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Testimonials

“I chose the Elite Solar system because compared with other systems that I considered, it was clear that the product (from the manufacturer Schuco) was professionally engineered. The installation team were excellent.”
Dennis O’Sullivan

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Information and Articles

Click on the links below for information on:

Panel Orientation

Tube vs Plate Solar Energy Systems

The Payback from Solar Thermal Energy

Government Grants Available

The Chinese Solar Powered City

System Principles

System Principles

Elite Solar Energy panels are powered by light. It does not have to be direct sunshine - there is sufficient energy in a cloudy day for the panels to collect energy for your hot water.

When daylight strikes the panel the light is absorbed into the panel and converted into heat. This heats up the heat transfer fluid in the copper heat transfer pipe. When the temperature in the panel is higher than the temperature in your hot water cylinder a digital controller activates the pump. The heat transfer fluid in the heat pipe pumps heat into your cylinder and heats up the water. When you have suffi cient hot water in the cylinder the pump stops. If you draw water off (for example by running the bath) as the cold water enters the system the drop in cylinder temperature is sensed by the controller and it starts up the pump to bring the cylinder water temperature up to the desired level.

We estimate that our collectors will produce around 70% of your hot water requirements over the course of a year. They will produce more in the summer when the days are long, and less in the winter - 70% is an approximate overall fi gure based on average hot water usage.

We estimate that in December, when the days are short, they will make a smaller contribution to your hot water needs. However in summer, when the days are longer they will produce up to 93% or more of your hot water, all free and all produced in an environmentally friendly
way.

At times when there is insufficient light to power the system (for example at night or on a rainy or foggy day in late December) the water is heated by your gas boiler or electrical immersion heater, in the traditional way. These will be the only times that you will be burning fossil fuel when heating water.

Households on average spend up to 35% of their total energy costs on heating water. Solar Panels, which act as a supplement to existing water heating arrangements, significantly reduce bills, and at the same time substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This all contributes to helping you reduce your home, and family’s carbon footprint (the amount of carbon being used on a yearly basis.)