Solar Heating

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aocon

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I am building a new house and I have been told to enquire into getting Solar panels but on my roof as a source of energy to heat our water with also a backup boiler for the winter. Has anyone been down this road and if so would you recommend it, what are the rough costs, do the panels look like an eyesore etc.
 
Try www.pet.ie and get an idea of the technology.
go to www.sei.ie and look under the renewable enegy section.
They have a pdf file that you can download with installers/suppliers.

I have been looking into these - but they can seem a little expensive.
Or shal I say more a case of rip-off ireland imho.

Eg - I got an estimated price for Viessman vitosol 300 off PET - came in around 12k.
Installation of 1k.

Found all the equipment on a german website for just over 5k incl Vat.
How can they justify the difference in price.

I asked him if I supply the materials will he do the install ? NO ! was the sharp reply I got.

Anyway - I'm trying to find someone who will install these if I buy them directly.

www.glas.ie are another crowd too.
 
Thanks for that Wolverine. thats very helpful.
I cant believe the difference in price. I wonder how hard would it be to install.
I am an Electrical Engineer myself and I am used to dealing with heat transfer systems.
Also I wonder if there is any government grants available for using Solar energy.
 
No grant available in the Irish republic, I am afraid.
We are thinking at the moment of installing a solar system to heat water in our home.
Quotation given were between 4 to 7K
We haven't taken a decision yet about it.
 
Hi Samantha,


Who is that with ?
Are they the flat plate panels or the Tube Panels ?
Does that include the Dual Coiled Cylinder ?

Thanks,
Wolverine.
 
will give you details over the week-end or on Monday - all documentation are at home at the moment
 
Wolverine said:
.

Found all the equipment on a german website for just over 5k incl Vat.
How can they justify the difference in price.
Click to expand...


Will they actually sell it to you in Germany if they have a supplier here?
 
I would say so . Try yourself at this web page :http://www.top50-solar.de/

When going to " willkommen " you get the German web page , when going to "bienvenue " you get the French page etc. There are special offers available from around €2500 .- .
Europes largest panel manufacturer , Greenonetec from St. Veit in Austria , claims that the prices wouldn't go down even if they give away the panels for free . Here is the continental calculation which Greenotec provides : 44 % for the installer , 18 % for the whole saler , 6 % for the storage tank manufacturer and only 7 % for the collector panel manufacturer. You see where the money goes . And of course , there is plenty of tax here in Ireland on solar panels , twice as much as on fuel oil or coal or gas . Vested interests and so on , some one must have voted for this gouvernment , thanks for your hindsight.
Forgotten to mention : The above calculation is based on an end price of €3.612 . This price includes 6m2 of flat panel collector , 300l tank and electrics . A full set delivered , fixed and ready to tap.
 
Hi HB - Thanks for that.

in your opinion - are these systems easy to install ?
As I stated above - I'm interested in buying the materials from germany, but I'm worried as to
A) whether the plumbing fittings are the same size etc as here ?
B) whether I can get someone to install them ?
as stated above I asked PET would they do the install for the 1000 euro they quoted me for installation, if I supplied the materials and I was told no straight out.
Are they easy to install or would it be a big risk getting a "Non-supplier" to install them ?
SEI provided a list - but they all seem to be suppliers. No list of installers as such.


Thanks,
Wolverine.
 
Continental and Irish/GB fittings are nearly the same . The difference between the standard fittings (pipes and couplings ) is so small that many fitters wouldn't realise that there is difference at all. However there are also adapters available . I installed pressurised taps and pressurised toilet flushes myself imported from the continent as well as my under floor heating system , absolutly no problem at all .When you check the solar panel manufacturers home pages they nearly all provide you with plenty of literature , videos etc. on how to install a solar heating system. You don't have to be a plumber.But I put a bet on it : most plumbers would be happy to assist, a solar panel is a good and free way of advertising a service , you'll get plenty of inquierys from passers by .

But you should be able to " stand hight " when working on a roof , of course. The panels can be heavy , so you need a crane and/ or some helpers and a good scaffolding. All this info you will find in the suppliers manuals , or you get yourself a book , Amazone would have the right ones . Make sure you buy a book made for the EU market , US plumbing and calculations would differ.
Get the necessary information - a step by step guide - before you decide for the panel . Do your maths concerning heat demand and wind stability etc.. The fixtures ( when going for a roof based panel ) are important , when buying them check that they are build to EU standard . That will make the construction insured in case of storm damage . I've seen TV areals and satellite dishes fixed here in a way the health and safety inspector would have days of work just to fine the home owners in one road .
All this is no problem when installing them in the garden for example or on a non-shaded wall or on a flat roof /extension ect..
Check the top 50 solar page mentioned above , you will find plenty of info there. There is also an EU standard for output and safety and so on . Buy only material that confirms with this standard.The easiest method is to buy a full set from one established seller.
Good luck with it, every panel is a sign of peace !
 
Sorry for posting so late.

Couldn't find the documentation/quotation and only manage to get my hand on one. My husband is away for a month abroad and he had taken the stuff with him.

The one, I found was from http://www.solartwin.com (www.solartwin.com), they quote us approximatively 4 k if you do the installation yourself and 6K if they install it. You can request a free survey on line.
 
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