Which solar panel

carrollga

Hi we are looking into getting solar panels on our house we have been given the option of kingspan thermomax and Joule Acapella.
How do these products compare in relation to efficency is there somwhere I can compare the products eg data results etc. I don't want to bad mouth products just want to pick the best option.

Many thanks in advance

heinbloed

ESTIF - European Solar Thermal Industry Federation

Ask the supplier for the test certificates, ask for an individual calculation based on EN standard 12831 showing the price per used kWh thermal energy. Not for the price per received, harvested or stored kWh.

This would sort out the more expensive ones (most European manufacturers).They simply will deny the answer or anything in writing hoping to fool the client with plenty of greenwash.

Contact a heating engineer who would be able to figure out detailed numbers independantly, based on the individual situation.

freddyuk

Performance is taken care of in the EN12975 which is the accepted standard across the EU. Quality is a bigger issue as the best output is useless if the unit fails. Bad installation of a top quality unit can render it useless so not really a simple question is it?
A well installed budget system from China with references will provide exactly what you need at a good price.
If you are buying tubes then they will be made in China anyway and I think Kingspan get their flat plates from Turkey which is not in the EU yet.

heinbloed

@ the OP :

There seems to be some confusion here: are you looking for the efficiency of a ST system (when providing for DHW) or for the performance of the ST collector?

Performances of ST collectors are documented here:

http://www.solarenergy.ch/Home.44.0.html?&L=6 ("test reports", left column)

The efficiency of a ST system has to be calculated based on the individual case. And that's what matters to the consumer. To get value for money.

freddyuk

Do you think an integrated system will fit on most houses? What is the difference in performance between an integrated system and a separate system with all the kit inside and the collector on the roof.
Integrated systems are very common in warmer climates as there are no attics and lots of flat roofs but that is not the case in Ireland so I am keen to know the advantages.
There are very few systems that will apply to space heating so I think we are talking DHW.

heinbloed

Kingspan has shown some pretty bad failures in the past, evacuated tubes (heat pipes) fogged up and so on.

Freddyuk wrote:

If you are buying tubes then they will be made in China anyway and I think Kingspan get their flat plates from Turkey which is not in the EU yet

I don't know about Kingspan's flat panel collectors but there are at least three European evacuated glass tube manufacturers ( UK, Germany and Italy), maybe another eastern European as well.
However: most evacuated tube collector manufacturers use Chinese tubes since the European tubes don't pay - value for money !

heinbloed

Freddyuk asks:

Do you think an integrated system will fit on most houses?

They "fit" all houses -unless the house has no acess to sunlight.

freddyuk

The relevant words is "on". It is discussed elsewhere?

heinbloed

Do you mean the size? Like red shoes? Or what?

The issue is dealt with installations, discussions being irrelevant. 90% of all ST installations are of the integrated type. Based on unsubsidised consumer's decisions.

PS
The smallest ones are the size of about 1.5 m2 as used by the NATO, the largest ones are around 5-6m2 - as far as I have seen them. Chinese manufacturers deliver them in and around around 20-30m2.
Combinations can reach the size of some hundred m2, so what do you mean by "fit"? The roof size, the load bearing capacity?
Design follows energy, with modern constructions that is .....

heinbloed

There is no simple way to calculate the efficiency of a ST system, hence the demand for professional help on individual cases.If one pays for this service one has a come back!

The IEA tries to implement an extreme crude method, here the proposal:

http://www.estif.org/fileadmin/estif/content/news/downloads/m2-kWh-Explanation_note%20%282%29.pdf

Using horizontal radiation for ST collectors makes the aproach useless. But that is what they want, unsatisfied ST users and incompetent installers acting as professionals giving guarantees meaning nothing.

freddyuk

heinbloed wrote: »

Do you mean the size? Like red shoes? Or what?

The issue is dealt with installations, discussions being irrelevant. 90% of all ST installations are of the integrated type. Based on unsubsidised consumer's decisions.

PS
The smallest ones are the size of about 1.5 m2 as used by the NATO, the largest ones are around 5-6m2 - as far as I have seen them. Chinese manufacturers deliver them in and around around 20-30m2.
Combinations can reach the size of some hundred m2, so what do you mean by "fit"? The roof size, the load bearing capacity?
Design follows energy, with modern constructions that is .....

Terminology may be the issue - sorry. It is what you call "All in one system" in another thread. Maybe I got your interpretation wrong.