Solar water heating systems, or ‘solar thermal’ systems, use free heat from the sun to warm domestic hot water. A conventional boiler or immersion heater can be used to make the water hotter, or to provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable.

• Hot water throughout the year. The system works all year round, though you’ll need to heat the water further with a boiler or immersion heater during the winter months.
• Reduced energy bills. Sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation your hot water costs will be reduced.
• Lower carbon footprint. Solar hot water is a green, renewable heating system and can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions.

• Do you have a sunny place to put solar panels? You’ll need around five square metres of roof space which faces East to West through South and receives direct sunlight for the main part of the day. The panels don’t have to be mounted on a roof however. They can be fixed to a frame on a flat roof or hang from a wall.
• Do you have space for a larger, or an extra, hot water cylinder? If a dedicated solar cylinder is not already installed then you will usually need to replace the existing cylinder, or add a dedicated cylinder with a solar heating coil.
• Is your current boiler compatible with solar water heating? Most conventional boiler and hot water cylinder systems are compatible with solar water heating. If your boiler is a combination boiler (combi) and you don’t currently have a hot water tank, a solar hot water system may not be compatible.

Maintenance costs for solar water heating systems are generally very low.

We recommend that a maintenance plan is taken out at the completion of the installation. This will cover periodic checks on pumps, anti-freeze and general pipework / cylinder connections.