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Solar water heating system which uses vacuum tubes made of borosilicate glass with special coating to absorb the solar energy are called as vacuum tube solar water heating system These tubes are also called as evacuated tube collector.(E.T.C) The vacuum tube is an assembly of two concentric, borosilicate glass tubes. The outer surface of inner tube is coated with AI-N/AI by world’s latest innovative coating technology called ‘’magnetron sputtering technique’’. This special selective black coating absorbs maximum sun energy and loses minimum energy. Air between the gap of two glass tube is evacuated which results in high level of vacuum which acts as the best insulation to minimize the heat loss from inner tube. The sun’s energy is absorbed due to the black coating on inner tube & the same is transferred to the water inside the tube. As the water inside of Vacuum Tube becomes hot it becomes lighter. This causes the heated water to rise to the top of the water tank. At the same time heavier cold water from tank travels down the inside of the evacuated solar heating tubes. This principle is called natural thermosyphon circulation and it takes place inside every solar tube.
As with the question above, there are a lot of misconceptions about solar energy. You’ll find our solar systems are a competitive and efficient option. Solar hot water requires virtually no ongoing maintenance and compared with the price of installing and regularly maintaining gas boilers and electric immersions, solar compares very favorably
No. Although the heat output of the solar water heaters is reduced on overcast days it will still be able to provide heating. Your solar water heater will be fully automated so you don't have to worry about running out of hot water on a rainy day. On the rare occasion of insufficient hot water from the sun or UV (approximately 20 days a year!), the system controller will automatically activate the immersion heater, which is located in the tank. Alternatively, solar hot water can be easily combined with an existing water heating device. Diffused radiation means that a solar panel will still generate a lot of energy on cloudy days. Evacuated tubes are particularly efficient in these situations. Because they are evacuated they can heat water regardless of how cold the outside temperature is provided there is some sunlight or UV rays. Our Solar water heater can be used in temperature as low as -18deg Celsius and there is no need for adding antifreeze, although performance is reduced in such extreme conditions. Good heat output is still achieved in mild sub-zero conditions.
Yes, the system can be designed to give you an average output temperature as high as 55-95 deg C and can bring water to boiling point. If you consider that when having a shower the water temperature is usually around 32-43 deg C. Sizing a domestic system is very important and our staffs are able to give you the best advise possible.
Yes. Solar Water Heaters can be used all year round in many regions and can provide all of your hot waters needs on clear or intermittently overcast days. When averaged over a year, here in Southern Spain, a correctly sized solar system can provide up to 95% of a household's hot water needs. The hot water system can easily be automated so hot water is guaranteed regardless of sunlight or UV levels.
In the integrated compact systems, water moves by thermosyphon, which is a natural, process requiring no external energy input. In the pumped system, the pump uses around 80w, the same as a light bulb.
Our solar collectors are much more affordable than many other solar hot water heaters in the market. For an average household of 4, the price of a fully automated system may not be more than a new electric or gas system. Depending on your location (solar levels) and current hot water usage the annual electricity or gas saving will differ. However in a normal household that spends 25% of its electricity bill on hot water heating, the full cost of the purchase may be recouped as quickly as 3 years in reduced bills. Considerable savings will be made during the life of the solar hot water heater. With solar energy, as well as the numerous benefits, you are effectively buying your own power station that offers lifelong independence from the utilities. With gas or grid electricity what you have is a life long loan with no guarantees against a price rise and no payback period at all. Our Solar Sunlite solar water heaters should provide reliable operation for at least 15 years. You will definitely make considerable savings during the life of the solar hot water heater.
Renowned research institutes from Germany and Australia originally invented & successfully experimented the solar water heaters with vacuum tube technology. A substantial number of solar water heaters have been installed all over the world and have been working very successfully for the last 10 years. Now this technolology is widely accepted all over the world many systems are working successfully through out the world even in developed countries like USA,Japan,Germany,Australia, Spain etc. Though the technology seems to be relatively new for Spain, it is never the less a well-proven & highly reliable product.
The tubes are extremely strong and are made from specially developed thick borosilicate glass. They can withstand a force of 100kg on flat surface and 35mm hailstones. The solar tubes are not easily broken. If the worst should happen, the solar tubes can be replaced very easily either by yourself or by calling our company, where we would be able to attend promptly. There is absolutely no need to worry about the possibility of glass tube breakage.
The tubes, which are available from Solar Sunlite are inexpensive to buy and cost between 35 – 50 Euros to replace. The top of the range solar collectors, (those using heat pipes), can operate with several broken tubes, but the efficiency will be reduced, so it is recommended that broken tubes be replaced immediately.
