What is Solar heating? | Roof Mounted System | Tracker System

What is Solar & Thermal energy?

The sun gives out an almost unlimited amount of energy and when the sun shines there are about 1000 watts of free energy available for every square meter of land. The sunlight landing on the earth’s surface in one hour is equal to all the energy used in the world in one year! For domestic use, this energy is ideal for heating water and large savings can be made by harnessing this power.

The two main forms of collection are the direct solar heating of water and photo-voltaic (PV) panels for generating electricity. The cost of PV panels is currently very high making them more suitable for specialised applications such as generating power in remote locations.

In contrast, solar heating is efficient and affordable for heating water. Thermal collectors use both the visible and the infra-red rays from the sun. Therefore these collectors do not rely solely on full sunshine and will provide heat whenever there is daylight. They will obviously absorb more heat on a clear day than when it is overcast.

The Environment

The environmental benefit of solar heating is an important factor since there are instant reductions in pollution by substituting it for other methods of heating. When the hot water being used has caused no pollution and comes, in effect, for free, you can go ahead in using as much as you want! All traditional forms of generating energy create pollution with Carbon Dioxide (CO2) being the main pollutant.

A single LaZer2 system can prevent over 30 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide polluting the atmosphere during its life.

Figures correct 2000. Source: Dept. of the Environment.

Solar Heating: Solar heating is turning the sun’s energy into useful heat

There are four basic types of “collector” for solar heating:-

1) Black plastic piping laid on the ground

2) Flat panel “radiator covered with glass”

3) Thermal vacuum tubes

4) Sun tracking panels

1) Black plastic tubes/mats are very simple and cheap. Water is pumped through black pipes or mats laid in the sun and, under certain conditions, the water comes out warmer. Their only advantage is that they are relatively cheap. The disadvantages are low efficiency, a very large area is required to provide a significant amount of heat and they are difficult to install and control. In addition, since they work only in direct sunlight and have a high heat loss, they can raise the water temperature only a few degrees above ambient. They are unsuitable for domestic hot water systems.

2) Flat panels consist of a flat “radiator” absorber, covered by glass and insulated. Their efficiency depends on the insulation properties and type of construction. Cheap DIY panels can be made from household radiators painted black and these are very similar in cost and performance to the black plastic tubes described above. More expensive double glazed types have better efficiency so that a smaller area is required. A compromise can be made between efficiency and cost and another advantage is that they can be effectively built into roof structures at the construction stage. They are the most suitable type for DIY construction. Disadvantages are poor efficiency at higher water temperatures and/or low ambient temperatures and their performance is very poor on cloudy days. Without a sophisticated control system, more energy can be lost through the panel on a cold day than is gained.

3) Thermal vacuum tubes are the “state of the art” solution to obtaining heat from the sun. These have been developed over the last thirty years into units that are now over 93% efficient. Water is passed through an evacuated tube, which contains a black absorber plate. Since these are very efficient, only a small area is required. Because the vacuum provides insulation, the water can be heated to much higher temperatures, and it is possible even to boil it. The tubes absorb energy even on cloudy days.

The LaZer2 tubes are the most advanced vacuum tubes available today.

4) Sun tracking panels are the latest technology to maximise energy absorption and return on investment. Using digital computer technology the panels continuously face the sun, maximising heat gain. It is more cost effective to have a small panel tracking the sun than a static panel of twice the size. The smaller panel has the advantage of lower heat losses, higher efficiency and longer sunlight exposure per day. As the panels are ready mounted they are easy to install. These systems are ideally suited to larger swimming pool or commercial applications.

The UK leads the world in domestic sun tracking technology, which is ideally suited to the UK’s variable climate.

Roof Mounted system

Through Roof Fitting Kit

You will be surprised at the amount of hot water generated by our systems.

A LaZer2 system will provide the average family with between 50% and 75% of all domestic hot water, as testified by our many happy customers! When the hot water is FREE, the baths can be deeper and the showers longer. These systems can provide a 10% p.a. return on investment by radically reducing your water heating bills and providing FREE hot water throughout the year. As the cost of fuel rises (as it surely will) the savings will also increase. The installation also increases the value of your property, which will more than pay for the system. When you buy a LaZer2 system, you are buying over 25 years worth on energy in one go.

Many satisfied customers call to say that even on cloudy days their system provides hot water. The LaZer2 system has been designed for easy installation and typically takes only one to two days to install. Installation can be either DIY or by our team of qualified installers. All parts normally required are included, along with detailed instructions. Unlike other systems, only one connection to your existing hot water plumbing is required. This enables the system to be installed without interference to the current hot water system. We also supply systems for mains pressure hot water and combi boilers.

This modular low profile system is quick and easy to install (either left or right handed) with all pipe work hidden from view.

The curved collectors present a constant 1m2 of absorber to the sun, thus maximizing both summer and winter energy collection. By eliminating any glass to metal seals, system life and efficiency have been increased. Each panel is factory prepared and tested, and since each panel clips into a unique roof mounting system, installation of 2 to 6 panel modules are very quick and easy. With its advanced direct water-heating manifold, no energy is lost (unlike heat pipes) and allows a 2m2 system to provide the majority of the hot water for a domestic house. Larger systems can be installed cost effectively for larger houses or for pool heating.

By using a curved collector, placed horizontally across the roof, the panel automatically compensates for both differing roof pitches and for changes in the sun's angle throughout the seasons. This allows the panel to present a larger area (aperture) of collector to the sun, thus increasing the energy collected per panel.

LaZer2 operation

As the sun heats the thermal collector, a digital sensor on the panel compares the temperature of the water in the panel with that in the solar hot water cylinder. When the panel is 3°C warmer than the tank, the controller switches on the solar pump. This circulates water (with added non toxic antifreeze for winter protection) through a sealed system.

This water is heated as it passes through the panel and in turn heats the water in the solar tank. The coil in this tank has twice the area of normal coils, to allow efficient heat transfer to the water. When hot water is used, water from the solar tank refills the existing tank, until it is full of solar heated hot water. This allows the panel to reheat the solar tank again, providing you with two tanks of hot water, all heated for free. On sunny days your tank can easily reach 70°C to 80°C, which means that the boiler is not used. On overcast days, the water may only be 35°C (not quite bath temperature), but the boiler will only need to run for a short time to raise the water to bathing temperature. If the existing tank is old, or there is insufficient space for two tanks, a single 206l tank can be supplied. Systems for mains pressure or combi boilers are available, as are larger Solar Tracking systems for heating swimming pools.

This system has been designed and manufactured by the UK's leading solar thermal research and development company. Using a custom built testing facility, the system has been optimised using computer monitoring and CAD systems. This enables the maximum amount of hot water to be produced from each unit, while minimising installation and capital costs. The LaZer2 system has been well received in both the UK and Europe, helping to combat Global Warming by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

Complete system packages are available which removes the complication of sourcing components from different suppliers, and provides an additional saving on buying each component separately.

The LZ2-S2 is a standard domestic system which provides 2m2 net (6.2 m2 gross) of collector and includes everything required for a complete Solar system. There are many cylinder combination available to suit all requirements.

Photovoltaic panels

Larger 3m2 (LZ2-S3) and 4m2 (LZ2-S4) systems are also available for larger houses or commercial applications, along with a complete range on complementary solar cylinders from 117 litres to 500 litres.

Because the panels can easily produce very hot water (above 80 oC), two optimisation kits are available. These allow regulation of the water temperature (to prevent scalding) and the ability to use the solar water directly from a pre-feed cylinder when the temperature is above 50 oC to 60 oC (user selectable).