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Solar energy is the cleanest and most inexhaustible of all known energy sources. Solar radiation is the heat, light and other radiant energy that is emitted from the sun. The sun's energy, although plentiful, has been hard to directly harness until recently.

Solar water heater converts solar energy into thermal energy, then heat the water step by step. The beauty of this system is it does not create pollution or harmful emissions, and is extremely economical - the fuel (sunshine) is free! Plus, they are environmentally friendly. To take full advantage of these heaters, you should ideally have an unshaded, south-facing location (a roof, for example) on your property, although they can be utilised at ground level also.

This type of Solar water heater is now extremely popular in many areas of the world, are are now becoming much more popular in the UK, due to their high efficiency. Until now, solar panels were not particularly popular in the UK due to their low efficiencies during the spring, autumn and winter months.

Classic solar panels (flat plate collectors) work equally well as radiators - and therefore unless ambient temperature is high, heat losses are considerable. Flat plate collectors, despite their poor performance at UK lattitudes, have remained the panel of choice until now, due to their low cost, and DIY-suitability. However, we are now able to offer much higher efficiency vacuum tube collectors at similar prices to flat plate collectors.

Brand Names

Our panel is similar to 'Thermomax' and visually identical to the 'Apricus' brand; our panels are purchased directly from the factory, and not through European middlemen. These panels are branded 'Navitron'. In fact the Navitron panel is identical to several other panels on the market (from the US, Switzerland and Germany). This is because the Navitron manufacturer produces panels for some of the biggest names in vacuum tube solar panels - which are simply re-branded once they reach Europe.

Raine or Shine

Alternative Energy Solutions

Solar heating for everyone!

Some types of renewable energy are only available in certain locations, however free solar heating is potentially available to almost every house in the UK! Every house should have one -really!

Increase the value of your property

Energy efficiency and micro-generation add value and increase the saleability of your home. Invest in your property now!

Help the environment

Cut carbon emissions from you home: Use RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.

SOLAR HEATING

EVACUATED TUBE SOLAR HOT WATER PANEL (20 tube)

An assembled Navitron 20 tube standard panel

A 10 tube high efficiency panel

These top-of-the-range solar panel heat collectors are suitable for heating domestic hot water, swimming pools etc - even in the winter! One unit is adequate for an average household (3-4people), and it is modular, so you can add more if required. A single panel is sufficient for a 200litre cylinder, but you can fit 2 or more for high water usage, or for heating swimming pools or underfloor heating. And with an overall efficiency of almost 80%, they are much more efficient than electric photovoltaic solar panels (efficiency of 7-15%). And if we compare them on a like-for-like basis, the price of a Navitron Solar Water Heater is around 30p/watt (compared to £6+/watt for solar photovoltaics!)

This picture shows a more basic design - which is commonly employed in hot countries such as Turkey, Greece, Mediterranean, Africa etc. This type of system does not employ heatpipes; instead the water fills the tubes, which in turn heat the header tank (which can vary between 85 and 220litres) by convection. This system is far more basic, but has obvious advantages: no requirement for electric power, no controller, pipe insulation etc required and is very low-cost. However, it is less functional, too large to appear roof-integrated, cannot accept pressure system kits, cannot be used with a standard domestic hot water tank.

Key Benefits of Vacuum Tube Solar Panels

• High temperature output even in cold weather
• Warms water even during winter, as long as the sun is shining
• Produces heat even in overcast weather
• Easy to fit
• Higher efficiency and greater installation flexibility with heat to many of the more expensive brands on the market - as the tubes and headers are all manufactured in the same factory by an OEM supplier.

This high tech unit concentrates the sun's energy at the tip of the copper 'heat tube' - like a solid state magnifying glass!

The vacuum tube solar panel has been around for over 10years, and has proved to be reliable and dependable. The vacuum tubes consist of a double wall glass tube (made from strong borosilicate glass ie pyrex) with a space in the centre which contains the heat pipe. The sun's radiation is absorbed by the selective coating on the inner glass surface, but prevented from re-radiating by the silvered innermost lining. This is in effect like a one-way mirror which has been optimised for infra-red radiation. In fact it is very efficient, of the sun light's energy hitting the tube's surface, 93% is absorbed, whereas only 7% is lost through reflection and re-emission. The presence of the vacuum wall prevents any losses by conduction or convection - just like a thermos flask. Because of this, the system will work even in very low temperatures, unlike traditional flat plate collectors. This is why our system can be used to heat up water at the South Pole Antarctic Science Base - where ambient air temperatures can drop below -40°C.

The heat transferred to the tip of the heat pipe is in turn transferred to a copper manifold in which water circulates to heat the domestic hot water tank. If a tube is placed in direct sunlight on a summer day, the tip temperature can reach 250°C - so the system easily heats domestic hot water cylinders to 60°C even in cooler weather! The manifold is heavily insulated with a 2" thickness of pre-formed rockwool to keep the heat in. Unlike flat plates, these headers are so well insulated that they should not require antifreeze in normal operation - the temperature of the header is unlikely to fall below 10°C even in very cold weather. The more advanced solar controllers include a low-temperature facility- should the temperature of the collector fall below a defined level, the pump will operate to allow the the water at the bottom of the tank to heat the collector slightly. In normal conditions, this would never be necessary - but it acts as a good safety margin.

How Much Heat Will I Gain?

Average Daily Irradiation (Insolation) Figures for Each Month of the Year:
(Solar energy reaching each 1m2 of the earth's surface at UK latitudes)

Limited company no 6369856
VAT no 921789987