Heating Solar Panel Installation

The UK has had a long reliance on the use of fossil fuels which are harmful for the environment and extremely costly for homeowners when used to power and heat our homes. Recent years have begun to change people’s attitudes towards how they produce the electricity and hot water and solar panels are at the forefront of that. Heating solar panel installation is an excellent choice to provide your family with free hot water and in turn slash energy bills.

What is heating solar panel installation?

Heating solar panels (also known as thermal and water heating panels) involve the use of sunlight to produce hot water. Panels are installed on to the roof of a home or business and take in the sun’s rays to warm water which is stored in a cylinder; a boiler or immersion is then used to heat the water to a higher temperature when required. Having a boiler of immersion is also beneficial as a backup on overcast days and in winter was daylight hours are shorter.

Heating solar panel installation can be done using one of two methods, the first is evacuated tubes which are installed onto the roof tiles and the second is flat plate panels which are installed on top of tiles or integrated into the roof.

Is my home suitable for heating panels?

Heating solar panel installation is a big investment and is likely to cost around £3000-£5000; before taking out a loan or parting with your savings you should make sure that your home is suited to get the best out of a solar panel system.

The position of your roof will be the biggest factor in how much warm water can be generated. Your house should be facing southwest to southeast and be in direct contact with the sun. There should not be any other buildings or large trees shadowing the solar panels as this will significantly affect the amount of success the panels have. You will also need enough roof space available for the panels to be installed. A typical system will need around five square metres.

Your boiler will need to be compatible with solar heating systems, most of the typical boiler and cylinder systems will be fine for compatibility but combi-boiler systems will not be and you will need to look into having a hot water tank installed.

Planning permission may also come into play with heating solar panel installation. A typical 5 metre squared system will not need planning permission in the England must you may need to contact your local planning officer if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

What are the benefits of heating solar power installation?

The main benefits of heating solar panels are related to the savings that are made in heating water and reducing carbon emissions, an average of £50-£90 pounds can be saved each year along with approximately 570kg of CO2 emissions.

Heating panels can create warm water all year round so there will never be a shortage.