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Different Types Of Solar Water Heaters

Flat Plates v Vacuum Tubes

Flat plates solar water heaters only provide a useful amount of heat during the summer months and have very little or no use in the winter months. They can take between 5-6 hours in sunshine to raise the temperature to 50-55 degrees centigrade and serve little or no use in the winter months or overcast weather. This is predominantly due to their high heat losses during cold or windy weather. When the ambient temperature drops, the heat loss can easily exceed the heat gain. The flat plate solar water heaters are usually made of a basic and cheap construction. They can usually be manufactured very easily and are typically a lot cheaper than the solar water heaters featuring the evacuated tube technology.

Vacuum tube solar water heaters on the other hand will take between 1-2 hours on a sunny day to raise the temperature to over 80 degrees centigrade. They provide useful heat for 12months of the year, as long as there is sun or UV rays. Indeed, they continue to outperform the flat plate models even in the winter months and overcast weather.

In recent years the manufacturing production volume of solar evacuated tubes has gone over the roof, resulting in greatly reduced manufacturing and material costs. The result is that evacuated tubes are now similar in price to flat plate, but with the insulating benefits of the evacuated tube, they are set to become the default choice for thermal solar water applications internationally.

Flat plate thermal solar collectors have been in use for several decades, but only in relatively limited numbers, particularly in Western countries. Evacuated solar tubes have also been in use for more than 20 years, but have been more expensive than flat plate, and therefore only chosen for high temperature applications or by those where money is no object.

Because of the ever declining prices in solar water heaters, more than ever, consumers have the ability to invest in clean energy and to do their part in reducing global warming. Clean energy is a cost effective way in reducing global warming and reducing energy bills. This improves the security and reliability of our energy demands.

Our products are offered at the lowest prices in Spain to encourage users to think green and change to clean renewable energy. The Solar Sunlite range of solar water heaters has been designed to implement new clean energy policies being introduced and implemented by the government of Spain and other European nations

New buildings must use solar panels to supply residents with hot water.

In Malaga solar panels will have to meet 70 per cent of a building’s hot water requirements. Planning permission can only be granted if plans allow for the use of renewable energy

Installing one of our fabulous Solar water heaters decreases the cost of conventional electricity bills and decreases carbon monoxide emissions into the atmosphere. This is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to depleting the ozone layer, which blocks out harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. This results in global warming and increased rates of skin cancer.

Because of the growing demand for alternative energy sources, using renewable resources such as solar water heaters, helps not only the environment but will decrease money spent on electricity bills by up to 85%.

Active and Passive Solar Heaters

There is an active solar heater and a passive solar heater. An active solar heater uses a type of fan or pump to move the heated air or water. A passive solar heater moves the heat without a fan or pump.

VACUUM TUBES - Technology Used

Our solar water heaters use advanced vacuum tube technology to heat up the water

The tubes are 'twin-glass' construction similar to that of a thermos flask but made out of exceptionally strong borosillicate glass similar to Pyrex. Unlike the silvered surface of a thermos flask, the inside of the tube is covered in an advanced 'selective coatings' which is able to absorb in excess of 93% of the light energy while re emitting less than 7% in radiant heat. These solar water heater evacuated tubes are extremely strong and can withstand a force in excess of 100kg pressure on a flat surface, and also 35mm hailstones.

Due to the cylindrical design of the solar vacuum tube surface the amount of solar energy that falls on the vacuum tube surface is maximized due to passive solar tracking. This increases exposure to sunlight by as much as 50% when compared to an equivalent area of flat plate collectors.

The presence of a vacuum in the evacuated tubes eliminates convection and greatly reduces conduction losses. This enables the tube to harvest useful energy even on cold, windy days. Even with overcast weather the tubes can pick up the scattered radiation from the sun and UV rays. The system is far more advanced and superior to the older style flat plate collectors. Also in the colder, mountainous regions, the tubes will start absorbing energy as soon as the sunlight or UV rays hits their surface, without the long start up time associated with flat plates. This now makes it possible to use our solar water heaters all year round as a good source of hot water.

The selective coating on the surface of the inner glass tube, which converts UV and sunlight into heat energy, ensures high-energy absorption and low heat radiance loss. Having a coverage area of 365 degrees, our solar evacuated tubes, heats the water extremely fast from sunrise to sun dawn. On the flat plate models, the suns highest energy output only lies around midday.

A vacuum inside the glass tube provides the high level of insulation that that makes our Solar Sunlite range of solar water heaters the most efficient & advanced solar collector in this industry.

In order to keep the stability of the vacuum for a long time, a barium “getter” is used. This is the silver coating at the tip of the tube. This rare metal coating absorbs any gases that might eventually enter the tube, increasing the lifespan of the vacuum seal. Through evacuating air out of the glass tube the absorber material and selective coating are protected from corrosion and other environmental influences. This ensures a lifetime of at least 15 years without loss of efficiency. The getter also acts as an indicator and will turn white instantly should the vacuum in the tube be broken or when the tube needs replacing.

The Solar Sunlite range of water heaters can be installed using parallel and/or series connections, increasing the hot water capacity supply dramatically, this is particularly useful in commercial use.

The vacuum tube has been around for over 20 years proving its stability and long life. The tubes used in the Solar Sunlite range of advanced solar water heaters are not the same like other evacuated tubes used in cheaper, inferior quality models being imported from the Far East. A company with a long history of quality control systems including the ISO 9001, ISO 9002 has supplied the solar tubes used in our systems. In addition all of our solar water heaters have been accredited with the prestigious EN 12975 certification.

Vacuum Tubes – Specifications

The range of Solar Sunlit water heaters are exceptional products that provide the highest quality and standard for solar hot water heating systems in this market. The Solar Sunlite range of advanced solar water heaters have been manufactured to the very highest standards, and will provide you with many years of service, with the minimum of maintenance required. These solar water heaters are not to be compared with the cheaper and inferior models being imported from the Far East.

Take an important step to reduce pollution and carbon dioxide emission, whilst enjoying piping hot water heated by nature.