Solar Thermal - Technical Data

Sun energy collectors for a sustainable future

Attributes

• The heat output from a flat plate panel is less than a simular vacuum tube system so more panels are required for a project
• The higher output heat rate from the vacuum tubes increases hot water heating
• Solar panels can also be used to provide heating but they should only be used when underfloor heating is installed as operating temperatures are lower than for radiator systems
• A well designed solar panel system will provide some 40% to 50% of the hot water demand each year for a typical household, which is some 800 - 1750 kWh. This equates to a saving of some 0.4 to 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per annum
• As water temperatures in Summer can be over 160ºC, the associated safety works must be compatible with the solar panel system