Recommendations for solar thermal suppliers

[ChrisSig]

Hello everyone,

 

I am in the process of planning an extension to my home next year, and I have an ambition to install solar thermal. The property is a 4 bed and I already have a 350L Gledhill thermal store with an unused solar coil. The tank is currently heated by a mixture of an oil boiler and a wood boiler stove. My roof is all north-facing, but the extension will provide east-west pitched roof surface (34 degrees) which is my planned siting of the panels for a dual orientation system. I am looking to go solar thermal rather than PV for a few reasons, one being that limited roof area means I can gain more output from this type of system. I'm looking for feedback from people who have installed an evacuated tube system for recommended suppliers and manufacturers. One thing that nags at me is the potential need for future tube replacements and therefore the perceived longevity of the manufacturer/supplier - is this something others have considered?

[Dillsue]

We fitted a Thermomax system in 2006 and other than a maintenance fluid change its been hassle free. I think they were bought by Kingspan but no idea if they are still in production, nor if spare tubes are available

[RobLe]

Solar thermal is unusual these days - a pro install is expensive for what it gives you, compared to solar electric.  Loads of hot water in summer, nothing in winter.  I appreciate you get the same summer glut with PV - but at least you can sell it to the grid and it serves a purpose replacing fossil fuel use elsewhere.

ST does lend itself to diy install much more than PV - there's no regulation on it, and diy keeps the cost down making it more attractive.

Good luck whichever way you go!

[JohnMo]

1 hour ago, ChrisSig said:

recommended suppliers and manufacturers.

eBay is your friend, normally lots of stuff there and can be at very sensible prices.

 

If you are going evacuated tube, you need a nice big bulb size. Whether evac tube is really any better than flat plate in the UK, is a bit questionable.

[Redbeard]

1 hour ago, RobLe said:

ST does lend itself to diy install much more than PV - there's no regulation on it

 

 

Appreciate you may have meant other Regs, but B. regs and PD (or not, in some v limited circs) will, I think, still apply. Bldg Regs predominantly re structurals and HW storage (but you have that already), I assume. Ages and ages since I had anything to do with a ST install.

[ChrisSig]

Thanks for the replies. In terms of planning/permitted development, we're not in a conservation area and our plans (which were approved) include solar panels on the roof. I will be looking to install this myself so the professional install costs don't factor. I'm guessing the system cost will be of the order ~£3k. One of the first suppliers that comes up in a search is Joule - their tubes are heat pipes (which I'm led to believe is the way to go rather than having direct flow through the tubes) so I may check them out. Consolar are also just down the road from me in Stroud so should probably speak to them. I'll check out eBay too - I think there's lots of Navitron stuff on there?

 

I appreciate due to panel costs plummeting solar PV is the economic way to go for most people these days, but I have my reasons for resisting that. I guess mainly as an engineer who likes this sort of thing, it's a whole lot more interesting than a few inverters and cables with no moving parts! I also have my doubts that it's really a very suitable system for generating that much of our capacity in the UK, though the economics for the consumer are attractive for another host of reasons I don't agree with.

[Redbeard]

I understand 'through-flow' tubes are pretty rare now. We had a 'through-flow' array at S. Yorks Energy Centre and the vandals discovered that you can drain the system down via the 'alternative method' of smashing a tube!! I have not looked at Navitron for years but they used to be among the cheapest. I share your fondness for SWH - it's so crazily simple! - , but more and more find myself recommending PV/diverter. That would have been somewhere between counter-intuitive and madness in 2009, before the 'Feed-in' Tariff.

[embra]

Hey, I'm selling a solar thermal kit on here / eBay. Give me a shout if you'd be interested!

 

https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/37090-solar-thermal-panel-kit-worcester-bosch-fk240-including-pump-station-controller-etc/

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285674793513