Free Online Technical Support
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know how
much heat the solar panels provide?
The output of 2 panels with a total area of 4 sq. m is about 1600 kWh pa. in
the southern parts of the UK.
Where should the Solatherm
panels be positioned?
The solar panels are placed on a South to South West facing sloping
roof. They should be positioned at an angle between 20 to 50 deg. to the horizontal.
That is most roof. Triangular frame is required to support the panels on a flat
roof.
Can the solar panels be used to heat the central heating or the underfloor heating? There is not enough heat available from the solar panels when the heat is needed most. Say in the evening and on cloudy cold days. Solatherm would be more suitable with underfloor heating rather than radiators. The heat gained from the solar panels is stored at low temperature in the screeded floor.
Do I need a boiler
as well as solar panels?
The solar panels may give adequate hot water heating in the summer
and will help to pre-heat the water in winter. The boiler will then bring the
hot water to the required temperature. Thus solar technology in the UK will
provide anything between 50 to 70% of the hot water energy requirement. This
also depends on your location in the UK.
Is there VAT on
installing Solatherm?
For systems installed by specialist the VAT is 5%. You pay standard
rate VAT on material if you self-install. You can claim the VAT if the installation
is part of a new house.
Are Solatherm panels
as effective as evacuated tube type solar panels?
Solatherm panels are 95% as effective as evacuated tubes. Yet they
are a fraction of the price, reliable and long lasting.
What
does unvented mean?
Traditional cylinders
are connected to a tank in the loft to act as vent for when the water in the
cylinder is heated and expands. Modern unvented cylinders use an expansion vessel
instead of the open tank in the loft. The pressure in the cylinder remains at
mains pressure and the flow from the hot tap and shower is much greater.
Can I install the
tank on the ground floor or in the garage?
Toptank can be installed on any floor in
the property. Mains pressure hot water cylinder has 6 to 9 times the pressure
of an open tank in the loft pressurising the old copper cylinder.
What is the water
mains pressure in my area?
It should be
around 3 bar but varies greatly from one part of the UK to another. Your local
water company should supply you with this information or OFWAT. There is still
some residual resistance by these companies to the installation of unvented
mains pressure cylinders. This resistance is vanishing slowly.
Go to Top of the page