial saving on your gas bills.

STEP 1 – An evacuated solar collector is fitted to the roof to absorb the suns heat and transfer it to the fluid in solar circuit pipes. The size of the collectors depends on your cylinder size and usage of hot water which is easily determined at the site survey.

STEP 2 – The solar circuit, using a pump, transports the hot fluid from solar collectors to the hot water cylinder.

STEP 3 – The hot water cylinder receives the hot fluid and transfers the heat to the domestic hot water supply.

BENEFITS:-

• Hot Water throughout the year: the system works all year round, though you’ll need to heat the water further with a boiler or immersion heater during winter months.
• During summer months should be no need to heat your hot water, and if you don’t put your radiators on, then minimal heating is required.
• Cut your bills: sunlight is free, and so your hot water costs will be reduced.
• Cut your carbon footprint: solar hot water is green, renewable heating system and can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions.
• Renewable Heat Incentive – designed to provide financial support, similar to FITs, to encourage individuals to use renewable technology. Non-domestic has already been launched at 8.5 pence/kWh for 20 years. Domestic still to be announced yet, but installations done now will qualify for the RHI.

Payback of System:

The performance of a solar thermal heating system is impossible to predict with certainty due to the variability in the amount of solar radiation (sunlight) from location to location and from year to year. Efficiency losses will occur due to temperature, angular reflectance effects etc., which will reduce the potential output and financial reward.

In terms of payback for a solar thermal system, the easy, rule of thumb calculation is to assume that your solar system will deliver approx 60% of your hot water demands annually. Most panel manufacturers will claim this based on a South or almost South facing system.

However, what you need to consider is how much of your fuel bill goes on heating your hot water. In most households the figure is about 30% of your annual bill.

If your annual fuel bill is £1,000. 30% of this will be for hot water. Ie  £300.00.

Solar heating will contribute to up to 60% of this, or £180.00.

But… this is year in, year out, and as anyone who has had a solar system installed will tell you, there isn’t a better feeling than a) showering in the morning knowing that just the sun has heated the water, and b) turning your boiler off in May, and not turning it back on again until September (during summer, your solar system will usually be able to provide all of your hot water needs – yes, even in the UK!).

Also this figure does not take into consideration the planned RHI incentive that you will receive each year for the next 20 years.