Solar thermal heating systems use heat from the sun to work alongside your conventional water heating system. The technology is well developed with a large choice of equipment to suit many applications.
Benefits of solar thermal water heating include:
- Reduces your impact on the environment – the average domestic system reduces carbon dioxide emissions by around 325kg per year when replacing gas water heating, and higher when replacing other fuels.
- A solar thermal system can provide around 60% of a homes annual hot water needs.
What best suits your needs depends on a range of factors including the area of south facing roof, the existing water heating system and your budget. A competent professional installer should assess your situation and discuss with you the best configuration to meet your needs.
There are two types of solar collectors: flat plate and evacuated tube. The difference between the two technologies is minimal with the more expensive evacuated tube being around 10% more efficient that flat plate collectors.