Heat your home with solar energy -  Solar Energy for a Brighter Future
Solar energy is free, clean and safe. It is environmentally friendly and produces no waste or pollution. Using solar energy enables you to reduce your carbon footprint as well as your energy bills. Grants are available through many Government schemes.
 
The sun radiates enormous amounts of energy to the earth. In the UK and Ireland we receive, on average per year, as much as 60% of that received on the equator. This
radiation is similar to the output of 1,000 power stations. 
 
Solar Thermal Vacuum Tube Systems:
Solar thermal technology transforms direct and diffuse solar radiation into useful heat using a solar collector. Each solar collector consists of a highly insulated manifold and a row of solar tubes. The vacuum inside each tube provides perfect insulation and therefore protects the system from outside infl uences such as cold and windy weather or high humidity. The vacuum technology ensures the most effective transfer of energy into heat, giving extra performance in comparison to traditional flat plate collectors and providing heat not only on warm, sunny days, but also in cooler, windy or humid conditions.
 
Benefits of a Kingspan Thermomax System

With over 25 years of experience, the Thermomax brand is firmly established as a world leader in solar thermal products. Thermomax collectors are the premium product in the market, designed specifically for a Northern European climate.

A Positive Environmental ImpactA Positive Environmental Impact

Burning fossil fuels produces vast quantities of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming.

The average household with a Thermomax system installed can expect to generate approximately 2,256 kWh/year with zero emissions.

The diagram illustrates the amount of c02 produced by oil, gas and electricity to generate the equivalent 2,256 kWh.

Performance and Savings
A large array of Thermomax tubes can be used to heat a buffer or storage tank with the hot water then delivered to the ComfortDisc.  The ComfortDisc will heat air via the ComfortDisc hot water coil and send warmed air through the ComfortDisc distribution system.

How it works
It takes one Watt of energy to raise one liter of water one degree Celsius.  

For every 10C of water temperature stored in a 1000L buffer or storage tank, 10KW of energy is available.  The usable entering water temperature for the ComfortDisc hot water coil is 40C to 80C.

For example, to heat a 1500L storage tank from 45C to 75C (a 30C rise) will take 45KW (30C * 1500W/L per C) .  In other words there will be 45KW of heat available.  If the heat requirement was 9KW per hour (at design conditions) there would be (45 KW/ divided by 9KW/hr) 5 hours of heating available.  This assumes that the heating demand is continuous.

The requirement then is to calculate the required amount of solar panels to reheat the buffer tank over 24 hour period, factoring in the expected amount of sunlight and the financial and physical practicalities of the installation. Depending on the heat loss requirement, a back up heat source such as solid fuel, heat pump or fossil fuel may be required. 

The recommended storage volume and size of the solar array will depend on the heat loss of the building and the amount of hot water required.  As buildings become more and more airtight and better insulated, the actual KW of heat required reduces meaning that the storage volume and quantity of solar panels needed to reheat the storage is reduced.

Consult your Kingspan Solar installer or your ComfortDisc installer for further information on solar thermal storage.