solar energy in kent Installing Solar Panels - Solar Water Heating

Thanet array seen from top of North Downs near Lenham. Turbines are about 30 miles away - see map

 



Headlines

FITs. Helping us generate energy or just a money making scam?
21p means the FIT scheme can be retained for far longer, it means the cost of installation can comedown and the industry retained. At 43.3 it means the scheme must close overnight when the set amount of money has run out!
Energy efficiency and renewable energy subsidies
The government wants to encourage everyone to think about how they can pay less on fuel - a pretty sensible idea when energy bills are rising and fuel poverty is on the increase
Solar tariff cuts risk jobs, industry warns
The feed-in tariff for solar power is to be cut in half from 12 December of this year, the government has said.
New record in world CO2 emissions
Energy-related carbon emissions hit a record high last year, casting doubt on plans to limit global temperature rises, an energy watchdog says.

energy saving trust

Clear Skies

Feed in tariffs

The process of fitting the bracketing and panels to the roof , also see: Preparatory work and the pipes and controllers

        

To ensure there was a solid mounting, threaded rod was used and inserted at the panel's joints and bolted top and bottom, tight onto the jablite. The top bolt can be seen, this is then protected by the foam washer assembly.

One of the challenges with this particular installation was installing onto a super insulated roof made from jablite panels (rare in the UK). This type of roof has no joists .
        
With the roof mounting points in place , the main bracketing for the panels can be installed
  

The solar panels ready to be installed. These are the genersys 1000-10 panels and are configured in 'landscape' mode. Normally solar panels are installed vertically, this is only to suit the standard roof layout. Either configuration is equally effective.

See the product details on the genersys website

 

The first of the panels laid on the support brackets , these are then slid along the rail to the correct position. The rail can be extended where the roof allows permitting as many as 10 of the genersys 1000-10

  
The kit of parts that is used to link the panels and connect the supply and return feeds.
    
The panels are joined together and the end feeds are connected using compression fittings.
    
With this installation a particular stainless steel flexible pipe was used along with closed cell insulation.
     
The flexible pipe is joined using a special jointing kit. Solder and standard compression joints are avoided due to the high temperatures eitehr melting the solder or causing excess expansion and contraction of the joints.
  
The panels in position ready to provide hot water. When this picture was taken it was a cold day, about 2C (23 Jan 2005), after 30 minutes in the sun the brass end feeds had been warmed by the panels to the point that they were almost too hot to touch.
The weather proof manifold being used to protect the pipe entry point .