The solar thermal system will operate all year round, supplying 100% hot water in the summer and about 20% in the winter- averaging 65-70% during the year.
The solar panel is fixed on top of the roof tiles secured to the battens beneath it, for small domestic systems (less than 60 tubes) Stainless Steel insulated pipe is run from the panel through solar flashings on the roof, and into the cylinder.
We recommend Stainless Steel pipe rather than copper, as even though it is more expensive, the ease of use, less risk of leaks, and avoiding joints, speeds up the installation and saves valuable labour costs.
During the day the panel will collect the suns energy and pump this stored heat from the panel into the cylinder usingeither a p.v. powered d.c. pump, or a mains powered a.c. pump.
The pump will turn on when the sensors attached to the cylinder call for heat (when the solar panel is hotter than the stored water).
In the evening the central heating system will be switched on by the programmer, and if the hot water is already hot enough (sensed by the cylinder thermostat), then the boiler will not turn on.If the hot water in the cylinder is not hot enough when the programmer is turned on (usually 30 minutes before hot water is required), then the boiler will top up the stored water to the correct temperature as sensed by the cylinder thermostat.
This system works very well, the boiler will run for shorter times hence saving gas, energy, and carbon monoxide emissions and prolonging the life of the boiler.