Solar Water Heating Installation 2

The photovoltaic panel is mounted higher up the wall. It is planned to mount it a little further from the wall as shown in the main picture, and to angle a few degrees further west facing to get the remaining heat out of the system as the sun begins to move off the panel, and to reduce pumping in the morning until the panel has warmed up more.  

I used MultiMonti masonry screws ( from Screwfix.com) which were an easy way to fix the frames to the wall. There are 5 to each frame which should make the panel gale proof. I avoided fitting the frames to the flat roof because it is not actually flat and I did not want to break the membrane and compromise water tightness. Screwfix also supplied the stainless steel screws used to mount the aluminium mounting brackets to the frames and to the panel. Although the panel looks large it is not unduly heavy and it was an easy job for two to get it into place.

The mounting angle from horizontal is 50 degrees - designed to be optimal at around the equinoxes.
On a sunny day in mid June when the system was first running it heated a full tank to 70oC.

For reading about this and other forms of renewable energy I strongly recommend ‘Renewable Energy’, Editor Godfrey Boyle, Oxford, ISBN 0-19-926178-4.

And for  why Eon should not be building more coal stations  click here.

Solar Twin Ltd  supplied the system and were helpful in my setting up a wall mounted system by supplying extra insulation. Their contact details are :

Solar Twin Ltd., 2nd Floor, 50 Watergate Street, Chester, CH1 2LA
p. +44 (0) 1244 403 450  f. +44 (0) 1244 403 654
www.solartwin.com

If you contact them please mention where you heard about them!