Domestic solar tubes or water heating solar panels UK

Evacuated Solar Tubes . Solar Panels UK . Direct Evacuated Tubes . Water Heating Solar . Solar Tubes . Domestic Solar . Direct Solar

The latest solar tubes technology designed for the UK climate
This has done for solar what 'Dyson' did for vacuum's

"I have three teenage boys who all play football. During the summer months i was really impressed we had hot water every day never below 44'c so my boiler came on for apprx ten mins to top up but when we got really good days my temp was up to 60'c plus. The shock came when i was in credit by £250.00 on my gas bill which normally would not be the case. so yes, solar tubes do work." Mr Ibbeson, Midlands

'Direct' evacuated solar tubes can be installed to existing homes or new build developments with a single panel system. Two people can fit a standard system in under a day and with so few components, it halves the workload and disruption that traditional solar can have.

Specifications

22 evacuated solar tubes
Length: 1.6mm x Width: 1.8mm x Height: 156mm
Aperture Area: 2.07 m2
Efficiency: 89%
Fluid Capacity: 550m
(1.5m width available, please ask for details)

Imagine not having to use your boiler from March to September, and far less during the winter time too!

Frequently asked Questions

Your prices seem to good to be true, whats the catch?

In a nutshell, we are trade suppliers, and we have opened up our products and services to the general public. Buy your kit at trade price and we can also get it installed for you if you wish. This approach we believe, makes solar more affordable to more people, thus having a greater impact on the fight against global warming.

We do not use much hot water, how can this help us?

At the moment the water in your hot water tank has to stay above 60 deg C (to prevent legionaires), which means your current heating method is constantly firing up to stay above 60 deg C. If you use the hot water or not, your boiler or emmersion heater will still be keeping it heated up, so yes solar still benefits your heating bills.

How much will my system cost?

Please go to our price and suitability page for our latest prices >>

How long will it take you to install my system?

One day or two days, with very little or no disruption.

How long will I be without water during installation?

Our local solar installers can normally install within a few hours.

Will you need to change my hot-water cylinder?

No, our 'unique valve' is designed to work with all vented hot water systems, avoiding the need to replace your perfectly good hot water cylinder, and thus creating a 'direct' heating water solar panel system.

...but another solar company says I do?

Generally most solar companies employ salesmen (think double glazing) not installers. To boost their profit margins, and commission, they will always insist on changing your tank, if needed or not.

Your solar tubes do NOT have a reflective back panel, why?

Because on standard solar tubes, the reflective back plate or panel which accounts for alot of the performance. Over time this tarnishes and gradually reduces the performance. Our system has done away with this and opted for twin-glazed tubes instead which gives ultimate performance through the whole life time of the system.

What about in hard water or limescale areas?

Unlike other 'direct' solar panel systems, you do not have to buy expensive, salt based water softeners. A magnetic descaler is installed as standard and sufficient to keep hard water from damaging your solar panel system.

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° C, but on really hot summers days, this could reach up to 85°C.

Is there a danger that the water could get too hot?

No. The system is designed to never reach above 85°.

How do you stop your system from freezing?

When the evacuated tubes are cold they are completely empty. Our solar collector holds only a small amount of water which only flows through the manifold (the top section) of the collector; no water passes through the tubes. When the system is not in operation (for instance during the night) the system is empty so nothing can freeze.

What makes your collector better than your competitors'?

We believe our evacuated tubes are the best available for the UK climate because they out perform any of competitors' products. Our collector is constructed from high quality materials it is easy to fit and it carries a 10 year manufacturer's guarantee.

Does my roof have to face directly south?

South is the optimum and southeast and southwest is fine. West or east still gives 85% performance of a full south facing performance.

Why are evacuated tubes better than flat plate solar collectors?

1. Our evacuated solar tubes out perform flat plate collectors. Our solar tube collectors use a vacuum in the wall of the tube to insulate the heat collection surface from the atmosphere. This is the same principle as a Thermos flask, so the inside heats up quickly even when it is cold on the outside.

2. Due to the curved surface and the high quality of the glass used in the production of our tubes, dirt and dust do not stick, so the efficiency does not reduce with age.

3. The materials used in the construction and the design of our collectors ensure that condensation will not affect the performance or life expectancy of our solar collector technology.

Are all evacuated solar tube collectors the same?

No! It is important to realise that there are some low quality solar tube collectors available, imported from Asia. All evacuated tube collectors are not equal and some even give a performance below that of flat plate collectors.

Beware of evacuated tube collectors with reflectors as the reflectors get dirty and the performance reduces very quickly.

Questions when choosing hot water solar panels

Choosing solar panels can be daunting, especially as they will be prominent on your house for years. You don't want to be the one who chose the 'Beta Max' over the 'VHS' in solar terms.

Is your system a 'direct' or 'indirect' type of solar panel system?

One thing is clear, you cannot get more efficient than heating the water itself 'directly'.

Can I use my existing hot water tank?

Yes! Only 'direct' solar can be installed an existing gravity feed or vented style plumbing system, meaning less fuss and expense.

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 can satisfactorily survey your home using our famous 'solar suitablity survey' which uses satelite images to look at your roof. This allows us to sell you a quality system at a reasonable price.

Will the solar installation have a large impact on my home?

No! Our new 'direct' system does away with the complications of traditional solar heating systems, allowing a simple fit and forget maintenance free system.

Is it true that a large percentage of heat is lost using traditional solar?

This varies on the type of system, but yes percentages of 10 - 20% heat gain is lost through traditional flat panel solar system.

In the DTI Industry 'side by side' testing, how did your system do?

Evacuated solar tubes were found to be the most efficient system on the UK market today, and 'direct' systems were found to be less problematic after installation.

'Direct' solar tubes combine the best features of both into a single high efficiency, simple solar panel technology.

What is the payback time?

Common sense must prevail here. If any company claims that payback will be quick, then they are lying to you. There is a possibility that it will add further value to your home, but on your energy bills alone, payback is not short term.

General pricing

Be careful here. Sadly, there are some companies in the UK who are blatantly over-charging for systems. As a general guide, installed hot water heating solar systems should range from about £3,000 - £4,500 max, depending on the type of system. Being asked to pay more than these figures should get your alarm bells ringing.

Beware of companies offering large discounts, or quick 'special offer' discounts from their original price. Common sense dictates, their original price must be vastly over-priced, and most credible solar installers work within budgets, so beware of BIG discounts.

We have heard of some solar companies' offering ways to 'earn back' money or other 'double glazing type' selling methods. These are usually companies vastly over-charging in the first place. You have been warned!

A word about quality

There are some companies who are importing and selling poor quality Chinese systems in the UK. Solar4U has been approached by these companies, but we refuse to sell sub-standard systems to our customers.

Solar4U offers a 'no quibble' guarantee on quality.

"Our customers save between £1000 - £4000 on solar"

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The fight for human civilisation, is won! The challenge of keeping it, has just begun!