Ample Energy Services get asked many questions regarding collectors, roof mounting, savings, pay back, what the difference between flat plate collectors and evacuated tubes, east and west split collector array, how long will a system last.

Customer:
Will collectors fit on my roof and take the weight?

A: There are many types of roofing brackets that can mount collectors on as you can see from these pictures. The only roof we can’t mount collectors onto are thatch roof cottages and normally these properties are listed or in a conservation area and often require planning consent. As for weight of collectors this is normally checked before installation takes place by a survey or a structural engineer.

Customer:
How long will it take before I get my money back and what type of saving do I get?

A: Depending on what type of system is fitted we would expect between 6 / 10 years on a solar thermal system and 20 years on a PV. If you had a system fitted 5 years ago the system would have paid for itself by now due to price increase of the utility companies of up to 80%. Soon we will be charged for the Co2 emissions that we generate for our homes and all homes will have an energy efficiently report when it comes to selling them. The average solar system will save about 750Kg of Co2 and 30% of hot water bill and 60% if you combine it with your heating though using a buffer store.

Customer:
What’s the difference between flat plate and evacuated tube and east and west split systems.

A: Most direct sale companies say that evacuated tubes perform better during the winter months. These were design for colder climates like Finland where day light hours are shorter in the winter months and need as much solar gain as possible. In the UK evacuated tube will heat quite quickly but also cost a lot more to run the pumps. For the extra cost is it worth it, because they both reach the same temperature at the end of the day even in the winter. If you view the picture gallery you will notice evacuated tube covered in snow so that means that it is not performing as well as it should. There are two types of evacuated tube, heat pipe and u-pipe. The heat pipe is an old technology and only 50mm sits within the manifold, mostly imported from China, where a u-pipe is more efficient because of the heat transferred down the full length of the vacuum tube and usually these are double manifold so picking heat transfer on the flow and return. Evacuated collectors are better if your roof area won’t accommodate a flat plate collector, but remember the cost is more expensive than a standard flat plate. If a system is sized correctly the systems should last as long as 35years plus; if maintained every 2 years.