Yes. Simple isolation valves can often be used to allow solar to connect to your existing cold-water inlet feed. If your tank cannot accept the solar input directly an additional storage tank can be installed to pre-heat the cold water prior to entering the existing tank.
We have integrated solar water heaters with the water tanks mounted above the solar collectors and split systems where we would normally mount the solar collector on the roof and the independent water tank somewhere inside the house or garden. During installation, all solar water heaters are installed as discretely as possible. If the solar collector is mounted on the roof ion its own, then this should blend very well with the roof design.
Yes they may be mounted on a flat roof or on the ground by using a stainless steel Flat Roof Frame.
No. All of our products have ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and EN12975 certification and can withstand very high temperatures. The majority of the components are stainless steel, aluminium, glass or glass wool
Definitely. Our solar collectors can be connected in series or parallel to provide large-scale hot water production for a commercial setting such as hotels, schools, office buildings and other commercial buildings. There is really no limit to the size of the system.
We have specially designed systems for pools and spas. The cost of heating a pool using solar tube collectors (for domestic purposes) may be a little costly. Subsequently the running costs of this are nil compared to a conventional heating system. Furthermore, the solar system can be connected up to your existing filtration system so that no additional pump is required. For large-scale swimming pools applications, our solar systems may be a good viable supplement to gas or electricity.
Under normal circumstances no maintenance of the system is required. Due to the shape of the tubes regular rainfall and wind should keep the tubes clean. Should a tube be broken it should be replaced. This could be done very easily either by yourself or contacting us directly for our 24hr response service. Any D.I.Y person can install a new tube. Generally the water supplied through local municipal authorities is always of good quality. Which is well treated, filtered & having hardness below 100 PPM if such water ‘s used through E.T.C the maintenance and servicing required will be almost negligible When the water hardness is higher or when the suspended dirt & impurities are present in the water, there is a possibility of stains dirt accumulation in side the vacuum tube. Removing the vacuum tube and cleaning them properly can easily remove this. These services can be arranged at a very competitive cost directly from our company.
Yes. Our system is designed for all water types and applications. The main problem due to hard water is scale deposition & it’s bonding with metal surface. Copper pipes in flat plate system faces this problem many times. In our solar water heaters, the heating of the water takes place in glass tubes, hence there is no bonding of scales possible on smooth surface of glass tube.
As there is no electrical heating involved, any calcium will be very limited and can be eliminate by inserting anti calcifying tablets like the ones used to clean the insides of a washing machine and dishwasher. Our very experienced service personnel are able to advise you accordingly.
The evacuated solar tubes are the better system. The differences are as follows:
Evacuated tubes are strong, long lasting, and should one be broken, inexpensive and easy to replace. If a flat plate collector panel is damaged the whole panel must be replaced.
Due to the high efficiency absorption of solar radiation even during overcast conditions, combined with excellent isolative properties of the solar tube, solar tube collectors can heat water all year round (backup from gas and electricity is still required).
Due to the cylindrical shape of the evacuated tube, the solar tubes are able to passively track the sun throughout the day. Flat plate collectors only provide peak energy output at midday when the sun is perpendicular to the collector's surface.
Air is evacuated from the solar tube to form a vacuum. This greatly reduces conductive and convective heat loss from the interior of the tube. As a result wind and cold temperatures have less effect on the efficiency of the evacuated tube collector.
Solar Sunlite solar collectors can often be used in subzero temperatures without the system sustaining damage. Flat plate systems often require expensive and complicated "antifreeze" systems to be installed.
Due to the various advantages of evacuated tube collector over flat plate collectors, a smaller collector can be used to provide the same heating performance. For example, a standard household of 4-5 people would usually require a 250-300L-water storage tank. Depending on your location, only 20 evacuated tubes would be required to provide all summer hot water needs and a large percentage in other seasons.
Flat plate solar systems will take considerably longer than the evacuated tubes to heat the water at greatly reduced temperatures compared to the evacuated tubes. The flat plate solar water heaters are generally only good during warm sunny conditions.
The cost per unit of energy produced is the most important factor to look at. When payback time is of concern, price per unit of energy produced is the most important consideration, not peak efficiency levels. With this in mind the Solar Sunlite solar water heaters offer the best value for money performance products.
The evacuated tubes are designed & manufactured in such way that the life expectancy of the tubes will be minimum 15 years. Our stainless steel solar water tanks and frames are also guaranteed against anti perforation for a period of 15 years. The other parts of the solar water heater e.g., controller, pump and electrical heating elements come with a genuine 2-year warranty against defect. With good maintenance, our equipment should last for a very long time.
You can telephone, fax or e-mail us and we will be happy to arrange an appointment to visit your property for a free no-obligation site survey.
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