Alpha solar smart ????

[gasman75]

Has anybody fitted an Alpha solar smart system before?
I'm thinking of upgrading my old combi to a condensing & adding their solar hot water system along side it.
Any thoughts!!!!!!!!?

 

[Nige F]

Not fitted one , but went and had a look @ the kit, etc....well it was free@ the time seriously tho`, it seemed a worthwhile piece of kit/good idea.........and the 1 job I could`ve installed it on ..........spent the money on a kitchen

 

[gas4you]

I can't really see the advantages of a solar smart system, other than the cost savings, because the main reason a combi isfitted is that either there is no space for a hw cyl or people want to make extra storage space by having the cyl removed, so by adding the cyl in the solar smart set up you are back to square one Especially as this is the old fashioned & noisy drain back system I believe

If you are upgrading I would go for a system boiler and unvented solar cylinder

 

[gasman75]

The h/w cly is only 91litres, so about 1m tall, & could fit nicely in the corner of my loft. I've not heard about the drain back unit being noisy & don'n they all have these units anyway????
The one thing that is on my mind is that the solar panels have to be 'flush' fitted with the tiles on the roof, don't like the sound of that!!!!
The thought of changing the c/h/b to a system boiler doesn't appel due to the boiler at present being in the kitchen & the only space for the h/w cyl is in the loft(a long run of flow & return pipes and the gas).
I have to admit, the main appel to me was the comparatively small amount of work & the Eco principle of 'free' h/w.

 

[gas4you]

No, not many seem to use drain back. Most are pressurised systems that either have a glycol mix fluid, or special fluid as in the case of Vaillant. I suppose the noise factor would depend where the drain back resevoir is sited

I have not come across any panels that HAVE to be flush fitted, although I have not looked at alphas. Is there not a kit to give the option of mounting on the tiles

Don't believe the savings figures too much I think you will be lucky if you save around £120-£150 /year

 

[Balenza]

The flush fitted flat panel looks a lot better instead of a great big lump jutting out on your roof IMHO.
The combi also has to be solar compatible.
It states this on their website -

When there is demand for hot water, it is drawn from the cylinder and passes in to the Solar Valve which acts as a diverter valve. If the water is already at 60°C or more, it flows directly to the tap and the boiler doesn't need to fire. This is where a big proportion of the gas savings come from.
If however the water from the cylinder is less than 60°C, it is diverted to the boiler. Because the water will normally be pre-heated (by the solar part of the system), the boiler will modulate down and only have to operate at part load to raise the water to the required 60°C. So even when the system is using gas, it uses less.

So if the cylinder is 59C the combi gets the flow ??.
This has been covered before on the forum but I cant find it.

 

[gasman75]

Interesting!!!
What do you recon to my chances of putting together a 'hybrid' solar system?? How about the pressurised panel of say valliant & the 'solar valve'(which diverts the water to either the combi or straight to the taps) of alpha's solar smart.

 

[Balenza]

Someone was on this forum recently trying (unsuccesfully) to purchase Alpha,s solar smart divertor valve on its own .
Oventrop do one I believe. And its suitable for potable water.
You should try a search on their website. Plenty of pdf downloads available also.
I think theirs every chance of you putting together a hybrid system if you can purchase the necessary components.
Can your combi accept high temperature water delivered to it ?
Will it modulate back far enough or will it just deliver out scalding water.?
Have a look at how this company integrate the combi -
http://www.imaginationsolar.com/PDF...rketing Section/datasheet_combi_boiler_v2.pdf

AAh, your upgrading , so you could fit a solar compatible combi.

 

[gas4you]

There are independant manufacturers that make a solar valve for combis. Cant remember who at present as I keep receiving so many brochures from different manufacturers that I forget who does what!

If I get time I will look through them and post back

 

[gasman75]

Thanks Balenza & gas4you, I'll look in to those ideas and think some more about it. Ooooh, i think i've got an oventrop mixer in the garage, but no connection pieces!!(flange type)I wounder what the difference is between this mixer & th solar valve?

 

[Balenza]

Alphas valve is a divertor as the name implys and diverts flow from one port to another, so has one inlet and two outlets.
Your mixer valve is most likely a thermo mixer and will have two inlets and one outlet. You could of course use it as Imagination has done in the link above and provide a blended temperature to your combi.
Your best bet on a project like this is to contact the likes of Oventrop or a supplier (BSS to name but one) and explain what you intend to do.
Their is quite a range and it would be very easy to order one particular type for the wrong application.

 

[Paul Barker]

Solarsmart is usually all contained in the loft, is well insulated against noise and heat loss.

The valve is not available seperately.

It's an elegant system solution already researched and developed and has won an award, is competetively priced. Why try to reinvent the wheel.

That imagination website just looks like an installer vying for work. Doesn't look like a company with large research and development resources. A compromise at best a hotch potch at worst.

 

[Agile]

Isn't "imagination" the name that has cropped up on some kind of rogue traders for solar?

I thought the drain back was most people's preferred system, cheaper, simpler, more reliable, totally protected against freezing and boiling? In adition you dont have to deal with an expensive glycol solution.

Question, why do solar systems have to use a "special" glycol rather than the ethylene glycol which cars manage with so well?

The panel manufacturers dont seem to realise that a "flush" mounting system would be so much more acceptable. In stead they love a massive beam system that makes the panels sit at least 100 mm away from the tiles.

Solar systems are a real con for most people as 10% of the cost of solar spent on insulation and energy recovery ventilation would give an equal saving.

See:-

http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2007/05/green_energy_sc.html

Tony

 

[Biggles..]

All panels sit less than 100mm off the roof, its the building reg and eliviates the need to ontain planning permission. Evacuated tubes give a better energy gain than flat panels but not by much.

IMHO inbuilt panels are ideal if the property is new build and are installed during construction, for re-mods evacuated tubes look less sightly than overmounted flat panels.

 

[Balenza]

Paul Barker wrote

That imagination website just looks like an installer vying for work. Doesn't look like a company with large research and development resources. A compromise at best a hotch potch at worst.

It isn't a website. Its a pdf.
This is their website .
http://www.imaginationsolar.com/aboutus.htm


Agile wrote

Isn't "imagination" the name that has cropped up on some kind of rogue traders for solar?

I dont know but you could try asking them.
http://www.imaginationsolar.com/aboutus.htm