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

 



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Property prices soar in the desert
India's thirst for solar energy has transformed Mr Singh's property from a dry, dusty inhospitable environment into a sun-drenched power socket that promises much, both for energy companies and for a country that still suffers black-outs.
UK 'needs new climate policies'
Major changes in policy are still needed to meet climate targets despite emission cuts brought about by the recession, say government advisors.
Barack Obama calls for clean-energy push
US President Barack Obama has called on his party and supporters to back a "new future" of clean energy.
EU 'half way to 2020 emissions target'
The EU is more than halfway to its target of cutting emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020, a report shows. The assessment by the European Environment Agency (EEA) reveals that emissions across the 27-nation bloc fell by 11.3% during 2008.

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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 .