Solar Water Heating

Solar heating for large and small-scale applications

Solar water heating can be used for domestic water heating and for large-scale applications such as heating swimming pools.

Solar water heating is the easiest and cheapest renewable installation for your home and can work as an add-on to standard gas, oil or electric heating systems and in conjunction with other renewable systems.

A typical Scottish installation will provide 100% of domestic hot water demand in the summer months and 50% over the course of the year.

Solar Water Heating - Specifications
System requirements Southerly facing roof space - for panels to capture the heat from the sun. Space for a hot water cylinder - to store the heated water until it is used. Auxillary heating - a heating system to provide top up water heating.
Two types of solar collector Flat Plate, versatile, cheaper and more robust. Evacuated Tube, more expensive, more efficient (particularly in winter months), can be installed on a flat roof, but more delicate.
Typical system Rule of thumb - 1m² of panel can produce 50 litres of hot water Need about 50l ie 1m² of panel per person. Typical installation 3-4m² Little maintenance and low running costs. Lifetime 25 years
System Cost - £3,000 to £4,000 for flat plate. £3,500 to £4,500 for evacuated tube. Energy savings - 1m² = 450 kWh/yr so 4m² = 1,800kWh/yr
Development issues - Speak to planning authority for permission. Should be ok if not a listed building or in conservation area. Permitted Development limits for solar panels on domestic buildings of 150mm above the plane of a pitched roof or wall, not higher than the highest point of a pitched roof and covering up to 60% of the roof to be confirmed. If a shared roof (like tenement flat) then planning permission required. Building warrant will be required.
More information Top of Tenement Project in Edinburgh (Changeworks). Renewables Heritage project ETSU report - side by side testing of eight solar water heating systems GIR 88 - Solar hot water systems in new housing - a monitoring report
Websites www.solartradeassociation.org.uk

Solar Water Heating - Specifications

System requirements

Southerly facing roof space - for panels to capture the heat from the sun.
Space for a hot water cylinder - to store the heated water until it is used.
Auxillary heating - a heating system to provide top up water heating.

Two types of solar collector

Flat Plate, versatile, cheaper and more robust. Evacuated Tube, more expensive, more efficient (particularly in winter months), can be installed on a flat roof, but more delicate.

Typical system

Rule of thumb - 1m² of panel can produce 50 litres of hot water
Need about 50l ie 1m² of panel per person.
Typical installation 3-4m²
Little maintenance and low running costs.
Lifetime 25 years

System Cost

£3,000 to £4,000 for flat plate. £3,500 to £4,500 for evacuated tube.

Energy savings

1m² = 450 kWh/yr so 4m² = 1,800kWh/yr

Development issues

Speak to planning authority for permission. Should be ok if not a listed building or in conservation area.

Permitted Development limits for solar panels on domestic buildings of 150mm above the plane of a pitched roof or wall, not higher than the highest point of a pitched roof and covering up to 60% of the roof to be confirmed.

If a shared roof (like tenement flat) then planning permission required. Building warrant will be required.