Has anyone got any experience of thermodynamic solar panels?

DerekA

Hi Colin

Would you be prepared to share your experience with me as I am planning a villa out in Lanzarote and need a system for my hot water and my swimming pool separately - this type of system seems perfect.

Best regards

DerekA

speddoch

Thermodynamic panels for DHW and heating seem to be the new toy on the block.  A friend heats his hot water this way, although a new system seems to be working well.

Central heating is my main interest and according to the various seller sites
my house would require a 12 panel system.
Is anybody out there using such a system for central heating and if so how's it going?

One further question 12 panels seems a lot and I am worried about our
electrics.(rural area) Do these systems work on a 20amp cable or what. I don't want at this stage to contact the distributors and under go a sales pitch just yet.
Thanks

Scotsplum

I have one of these systems it was installed in December last year, I am delighted with its function the running costs are negligible (you pay for the running of a compressor daily usually 30 mins and an electric immersion unit once a week the water is stored at 55 c and once a week must be boosted to above 60 c) I have found the panel works when it is raining at night and even when covered with snow, strangely it is marketed as a solar system but dislikes Full sunlight, it works best when the atmosphere is cold and damp. (Ideal for Scotland).

I have looked into why it works when it does and what makes it work the way it does and the more I find out about it the more I am impressed, what I cannot figure out is why it was designed in Portugal but works best in climates like Scandinavia, Sweden, Norway and Scotland. England strangely has too mild a climate for it to work so efficiently.

I can run of 30 gallons (full tank) of water at 55 c and have the unit running with an outside temperature of 4 c and 24 hrs later the tank is full again with water at 55 c costing me maybe 5p.

Given its nature this unit I think would even work on a North facing wall, the unit in the house couples to your Hot water system the Cylinder is a special Unvented unit, you are required to have it fitted by an engineer with his Unvented Ticket. There are small pipes leading out of the wall into the unit which is approx 1m by 2m it can be mounted on the wall or on the roof (personally I think Wall mounting is better), I think the largest drawbacks are you have a large black panel fitted on your wall (resale price of your property could drop substantially)  and finding an engineer to repair the unit if the installation firm has folded (not that I have had any problems it is early days)

I must stress I am not a salesman for these units In fact when I first found out about it I was very doubtful about it, as it sounded too good to be true, but time has shown it is true, My gas bill has dropped substantially especially as I use a woodburner for my heating and have PV installed on the roof so my Electricity bill has dropped too (im not yet at the stage of the utility barons paying me but maybe sometime)

speddoch

Scotsplum-Thanks for your input you made some interesting points.

Scotsplum

Replying to the earlier question I believe the reason the quote for central heating is stating 12 panels is because the unit quoted has not been designed using a thermal store (very inefficient) and it is sending the heated water directly around the UFH or Radiators. Given the fact that most radiators work at their most efficient rating with a water supply temperature of 60-70 c The panels would be having to work at maximum output. If a thermal store is fitted then they would not be required to work so hard although a number would still be required as they could be banked You do not state whether you are requiring Under Floor Heating or Radiators.

speddoch

Only rads. I have has a visit from EST and it now looks that due to the nature of the building (stone) this type of heating would be at best marginal. Disappointing but to expensive to take a chance. Thanks for the help Scotsplum.

Jason Greve

I've had thermodynamic panels fitted with no complaints at all. They have a COP rating of 3-6 which is good and what with the price of gas and electric going up continually I think its a no brainer.

Regarding the snow question.

The refrigerant within the panels enters the system at -22oc so even with a covering of snow relative heat can be harvested.

The company I used have produced a video that will fully explain to those of you who have any doubts or questions. Thermodynamic panels and heating systems

SteveCritten

Jason, I know these panels are great in the right place. But the video really annoyed me. Why try and "compete" with and bring down solar panels? Each are relevant in the right situation. My gas bill is 1/4 my electric bill so I opted for solar panels (plus the feed in tariff was so generous). But also the video wrongly states that thermodynamic panels do not need the sun but solar panels do?
Apart from that I would love to do a self build that was totally unreliant on any outside services, ie solar panels, wind turbine, thermo panels, ground source, bore hole and filtration system for sewage....maybe one day .

SteveCritten

Thanks for that, and if you need a guinea pig to test it out look no further .

Jason Greve

Sorry Steve but the video is totally correct, thermodynamic panels don't need the sun and solar panels do???

I suggest, like I have, fully researching and then commenting.

Thermo panels are bound to compete with, and easily surpass, the basic solar panels for many reasons. Can you heat a swimming pool with solar panels? How about producing 55oc water at outside temperatures of -15oc in complete darkness? Hmmmm....no they can't.

Solar panels need maintenance, they also need the ambient temperature to be high enough to heat the water. Thermo panels don't and they are a type of 'fit and forget' technology. I'm afraid you are only annoyed about the video at Thermodynamic panels and heating systems because you are feeling guarded over your choice if panels.

Solar panels also use far more carbon to produce and many more precious metals etc. So, as a true renewable source thermodynamic panels wins hands down.