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ThermoDynamic Solar Panels on "About the House"

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  • 08-12-2011 4:20pm
    #1
    championc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,063 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    Did anyone else see the item on About the House which featured ENERGIE ThermoDynamic Solar Panels ? Seemed to me that you'd spend plenty on electricity running the compressor / pump on the system to generate your hot water, some of which you may not end up using.

    The promises seemed too good to be true - and so they usually are. I'm more than happy with my 30 Evacuated Tubes system TBH.

    Has anyone any experience or feedback ?


    C


Comments

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    #2
    BryanF
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 10,140 Mod ✭✭✭✭BryanF


    I'd love to see some actual user data, instead of another debate on their merits..


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    #3
    freddyuk
    Registered Users Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭freddyuk


    This was a repeat programme I assume as this subject has been raised last year and it was discussed and no one came up with any performance information. It is a heat pump with an immersion heater. When have you ever heard of a "solar' system working at night??
    Give us some information on installed systems.


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    #4
    PeteHeat
    Registered Users Posts: 648 ✭✭✭PeteHeat


    Hi,

    I was informed that "About The House" were not endorsing the product and that they added the piece to the program at short notice without their usual research.

    I guess even Duncan can be allowed a mistake.

    .


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    #5
    BryanF
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 10,140 Mod ✭✭✭✭BryanF


    PeteHeat wrote: »
    Hi,

    I was informed that "About The House" were not endorsing the product and that they added the piece to the program at short notice without their usual research.

    I guess even Duncan can be allowed a mistake.

    .
    the seai have placed these systems on the solar panel list instead of the heat pump list..


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    #6
    creedp
    Registered Users Posts: 5,597 ✭✭✭creedp


    freddyuk wrote: »
    This was a repeat programme I assume as this subject has been raised last year and it was discussed and no one came up with any performance information. It is a heat pump with an immersion heater. When have you ever heard of a "solar' system working at night??
    Give us some information on installed systems.


    Would it be more accurate to call them a solar collector with an immersion back-up? Just like std solar collectors they use the sun to heat water but when the sun goes down they resort to electricity for this purpose. Presumably also, like a HP, if the demand for hot water exceeds what the solar can supply, i.e. during the day or night, the immersion kicks in.


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    #7
    championc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,063 ✭✭✭championc


    So hence the statement from the family on the programme that, when they returned after a day out, they came home to hot showers for all 6 of them - in the belief that the panel on the roof did it for them. Imagine that scrap with the company when the first electricity bills start to arrive - heating water day and night even if you don't want the hot water.

    I was also very confused when Duncan was explaining to a couple in Dundrum that they could not have Solar and a Combi Boiler. I have my evacuated tubes since Jan 2010 and connected it perfectly to my Combi via an Intasol Solar Valve. Not like Duncan to be behind on such info.


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    #8
    L driver
    Registered Users Posts: 196 ✭✭L driver


    Duncan knows feck all as far as i can see or else the producers have a bit input into the editing.


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    #9
    BryanF
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 10,140 Mod ✭✭✭✭BryanF


    L driver wrote: »
    Duncan knows feck all as far as i can see or else the producers have a bit input into the editing.
    thats a bit harsh he's an architect not a heating engineer


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    #10
    Carlow52
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,389 ✭✭✭Carlow52


    PeteHeat wrote: »
    Hi,

    I was informed that "About The House" were not endorsing the product and that they added the piece to the program at short notice without their usual research.

    I guess even Duncan can be allowed a mistake.

    .

    If this is true then its like the 'slime time doesn't investigate' ethos

    I disagree that Duncan be allowed make a mistake here, too many people think he is the energy messiah and if it appears on his show then its good


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    #11
    brophis
    Registered Users Posts: 142 ✭✭brophis


    I'm going to reserve judgement on the technology until I get some more info. I'd like to echo some of the sentiments expressed above and get some end user experience. I don't think it's right that some people dismiss it due to the way some of the marketing has been phrased, some of which I find frustrating. "Night", "solar panels" and "work" shouldn't be included in the same sentence unless the word "don't" is in there somewhere!

    Rant aside I've been trying to get more info on these like everyone else. Managed to dig up some details from manufacturer and suppliers website relating to output. It says that a one panel system for DHW uses a minimum of 390W and max output of 1690W. I give that a max COP of 4.3. Problem is it doesn't give any operating temperature details etc so all I can assume is that this is optimal performance. Can this be better on a sunny day? Can the compressor be bypassed if flow temp is high enough? Would love to know how much power is used/output when it's sunny and not sunny. Can this be controlled to work mainly during sunlight hours?? Was interesting when I looked at the central heating specs for 4 panels, min usage is 960W and max output 7290W (max COP 7.6?).

    I can see the merits of the system. Air source heat pumps have the downside of having a cold air supply when you want them most, wouldn't it be great of you could preheat the supply before hitting the pump (is it possible to fit a heat pump in a glasshouse for winter????). Ground source heat pumps have a more stable energy supply but cost more. In principle I think this is a great idea as it uses the sun to preheat the supply to the heat pump to increase the COP. I'm sorry I didn't think of it first as I don't think my ASHP glasshouse idea will be taken up! My whole argument is based on the assumption that the compressor is working similarly to your average heat pump and not just running through an immersion style heater.

    Too many unknowns for me right now. Would love to know more about the COP performance with temperature and sunlight and more details about the controller. I'd want it running when it's sunny and store that energy. Love the convenience of having hot water on demand but a large scale solar array could probably get very close to doing the same. Would be interesting to do a capital cost comparison between the two. Obviously the standard solar would have cheaper running costs but anyone that has solar surely feels some pain inside when they have to turn on their backup boiler on a dark gloomy winter day so they can have some hot water. Is the convenience side of it worth it?


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    #12
    Prometeo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭Prometeo


    I agree with Brophis we need some realistic data from a customer on these panels. I have seen other threads on this system and it frustrates me that everyone on this that is in the solar panel industry is just putting down the product while the description they give on the system is inaccurate. Its obviously A heat pump type system. If we can find out what the annual running costs are and if they are good then it is far better than the tubes that I have in my house.


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    #13
    Sami23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,176 ✭✭✭Sami23


    Can anyone who have these fitted a few years now tell me how they are performing for you as I am thinking of getting it installed in my house.
    What are the running costs like and do you have hot water all year round ?

    Any advice and thoughts would be much appreciated.
    Thanks


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    #14
    keru
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭keru


    We have the system installed and working since late august in our new build. It provides all our hot water and also runs 2 small rads in the bathrooms. We've build a "near passive" house so no central heating and no other means of producing DHW. So far extremely happy with the system. We have plenty hot water ( 3 kids 2 adults in household). I don't know exactly how much electricity is used by the compressor alone but our electricity bills are an average of €100 per month over the last 4 months. We also have a MHRV running 24/7, LED lighting and mostly A rated appliances. It is a smaller bill than in the previous house we lived in. It had oil central heating and DHW, no immersion, so only usual white goods and lighting.
    We took a bet choosing the thermodynamic system to fulfil all our DHW requirements as it is quite new to the market. I based my choice on initial investment costs being low and so far I'm happy with the running costs. Time will tell about reliability and durability.


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    #15
    Bountyfour70
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭Bountyfour70


    Hi Keru
    - and about the instalation how much was it?
    - was it not to noisy as well?
    thx
    Bounty


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