The VELUX Solar Hot Water Systems comes as one complete package, making it exceptionally easy to order. Provided the orientation is suitable for solar collectors (a South-facing roof is ideal, but it will work on any orientation from East through to West) all you need to do is follow these six simple steps.
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Step 1. Estimate the maximum number of people that could need hot water in your house
This is to ascertain the area of solar collector and the size of hot water cylinder you need. It is best to base this on the number of bedrooms you have rather than the number of people currently living there. So, a three bedroom house for example could potentially have 4 to 5 people living in it. |
Step 2. Determine the size and combination of solar collectors you need on the roof
To work out the area you require, allow for 1m2 collector area per person if the roof is South facing and up to 1.5m2 if your roof faces East or West. There are four different sizes of collectors, the details of which are included in the table below. The number of collectors you require should be based on the aperture area.
Step 3. Consider the size of the Solar Hot Water cylinder that you require
For households that have 2 or 3 people we suggest our smallest cylinder which holds 180 litres. For homes that can house between 3 and 5 people we recommend stepping up to the 280 litre cylinder, for homes that may need hot water for 4 to 7 people we recommend our largest cylinder which contains a volume of 375 litres. The capacity of your tank is based on allowing 50 litres of water per person per day.
Step 4. Assess if a vented or unvented VELUX Solar Hot Water System will be required
Modern builds tend to require an unvented system which typically uses a system boiler where the water system is fed and pressurised with water direct from the mains. Vented systems on the other hand rely on the water being fed into the cylinder and kept under pressure by a gravity fed water tank usually sited in the loft. This is typical of properties that are more than ten years old. VELUX can provide both vented and unvented systems, but the plumbing arrangements are different so it's important that you specify which system you require.
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Step 5. Confirm if the solar collectors are being installed into a slate or tile roof
We have flashings that are perfectly suited for both roof types to ensure a safe and tight integration with the roof. You can also combine the collectors with VELUX Roof Windows using the same flashings system. |
Step 6. Consider accessories for your VELUX Solar Hot Water System
There are a number of optional extras that allow you to tailor our system to meet any unique requirements you may have. These range from a motorised filling pump to fill the solar circuit, an immersion heater and additional lengths of flow and return pipes.