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Gledhill group: Using
solar power |
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The increased availability of Solar collectors
for domestic use has widened the acceptability of the ultimate
renewable energy source, even in a country where floods hit
the headlines more often than heat waves. Sandy Gataora, technical
development director for the Gledhill group, the UK's leading
thermal storage specialists, examines the simplest way to
harness Solar power. Reported in PHAM news March 2001.
Local authorities have experimented with the system, usually
backed by Government 'green' initiatives and some house builders
are considering offering it as an option on all new homes.
But the majority of the current UK sales are generated in
the retrofit market to private homeowners wanting to 'do their
bit' for the environment and cut fuel bills at the same time.
Channeling that solar generated energy into the domestic
hot water remains the most common method of using it and has
the advantage that, whilst the heating is usually off during
the summer when the sun is strongest, hot water is needed
throughout the seasons. But the way in which this principle
is applied varies hugely in terms of efficiency and cost effectiveness.
Some simply link collectors to tanks in the loft space to
avoid tampering with the existing F&E system, and tap
the hot water generated into the cold water feed to the cylinder,
thus avoiding the existing primary circuit. |
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Because there is no UK industry standard for
solar systems, so-called experts have in other instances been
creating the most bizarre combinations of wiring, valves and
plug-ins to existing systems which will almost certainly baffle
any heating engineer or plumber called out in the future to
fix or maintain it. But by far the most effective solution lies
in thermal storage which can collect and store heat from a variety
of sources.
The conventional thermal storage system uses a large volume
of stored water to heat the domestic hot water instantaneously,
and may also feed the central heating system.
(left) The SunSpeed developed by Gledhill Water Storage
is at the heart of a specially modified thermal store linked
to the solar power unit in the futuristic Integer house which
starred in the BBC's Dream House programme. |
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The thermal store is well insulated and is normally fed by
a boiler which is instructed when to fire to maintain the operating
temperature of the store. Solar power is used to supplement
the boiler system with the energy going straight into maintaining
the temperature of the thermal store.
A Gledhill store was used in the INTEGER house project at
the Building Research Establishment, featured in the BBC's
Dream House TV series, and a number of leading companies across
the UK are now using Gledhill thermal storage-based appliances
to make the most of the solar energy. |
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A favourite solution is the Solar SysteMate.
SysteMate delivers huge volumes of mains pressure domestic
hot water with high flow rates, rapid recovery and the luxury
of power shower performance without the requirement for pumps
or water tanks. It reverses the conventional primary and secondary
water functions, holding primary water in the highly insulated
store. Secondary water flows directly from the cold mains
into a plate heat exchanger where it is heated by the hot
water in the thermal store before delivery to the taps or
shower.
A 'Solar Pod' is fitted at the base of the unit. The pod
houses the unique SunSpeed coil which is constructed from
finned copper tubing and is the most efficient way of dissipating
into the primary water store the heat gathered from the solar
collectors. SunSpeed coils can, on average, raise the temperature
of the water in the thermal store to 45 degrees C plus and
water stored in the Pod flows naturally up into the main store
as it heats up.
The Solar SysteMate can be used with most gas or oil boilers.
It is equipped with a self- commissioning micro-processor
and is delivered to site with all system components pre-plumbed
and pre-wired. Using an efficient solar panel or tube system
and the Gledhill unit, it is possible for a family household
to significantly reduce the fuel bill, with solar power meeting
virtually the whole of the hot water needs during summer months.
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(right) The SystemMate III thermal store
from the Gledhill Group now offers householders the benefits
of mains pressure hot water with greater efficiency, enhanced
control and power strength showers.
The Gledhill Group is also working to develop a new system
that will be able to employ solar- heated water to supplement
central heating systems ( especially underfloor heating) in
addition to domestic hot water.
For homes with no gas supply) the PulsaCoil high performance
mains pressure hot water system can also be fitted with an
integral SunSpeed coil or solar pod. PulsaCoil operates as
a traditionally open vented primary store with the water in
the store heated by a high efficiency immersion element using
low tariff electricity, while a second element allows daytime
'top-up' if needed. The SunSpeed unit again feeds additional
heat into the system, Significantly reducing the electricity
consumption, hence the household bills.
Solar panels may sound like the stuff of science fiction-
powering satellites and space stations -but putting solar
energy into a domestic hot water system is hardly rocket science.
With the right equipment it requires little more than traditional
skills and common sense to deliver a system and the savings
any householder will take a shine to. |
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