Shelford Heating only Install Solar System that meet with the following Standards
BSEN12965
We believe that Viessmann and Grant UK offer the best systems in the Market place, for a comprehensive Survey and Specification along with a written Quotation, please give us a Call or information on servicing of Solar systems please go to Service contract page and read about Solarise.
Grant Solar Thermal Installation
Solar installations by Shelford Heating are individually assessed and designed accordingly; no two installations are the same. We pride ourselves on our openness and knowledge of Solar System design and pricing, many companies follow unscrupulous ways of receiving your order for not only higher prices but also inferior product design and warranty and after sales support.
Costs and Payback Periods
A good quality solar system will recoup about 60-70% of your Fuel Bill relating to the hot water heating, so do not be misled by claims of 3-5 year payback periods as this will not happen.
We firmly believe an evacuated tube solar system installed to a southerly aspect standard 3 or 4 bedroom house with up to 4 persons using scaffold systems will cost in the region of £4500 to £5500 fully inclusive, we would advocate a payback period of between 15-20 years at today’s fuel cost’s
Solar Collectors
A southerly-facing pitched roof is the ideal locations for solar collectors to be mounted on. Collectors can be installed on an east or west-facing but the total collector area will need to be increased to compensate for the lower energy levels, or alternatively evacuated tubes can be installed which overcome the direction as they can be altered. Shading, aesthetics, roof condition and accessibility will all be considered when selecting a position for the solar collectors.
Once the domestic hot water demand has been estimated which is based upon occupancy and the collector location identified; the number of collectors required can be specified. Best practice is based upon 50-75ltrs per person per day for hot water.
The sizing of collectors is important: If the area of collectors installed is too small they will not be able to heat the hot water cylinder to a usable temperature. If the area of collectors installed is too large, not all of the energy available will be used and therefore part of your investment will be wasted, and you run the Risk of a System which will constantly Overheat, Stagnate (turn to a gas such as steam) and cause damage to components and or the System Operation
Pipe Work
most pipe work installations are straight-forward; the pipes pass through the roof void and down through the ceiling directly into a cylinder cupboard, the use of plastic pipes and push fit and or soldered fittings are not to be used, we prefer to use an all in one specialist insulated single/twin pipe system that is flexible and has minimal joints, and is manufactured from Stainless Steel
Cylinders
A hot water cylinder is always required to store the solar energy that the panels are producing. The specification of the proposed hot water system will be influenced by site conditions, available space, and specific customer requirements; we never advocate using the original cylinders as they are generally not compatible. We would usually install a cylinder that can be heated by the solar collectors and a boiler/immersion heater. If retro-fitting the solar system then this would typically mean replacing the existing hot water cylinder and installing a new more efficient model. Installing a dedicated solar cylinder to pre-feed the main hot water cylinder is another option that can be considered, but this type of system requires a more complex controller with circulating shunt pumps between cylinders
A thermostatic blender can be fitted to the output of the solar cylinder to automatically regulate the temperature of water reaching the taps. This helps conserve hot water and avoids the risk of scolding, however the systems we design would be temperature controlled to 60 degrees Celsius, by installing this will also allow you to store the water at a higher temperature thus improving the system efficiency
Controls
The solar control system (differential controller and circulation module) will usually be installed close to the solar cylinder.
The control settings will be optimized at the time of installation, after which no user interaction should be required. The system operates automatically, but the readings on the display and gauges should be monitored regularly to ensure that the system is functioning correctly.
The control system is totally separate to the controls for the other heat sources. Standard timer and thermostatic controls should be used on the boiler and immersion heater etc. In order to maximise the amount of energy the solar collectors can deliver, we always recommend that boilers and immersion heaters are left off as much as possible during daylight hours. The boiler or immersion heater should be set to only heat the water during those periods when there is demand.
Operation
The system functions automatically without user input, the control system monitors the collector and cylinder temperatures and starts the pump when there is useful solar energy to be gained.
When there is no more useful solar energy available the controller stops the circulating pump so that the water in the cylinder cannot be cooled.
The safety features incorporated into every system will ensure that the system temperatures can never get too high and that all components are protected against freezing.
Your boiler or immersion heaters will be controlled in exactly the same way they would be if no solar hot water system was installed. We recommend that these secondary heat sources are switched off during the day so that the solar collectors can add as much energy as possible before any fossil fuels are used.
How to Get a System Installed
We always like to talk to you over the phone to discuss your hot water requirements, property and hot water system etc. We can then recommend a suitable solution, provide a budgetary cost and answer any of your initial questions.
When you are happy that the solution we are offering meets your requirements we can arrange for our Installation Supervisor to carry out a survey of your property. We will then post you a fixed quote for you to consider.
Once you have placed an order for a solar heating system we will book a convenient date for our engineers to install it. This will typically be within 3 to 6-weeks from order confirmation.
Installation
It usually takes just a couple of days for our team of engineers to install and commission a solar hot water system. If it is a large system or the installation is complex it may take a bit longer. Fitting a system causes minimal disruption. Your hot water system will normally be switched off for about 5-hours. Our engineers will always spend time with you to explain the functionality and operation of the components installed.
Post-Installation
We stand by our solutions and are therefore always happy to deal with any questions or queries you may have.
Every system we install is covered by a 2-year parts and labour warranty. The solar collectors are covered by warranties of between 5 and 25-year warranty dependant on Manufacturer
For your peace of mind we can carry out low-cost annual inspection of your system if required for a fixed annual fee, which will cover all the components such as the Controller, circulating pump, pressure vessels, and system fluids
Training has been undertaken with Viessmann and Grant products
We currently Specify and Install Systems manufactured by Viessmann and Grant as we believe these units currently give Best Value, based not only the quality of product, but also the efficiency, Technical support, system designs but above all the after sales care provided