Frequently asked questions about solar thermal

A. South facing is the perfect aspect for solar thermal; however an east/west array is

Q. What kind of performance can I expect from my solar thermal system?

available for roofs that do not face south and can collect solar energy throughout the day.

A. During the summer months, a solar water heating system can generate up to 90% of
the hot water required for an average household; even on duller days some hot water can
be produced, with the remainder being provided either by a conventional boiler or electric
immersion heater. On average, a well-designed solar heating system will generate around
55% of the annual domestic hot water demand while also substantially reducing carbon
emissions. The Baxi Solarflo solar controller will show how much energy you have
generated.
Q. Which is best - evacuated tubes or flat panels?
A. You need to select the type of solar collector which will suit your application. There is
little difference in the performance between tubes or flat plate collectors. Flat plate
collectors are generally used on pitched roofs, either on or in the roof, and they can also
be used on flat roofs using A-frames. For faade or flat on the roof applications, evacuated
tubes should be used. Individual tubes can be rotated to face the sun if the array is not
quite facing south, to maximise the amount of energy available.

Q. Do I need Planning Permission?

A. Although you probably don't need Planning Permission for a solar thermal installation,
it is advisable to check with your local planning officer, especially if your home is listed or
in a conservation area.
Q. How long will a solar thermal take to install?
A. Installation should take one to two days.
Q. Who can install my solar thermal system?
A. You should have your solar thermal system installed by an MCS certified installer. This is
a requirement when claiming a Government incentive such as RHI.
Q. Are there any grants available to help with the installation cost?
A. Solar thermal installation is eligible under Green Deal. It is also eligible for RHI (legacy
claims can be made for installations between 15 July 2009 and April 2014) and will pay a
tariff of 19.2 p/kWh. Further information can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website

Q. Is my property suitable for solar thermal?

A. You will need to have an unshaded, sunny areaTO INSTALL the solar collectors, either
on a pitched roof, flat roof or, for evacuated tubes, a wall with a Southerly aspect. If
installing the collectors on the roof, it will need to be structurally sound.

Q. What is the difference between solar thermal and solar PV?

A. Solar thermal uses energy from the sun to heat hot water, while solar PV, or solar
photovoltaic, uses daylight to generate electricity. Solar thermal will generate heat during
daylight hours, even when it is not sunny, while solar PV needs light to generate
electricity.

You will also need space for a solar hot water cylinder, which could be large than a
standard cylinder. If you have a combi boiler, you may need to change your boiler to a
system or heat only boiler to be compatible with solar thermal.

Q. What maintenance is required for my solar thermal system?

A. Solar thermal systems require very little maintenance. The concentration of antifreeze
in the system needs to be checked annually to ensure correct concentration. This can be

A qualified installer will be able to advise whether your property is suitable for a solar

done at the same time as your annual boiler service.

thermal system.
Q. Can I install solar thermal if I have a combi boiler and no hot water storage cylinder?
Q. Does my roof have to face south?

A. You need a hot water storage cylinder to store the hot water generated by the solar
thermal system, so a heat only or system boiler is more suitable than a combi.

How is a solar thermal plant constructed and how does it work?

How is the solar thermal plant protected against frost?

A solar thermal plant is consisting of solar collectors, a control system with pumps, the
heat exchanger, and the thermal storage system. The collector converts solar radiation
into heat. A water mixture is flowing through the collectors, transporting heat in a circuit.
The heat is transferred to the storage system by the heat exchanger, and so it serves to
heat p. e. process water of the household.

The liquid flowing through the collectors is a composition of water and an anti-freeze.
Thus the plant may operate in winter, too.

Can I also heat with solar thermal power, and how large would such a plant have to be?
There are combined solar plants enabling solar heating together with the heating of
process water. These plants operate most efficiently in houses with low-temperature
heatings. Solar plants for heating support require a larger collector surface, however, than
plants serving only to heat process water. In addition these plants require a special storage
system. And always you will still need additional heating. Recommendable is a collector
surface of 16-20 m in size, in connection with a storage buffer of 1,000-1,500 l.
When is my roof suitable for a solar thermal plant?

How much maintenance do solar thermal plants need?

The maintenance level of solar thermal plants is rather low by comparison. Like any other
technological plant it should however be regularly controlled.
Will my solar thermal plant be funded?
There are various means of funding, especially investment grants. In solar funding, the
operator of a plant will receive a funding of 60 per m for the heating of process water in
up to 40 m. For combined plants that also heat with solar power, the funding increases to
105 per m. In addition there is p. e. a bonus of 750 if the old boiler is replaced by a
new one or if an eligible bio-mass or heat pump plant is installed to support the collectors.

Do I need a permission to implement a solar thermal plant?

Solar thermal plants can be installed on surfaces larger than 4 m. The roof should be
oriented SE to SW; most ideal was South. The roof should be pitched between 20 and 60.
The implementation of a solar thermal plant does not need permission.
Roofs oriented W or E still generate 80-85% of the gain which an ideally oriented roof
might yield. Losses can be compensated by a larger collector surface.
Does a solar thermal power plant generate sound?
Will my roof sustain the additional weight of a solar plant? Aren't the collectors very
heavy because of all the water?

