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

Lack of engineers could scupper renewables revolution
Sunday Times says 60,000 heating engineers are interested in fitting renewable energy devices but are put off by the three-year certification process
Climate change human link evidence 'stronger'
A review from the UK Met Office says it is becoming clearer that human activities are causing climate change. It says the evidence is stronger now than when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change carried out its last assessment in 2007.
GOVERNMENT DELIVERS RAW DEAL FOR SOLAR THERMAL INDUSTRY
Today the Solar Trade Association welcomed the announcements by Ed Milliband regarding solar energy, but expressed disappointment that the proposed rate of investment will be lower than that for other green energy technologies.
Round 3 zones and developers
Crown estates have anounced the major Round 3 offshore zones and developers

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 .