Evacuated Solar Tubes . Solar Panels UK . New Evacuated Tubes . Water Heating Solar . Solar Tubes . Domestic Solar . Solar Tubes UK
The Mercedes of solar panel technology, that lasts longer than your mortgage
Combi boilers
Combi boilers are possible but please bear in mind, that we will need to re-install a hot water tank. Most homes with combi's will not have the space to install a domestic sized hot water tank. If you can re-install a hot water tank, then yes an installation may be possible.
Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme
The Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme will start from April 1st 2011 and pays a fixed amount per year to those who install renewable heat equipment, such as solar heating panels and air/ground source heat pumps.
Payment for solar heating panels and evacuated tubes will be:
Payments made 20 years on systems up to 20 KW and paid 18p per kW produced.
An MCS accredited installer must do your installation, to enable you to apply for this incentive. Systems fitted today WILL still be able to apply next year when the scheme begins April 2011.
You can find your nearest accredited installer by clicking on 'Request a survey' at the top of this page.
"When you purchase our evacuated tubes heating system, you can be sure that you are buying a product of the highest possible quality and installed only by accredited installation teams. Installing solar tubes collectors will provide hassle-free, low-maintenance service and allow you to enjoy the benefits of solar energy for many years."
FAQ's about evacuated tubes
Are evacuated tubes suitable for my home?
Most homes are suitable, if you have a S/SE/SW or east/west facing roof space, then probably. Your internal plumbing will need to be checked for compatibility and this can be done through our free home survey and quote service.
How exactly do solar panels work?
The science bit - When solar radiation or solar energy hits an object, you me or a solar panel, the short-wave radiation is converted to long-wave radiation and this process creates heat.
Why is it important to update my hot water tank?
Very simply, old copper hot water tanks run very inefficiently when new, but after many years of use, lime scale will reduce it even further. When installing solar tubes, it is important to install a modern more efficient tank to get the most out of your solar gain.
"Adding solar tubes to an old tank would be like converting your car
to LPG and running it on semi flat tyres"
How much will a solar system cost?
The cost of a typical installation of a domestic evacuated tubes system depends on several factors. Contact us and our solar surveyors will provide you with a tailored quotation....Price & suitability >
Will solar contribute towards my central heating?
This depends on the type of set up you install. We would need to survey your home to see if our heating g management system is suitable. In most cases then solar can contribute to your central heating, but not all solar installation companies offer this technology.
There are also 2 types of solar heating panels?
Yes, 1. Glazed flat panels, 2. Evacuated solar tubes. Usually a flat panels salesmen will say his system performs best and solar tubes salesmen will say the same. Independent testing has concluded that evacuated tubes perform best in the UK climate and flat panels closely second.
A third type of solar panel called Solartwin use unglazed plastic and rubber panels. This system type was one of the lowest performing of the technologies tested.
How long will it take you to install my system?
Normally only a few hours in most cases.
How long will I be without water during installation?
Only 4 - 5 hours.
Do solar panels work on cloudy days?
This depends on the type of solar panel and the density of cloud. Flat panels do not contribute as much as solar tubes in these conditions. In moderate cloud density solar energy can still be collected and used. In heavy density cloud, probably not. Take your solar calculator out on a cloudy day. It will still work.
Will you need to change my hot-water cylinder?
No if your tank is solar compatible or has a twin coil unused. In most cases though it is recommended that you upgrade your hot water tank when installing solar panels or solar tubes to allow the system to work at its full capacity.
How much CO2 will my system save?
Around half a tonne each year. This is dependant on how much hot water you use and how you heat your water at present.
Do we get enough sun in the UK to really make a difference?
Yes. Our evacuated tubes are designed for the UK climate; they use a thermos flask principle, which allows the inside of the solar tubes to get very hot regardless of the air temperature.
What water temperatures can I expect?
A good proportion of the year your water will be heated to above 60 deg C.
Is there a danger that the water could get too hot?
No. The system is designed to never reach above 85 deg C.
Does my roof have to face directly south?
South is the optimum and southeast and southwest are fine. Check your home...Quotes & suitability >
Do you send salesmen round to my house?
Many solar companies claim to send surveyors to your home, but really they are only salesmen. We properly survey your home and provide you with a tailored quotation based on your individual homes specifications.
Our trained technicians are just that, technicians. The complexity of making sure homes are suitable require experience. Our technicians however, will be happy to sit with you and explain the technologies to you.
What makes your solar tubes better than your competitors'?
We know our solar tubes and flat solar panels are the best because they have been shown to out perform any of our competitors products. Swiss engineered quality with full European Solar Keymark accreditation.
How long does a heating solar system last?
This depends on the type of quality. With a good quality system, it will easily last 25-30+ years, but a poor quality system may only last a couple of years.
Solar installations will get cheaper with time, won't they?
Unfortunately the indicators are that price's will rise.
As a recent Financial Times article points out, the cost of energy, resources, materials and manufacturing is rising globally. It's likely that solar panels will never be cheaper than they are now as future panels and installations will consist of inputs {energy + materials} that cost far more than today.
Although we do our best to keep prices reasonable, their are customers we spoke to 2 years ago who wished they had bought back then.
What is the HotRocs Scheme?
The HotROCs scheme from Good Energy rewards people who generate their own heat from solar heating panels instead of from the company's gas or electricity supply. For every unit of heat (measured in kilowatt hours or kWh) households generate from their solar panels, they will receive 4.5p...Learn more >>
Get a solar quote
We will inspect and tailor a quotation to fit your individual needs and supply you with a premium quality solar system which will benefit you for many many years.
We only promote the highest quality and best performing solar panel technology available. All our installers adhere to strict quality criteria and have extensive experience in domestic and largescale installations.
A word about quality
There are some companies who are importing and selling poor quality Chinese systems in the UK. Heat my Home has been approached by these companies, but we refuse to sell sub-standard systems to our customers.
As with anything in life you get what you pay for, so a cheap option will undoubtedly will be a false economy were longevity and performance is concerned.
We're confident that our exclusive solar panels offer unrivalled quality. That's why we stand behind our solar panels with a full 10-year guarantee on performance.
Heat my Home is proud of it's 'no quibble' guarantee on quality.
EXTRA incentives after you have solar panels installed
Most of us are used to handing our money over to energy suppliers, but under a new scheme one energy company is now paying its customers.
Good Energy, the 100% renewable electricity supplier, launched its pioneering HotROCs scheme to reward customers generating and using their own renewable heat from solar heating panels. Under the scheme, customers are paid 4.5p for every unit (kWh) of heat they produce.
Good Energy estimates the amount of heat generated based on the system's expected performance, taking into account influences such as the angle and orientation of your solar panel installation, latitude geographically and the capacity of your solar panels.
The HotROCs scheme is funded by sales of gas, which is offered as a dual fuel tariff only to all existing and new customers wanting to make the switch. Good Energy started supplying gas in November 2008 after customer feedback and extensive market research showed that a majority of Good Energy customers would prefer to buy their gas from Good Energy rather than other suppliers.
This is the first, and the only, renewable heat incentive offered by any supplier. We have set a benchmark for the industry and for Government while also financially supporting our customers to reduce their own emissions.
With evacuated tubes, energy can be collected, harnessed & used
