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Apricus solar collectors can be installed in many different
configurations depending on your requirements, and type of house. The
basic principal for all systems is the same.
1. The collector produces heat
2. A circulation pump pushes water through the collector, carrying away the heat.
3. The heat is transported to a storage tank, directly, or via a heat exchanger (internal or external).
The amount the tank temperature increases with solar input depends
on how much hot water remains in the top of the tank, and therefore how
much “cold” volume is available for solar heating. This is why in tanks
A and C, the temperature rise is moderate, as the full tank volume is
being heated.
In tanks B and D, only the bottom half is being heated and therefore
the temperature rise is much greater. In tank D, the bottom is first
heated to 60oC / 140oF, then the entire contents is further heated up
to 75oC / 167oF, at which point the controller turns off the pump to
avoid further heating of the tank (depends on controller configuration).
The aim for any solar heating system should be to use all of the
energy produced by the collector. Heating a tank full of cold water, as
shown in A & C will result in more total heat production than for B
& D, as the collector will be running cooler. Furthermore with a
small volume of cold water to heat, the tank may even hit maximum temp
(as shown in D), turning the pump off and potentially wasting good
afternoon sunlight. For this reason BIG is generally BETTER when
looking at storage tank sizing.
Having a dedicated solar tank is advantageous, and for this reason a
gas post boost system is always preferable over an electric boosted
tank system.
Apricus solar collectors are a supplemental energy source. Solar
thermal cannot totally replace traditional energy sources (gas or
electricity) as it is not always sunny! A solar thermal system will
therefore have a backup boost from electricity or gas to ensure you
always have hot water.
A correctly sized solar system can save between 50% and 80% off your
annual hot water energy bills, depending on your location and water
usage patterns.
By reducing the amount of gas or electricity (or other fossil fuel source) that is used, you are also directly reducing CO2 emissions, which is a major factor in helping to combat global warming.
The diagram below provides a general idea of how many collectors are
required based on the number of people in the household. A cold climate
is somewhere that gets regular snow in the winter, warm winter would
rarely go below freezing. In you are in a hot climate (near the
equator) then a collector can provide even more hot water.
If you wish to complete a more accurate estimation, please use the sizing calculator.
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