No - it is part of the fascination of a solar plant that if you look at the heat meter you will
perceive how many kilowatt hours are generated without any emissions.

The filling of solar collectors amounts to ca. 0.5 l/m , the weight of solar collectors to ca.
2
2
20 kg/m . The BUSO solar roof thus is lighter than tiles, which amount to 25-35 kg/m .
What benefit has the environment from solar thermal plants?
Using a solar thermal plant may replace conventional power sources such as oil, coal, gas,
or uranium. This way you reduce CO2 emissions and other exhaust gases produced by
burning. A solar plant of 6 m in size can conserve up to 1500 kg CO 2 per year. Solar
thermal plants also reduce the transport routes for you need less oil or gas.
What life expectancy may I expect from a solar thermal plant?
A high-quality solar thermal plant has a life expectancy of more than 30 years.

How much oil may I conserve per year with the solar roof?
There are various conservations, depending on collector surface and use of the plant. One
example may be a single-family house that is 30 years old and provides 130 m of living
space. Without support of solar power, this house consumes 2,500 l of oil. A collector
surface of 5 m in size, serving to heat process water, may conserve 150 l of oil. A solar
roof featuring 24 m may cover 1/3 of the demand for heating. If you equip the house with
improved insulation you may reduce the demand for oil even more.
How much money will have about to invest?
Depending on plant size and funding, about 550-700 /m2. Buffer and fresh-water
systems are included, representing a general improvement of the heating system. The

newest generation of our system technology may even include a perfect heating
regulation.
How may I combine the solar roof with an additional heating?
It will not be sufficient trying to cover the demand for heating completely with solar
power. An additional heating is obligatory. The solar roof may be combined with wood
carburator boilers, pellet heaters, pellet stoves, heat pumps, and gas/oil-condensing
boilers.
May I connect a wood boiler to the storage buffer (later) without a problem?
Yes you do not need a heat exchanger, for the buffer is containing heating water, too.
The buffer and the fresh-water system may thus serve for solar and wood heating with
double benefit. With our new control technology, the solar controller may even monitor
the connection to the wood boiler, too.
What if the sun does not shine?
At a cloudy day, the sun still yields about 80% of the radiation at a sunny day.
Can I switch off my heating boiler completely during summer?
Yes the decisive factor is the flow rate of warm water. Our fresh-water system enables
the tapping of the buffer as if it was a boiler. That is, out of a 1,000 l buffer at 50 C, you
may tap almost 800 l of water at 45 C. This is a difference from systems with interior hotwater preparation by heat exchangers. These latter operate according to the "mixing
principle", allowing only a small part of the heating water volume to be tapped for
showering and bathing.

temperature which the controller is set to (p. e. 65 C). The controller will switch off the
pump to protect it against overheating. Now the heat can no longer be removed from the
collector. Its internal temperature will rise until the solar liquid evaporates. The rise in
temperature and the evaporation cause the solar liquid in collectors and pipe tubes to
expand. Now the solar plant is intrinsically safe if the expansion tank can fully absorb the
volume expansion. (Otherwise the volume expansion would increase pressure and finally
trigger the safety valve which would exhaust a part of the solar liquid!). After this
operational condition has changed, p. e. due to lessening irradiation and cooling of the
collector, the expansion tank may return the solar liquid into the collector circuit. The
controller decides whether the storage medium may be further charged.
How long will the installation of such a plant take?
2

A solar roof requires between 0.7-1.5 man-hours/m . The system technology is preassembled by us and quite quickly implemented. The time needed for connecting the
system may markedly vary, depending on which conception used.
How is your collector fitted to the roof?
The absorber frames are mounted on plywood bars bolted on the joist. These plywood
bars may to some extent also be used for back-coating of uneven roofs. Even on
assembly with cranes, the plywood bars may serve as guiding systems.
May your collectors also be mounted to a flat roof?
Yes, but for heating support it will be less than ideal unless floor-mounted. The solar roof
may also be floor-mounted with a wooden substructure and will then be coated on the
back. This solution is of higher quality than classic floor-mounts of on-roof collectors, for
pipes and mounts are protected.

What happens if during winter there is snow on the collector?

Does the effectiveness of the collectors lessen if polluted? Do they have to be regularly
cleaned?

This snow often will melt faster than on the rest of the roof. Light passes the snow and
does access the collector. This generates a water film on the smooth glass. Another
advantage against evacuate technology which defrosts only slowly (if not faulty).

No - the collectors will sufficiently clean themselves.

What is "intrinsic safety of solar plants"?

An intrinsically safe solar plant benefits from running all operational conditions intrinsic
and without interfering actions from the outside. Let us explain this by a practical
example: At a beautiful summer day, the storage medium is charged to the highest