Why Solar hot water?
- Solar hot water is a very efficient way to gain free* hot water whenever the sun shines.
- there are two types of modern efficient collector. with either type you can expect up to 65% of your hot water to be provided subject to the position and style of your building, and your usage.
- Solar hot water systems have a very long life and low maintenance costs
- Once installed they are truly “fit and forget”
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Collector types:
There are two main types of solar hot water system: Panels and tubes. In both cases we recommend a pressurised, sealed system for performance and durability. Whatever the weather, a 1st Call solar thermal system will take full advantage to give you the maximum return on your investment. Even on many cloudy days, your solar system will pre-heat the hot water cylinder reducing the work done by the boiler and adding to your CO2 reduction programme.
Which system is best for me?
Panels:
- Can be mounted in portrait or landscape form to suit roof.
- Module size is usually 2m x 1m.
- Can be mounted on roof or set into roof (like velux) where they blend in better.
- Generally considered more aesthetically pleasing
Tubes:
- Usually mounted in portrait fashion and on the roof surface
- Modules are typically 2m high and 1m wide
- Slightly higher unit output in marginal conditions, but also more expensive for same covered area.
Both:
- Excellent source of hot water and depending on size of array can assist with autumn and spring heating in certain situations
- Our solar systems use a tiny amount of electricity to run the circulation pump, this is typically equivalent to a light bulb and of course only when you're getting free hot water.
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* - Solar systems are set so that the tiny amount of electricity required to run the solar pump is always less than the energy produced by the panels