Frequently asked questions

How does solar technology work?

Solar technology harnesses the freely available rays from the sun in a simple and effective way. An absorber plate gathers the sun’s rays and the heat is absorbed by a transfer liquid which then makes its way to a heat exchanger where the heat is extracted and used to heat water.

What if there is no direct sunshine on a given day?

The absorber plates have a special coating that allows the panels to collect energy from diffuse as well as direct sunlight. This means that the panel can still gather heat on a cloudy day. A solar system such as the FK240 package will provide around 50% of the hot water requirements of an average home in the UK during the year. That’s a 50% saving in gas or oil bills for DHW production.

If it was such a good idea, wouldn’t the Government encourage it?

It does! Homeowners can apply for a grant of £400 regardless of system size. The system must be installed by an accredited installer (see www.est.org.uk/housingbuildings/funding/solarpv/finding) and the system must include approved solar products. All our systems we supply are approved and qualify for the grant. You must apply for the grant before the installation commences.

Do I still need a boiler?

Yes you do. As we said earlier, solar will provide around 50% of the average household hot water requirements. Clearly it will provide a higher proportion in summer than in the winter. The householder will need a boiler installed to ‘make up’ the difference between the hot water the solar system will provide and the domestic hot water requirement for the home. And of course, the boiler is necessary to power the heating system.

Do I need a particular type of roof to install a solar system?

The system we supply can be mounted on a pitched or flat roof and the system can be mounted on a range of different roof tile types. In the UK the best orientation for solar panels is facing due south and at around 35 degrees from horizontal.