Super New Solar Thermal Panels
Discussion
Hello,
Has anyone heard about these new Solar Hot Water. Apparently upto 500% more efficient (which can't be right). There was something in the telegraph about them. They will do nearly all hot water and heating even in winter.
Telegraph man said:
"
Q I’m considering installing solar panels but I’m told that a new technology will soon be available that makes current models obsolete. Should I wait? M W, Bath
A You don’t have to. It’s here already and is marketed by Thermal Reflections (01472 346795; www.thermalreflections.co.uk).
These are 8kg panels filled with a pressurised refrigerant fluid, which absorbs energy from the atmosphere as it circulates through the panel.
This raises the temperature from -4F (-20C) to 41-50F (5-10C). This heat is then harvested by a heat exchanger for both domestic hot water and underfloor heating.
Unlike other systems, it works day and night. On test, with 75mm of snow and outside air temperatures of 21F (-6C), one managed to raise the temperature within a 200-litre cylinder to 131F (55C).
A one-panel system, including the cylinder, for domestic hot water should cost between £3,500 and £4,000, installed.
A four-panel, whole-house apparatus to supply hot water and central heating would probably cost between £8,500 and £9,000, which compares favourably with other systems and is much cheaper than a heat pump.
I’m often scathing about the payback from this kind of technology, but with a maximum efficiency of up to 500 per cent, this begins to make sense. "
Has anyone heard about these new Solar Hot Water. Apparently upto 500% more efficient (which can't be right). There was something in the telegraph about them. They will do nearly all hot water and heating even in winter.
Telegraph man said:
"
Q I’m considering installing solar panels but I’m told that a new technology will soon be available that makes current models obsolete. Should I wait? M W, Bath
A You don’t have to. It’s here already and is marketed by Thermal Reflections (01472 346795; www.thermalreflections.co.uk).
These are 8kg panels filled with a pressurised refrigerant fluid, which absorbs energy from the atmosphere as it circulates through the panel.
This raises the temperature from -4F (-20C) to 41-50F (5-10C). This heat is then harvested by a heat exchanger for both domestic hot water and underfloor heating.
Unlike other systems, it works day and night. On test, with 75mm of snow and outside air temperatures of 21F (-6C), one managed to raise the temperature within a 200-litre cylinder to 131F (55C).
A one-panel system, including the cylinder, for domestic hot water should cost between £3,500 and £4,000, installed.
A four-panel, whole-house apparatus to supply hot water and central heating would probably cost between £8,500 and £9,000, which compares favourably with other systems and is much cheaper than a heat pump.
I’m often scathing about the payback from this kind of technology, but with a maximum efficiency of up to 500 per cent, this begins to make sense. "
YarisSi said:
These are 8kg panels filled with a pressurised refrigerant fluid, which absorbs energy from the atmosphere as it circulates through the panel.
That's quite clever. So it's like living behind a fridge. Presumably, they've sussed out how to make the exchanger and ancillary kit efficient enough to use less energy than the whole system produces. Those PV cells must be a complete waste of time at the moment.
Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 11th November 18:06
andy43 said:
Sounds like it's an offshoot of air-to-water heat pump technology - and might just work as well as they say it will.
Having read their marketing stuff, I think you're right. It's a fridge in reverse, and it works best if the panel containing the refrigerant is heated by the sun as well as the surrounding air. Heat pump technology, and hardly new - or for that matter that relevant for many people in the UK.
Their efficiency claims are very misleading - no way would you get 7:1 for space heating in the UK in winter - perhaps 4:1 - which puts it on par with the cost of gas.
When it's 25 degrees outside, and you want say 35 degree water yes it could be 7:1 at that point. At minus 5 and 55 degree water (for domestic use) - probably well under 2:1
Their efficiency claims are very misleading - no way would you get 7:1 for space heating in the UK in winter - perhaps 4:1 - which puts it on par with the cost of gas.
When it's 25 degrees outside, and you want say 35 degree water yes it could be 7:1 at that point. At minus 5 and 55 degree water (for domestic use) - probably well under 2:1
Using these panels for underfloor heating and hot water sounds like it could be worthwhile. You'd only ever need to get it to heat to 45 degrees, with an immersion on a weekly timer for the anti-legionaires brigade.
Trying to produce 70-80 degree water for radiators in the winter is a different story.
Trying to produce 70-80 degree water for radiators in the winter is a different story.
An interesting variation on the theme. Usually the limitation on heat pump systems is that the up-lift is limited - you can get 40-50 degree water out quite easily, but not 60-70 degrees. That means the systems are "well suited to underfloor heating" (which runs cool), but can cause problems with existing radiator-based heating and don't do so well supplying domestic hot water.
Their panels look like they fit this mould - they will work all year round but will only produce relatively low grade heat even in summer. That may be a good strategy, but you'd have to run two systems side by side to decide.
My feeling is that it's not worth going to great technological lengths to extract a few degrees of heat in the depths of winter. We accept our solar panels will produce next to nothing in the three coldest months - but we have a log stove to take over at that point. The benefit of that approach is that our solar panels didn't cost much. They're very simple and 'just work'.
Their panels look like they fit this mould - they will work all year round but will only produce relatively low grade heat even in summer. That may be a good strategy, but you'd have to run two systems side by side to decide.
My feeling is that it's not worth going to great technological lengths to extract a few degrees of heat in the depths of winter. We accept our solar panels will produce next to nothing in the three coldest months - but we have a log stove to take over at that point. The benefit of that approach is that our solar panels didn't cost much. They're very simple and 'just work'.
Thermal Panels haven't used water for many years unless you buy some cheap chinese flat plate rubbish.
Based on this, then the whole operation seems like a scam to me. Millions and Millions of pounds are spent each year on R&D to improve this market which would have picked up on using an inside out fridge many years ago
ETA it uses the same heat transfer fluid as the majority of other thermal systems (Glycol based) which is similar to antifreeze and certainly not a refridgerant gas!!
Not even accredited. This is what gives the industry a bad name
Based on this, then the whole operation seems like a scam to me. Millions and Millions of pounds are spent each year on R&D to improve this market which would have picked up on using an inside out fridge many years ago
ETA it uses the same heat transfer fluid as the majority of other thermal systems (Glycol based) which is similar to antifreeze and certainly not a refridgerant gas!!
Not even accredited. This is what gives the industry a bad name
Edited by Herbs on Friday 12th November 13:40
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff