solar powered hot water
What is a Solar Hot Water System?
Each year the UK receives solar radiation greater than the output of 1,000 average power stations, Solar Hot Water systems (SHW) offer one of the simplest and most widely used renewable energy systems in the world which can transfer some of this free solar energy into your domestic hot water cylinder.
Our collectors are the ‘evacuated tube type’ that is far more efficient in northern climates and in colder weather than cheaper ‘flat panel’ collectors as heat is trapped - creating a mini Green House effect where the temperature inside the collector tubes becomes much higher than the outside air.
SHW systems will even heat your water in the winter, but they will usually require a top up from a secondary heat source, such as a conventional boiler or an electric immersion heater.
On average our Solar system can provide you with up to 60% of your hot water needs during the year – all of this FOR FREE! Our systems work not just with direct sunlight, but also with indirect solar radiation, so they even work on overcast days!
The components of our standard SHW system
The evacuated tube solar collector. (1, 2 or 3 panels depending on circumstances). Designed to be fixed less than 200mm above roof line.
The circulatory system (pumps and pipes) containing a heat transfer medium(water and a special antifreeze mixture).
Syphon system installed in parallel with your existing cylinder to transfer heat from the SHW system into your domestic hot water supply.
Control unit and safety features including an expansion tank to control overheating.
New 200 litre stainless steel cylinders have twin coil heat exchangers plus a back up electric immersion heater where required. The heat exchange coil for the solar water heating system sits below that of the conventional heating system in your cylinder which means that the SHW system will provide your primary water heating source only utilising your conventional boiler for a top up in colder weather.
Why you should install a Solar Hot Water system?
According to the Low Impact living Initiative (http://www.lowimpact.org) solar hot water is the most cost-effective renewable energy technology that you can install in the UK.
Solar energy comes from the Sun so it is renewable and free; it will not run out any time soon!
With a SHW system, you have the ability to produce up to 60% of your hot water needs annually*.
Investment in solar panels can increase the value of your property. It has been documented that solar panels can add nearly 9% onto your property value*.
Over time you will pay for your SHW system by diverting money that you would otherwise have paid to utility companies.
Since 2003 energy bills have risen by an average of 72%**.
You can reduce your household CO2 emissions by up to 665 kg or over 0.6 tonnes a year***.
Improve the value of your home****.
* Sourced from The Guardian Online Newspaper ** Estimated average bills from OFGEM *** Sourced from The Observer ****The Energy Saving Trust claims their research proves that buyers will pay up to £10,000 more for an environmentally friendly house - and that 70% of all buyers consider energy efficiency to be of high important when buying a home
tel: 01246 570977
Costs £3,950
Typical installed price for a 4-person family home (Plus 5% VAT)
£2,750
Typical supply only price for you to install (Plus Standard VAT rate)
These are guide prices price for our standard system including a new cylinder. The total price will be confirmed after a free no obligation survey is undertaken. Free property surveys and installation are only available in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside.
How does it work? Solar energy is absorbed by collectors mounted on the roof. When exposed to sunlight the collectors heat up and once they are several degrees warmer than the water in your hot water cylinder the pump will start circulation around the system. The heat built up in the collectors will then be transferred to your hot water cylinder via a heat exchanger in the same way as a conventional boiler does. The panels are connected as an indirect system so that no mixing between the water in the cylinder and the solar hot water system takes place which is important as our systems are filled with a special antifreeze fluid.
TOP COIL
SOLAR COLLECTOR
BOILER
BOTTOM COIL CYLINDER
Our Solar System is simple to manage and uses an integrated solar pumping station that accurately monitors the temperature of the roof collectors and the temperature in the cylinder to maximise the uptake of free solar energy when it is available and to prevent heat stored in your hot water cylinder from being pumped back through the panels and lost. It also acts as a safety feature to prevent overheating of the system! Once the system is installed we will provide full training on how to use it.
How about maintenance? Our systems require very little in the way of maintenance – an annual inspection by the householder should suffice, plus an additional 3-year engineers inspection that we can provide if required for an additional fee.
solar powered hot water
Controlling the system?
tel: 01246 570977
Will SHW be suitable for my house? You will need 3-4m2 of roof area with a southeast to southwest aspect. Any roof from flat right up to a 60˚ slope is suitable. The optimum angle is between 30˚ and 45˚. Larger collectors can be fitted to compensate if conditions are not optimal but north-facing roofs should be avoided. You'll also need space to locate an additional water cylinder if required.
Will I need planning permission? In England, changes to permitted development rights for domestic renewable technologies were introduced on 6th April 2008 and have removed the requirements for planning permission for Solar Thermal (roof mounted) that are now Permitted Development unless:
Panels protrude from the roof surface by more than 200mm when installed. They would be placed on the principal elevation facing onto or visible from the highway on buildings in Conservation Areas and World Heritage Sites.
We suggest you liaise with your Local Authority Planning Department.
solar powered hot water
Why should you buy a Solar Hot Water system from Crestra Ltd?
CRESTRA Ltd is the trading subsidiary of Groundwork Creswell, Ashfield and Mansfield (GCAM) and as such is supported by the UK Government and several local authorities. GCAM has been actively working to improve the environment since 1990 and now annually carries out around £4m of environmental work.
Our systems are designed with a long lifetime and low maintenance requirement and are certified to EN ISO 9001: 2000. We provide a 3 year warranty on all our installations.
We are a quality orientated company that cares about the environment and as such we are accredited to BS 8555 Environmental Management.
Our trained engineers will offer an efficient installation service with little disruption to the household and no mess left behind.
Crestra Limited 96 Creswell Road ■ Clowne Chesterfield ■ Derbyshire ■ S43 4NA Tel: 01246 570977 ■ Fax: 01246 813200 Website: www.groundwork-creswell.org.uk
Crestra Limited is part of the Groundwork Creswell Group, Crestra is a wholly owned subsidary of Groundwork Creswell, Ashfield & Mansfield Trust.
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