Solar water heating

1. Solar water heating starts with panels or tubes on your roof, called solar collectors. Inside these panels, a liquid (a mixture of water and antifreeze) flows through small pipes.
2. As the sun shines on the panels, this liquid gets hot.
3. The hot liquid is pumped from the panels on your roof through pipes in your hot water cylinder. Inside the tank, these pipes coil around like a spring.
4. As the hot liquid flows through these pipes, it warms up the water in your cylinder
5. The water is pumped back up to the panels to be heated by the sun again, and the cycle continues. 

There are two types of solar water heating collectors: 

To tell if solar water heating is right for you, there are a few key questions to ask yourself: 

The cost of installing a typical solar water heating system is around £6,000. Costs will depend on: 

• whether you choose evacuated tubes or flat plate collectors 
• the size of the system you want to install

Solar water heating systems normally provide roughly half of your hot water needs, on average. The savings you get will vary throughout the year, with systems providing nearly all your hot water in the summer, but less during the winter months. 

We recommend getting quotes from at least three different installers to make sure you’re getting the best value for money. 

Make sure the installers you choose are certified with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). You can find a list of installers near you on the MCS website. Under the question ‘what would you like installed?’ select ‘solar thermal’. 

Solar water heating installed by an MCS-certified contractor comes with both workmanship and product warranties. What you’re covered for will vary by installer and manufacturer but typically includes several years of workmanship and longer warranties for the solar collectors themselves.

Always confirm the specific warranty terms with your installer before you go ahead with an installation. 

Here are some quick tips to keep your solar thermal system running smoothly: 

• Your installer should leave written details of any maintenance checks to carry out.
• Have your system checked thoroughly every five years to flush the system and replace the fluid mix. 
• Consider a shorter annual service check for peace of mind. These should cost less than a full service. 
• Leave your system running while on holiday but make use of any ‘holiday’ functions. 
• Check your system control panel regularly for any warnings and contact your installer if any issues occur. 

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