We all know that water heating takes a lot of energy and it is most of the time the biggest energy consumption factor in your home. This is most of the time why your electricity bill are so high and the reason why you need to stay at home every month when you could have used that money on much bigger things.

Here at CHS ECO TECHNOLOGIES we have a wide range of solutions for you at hand which will reduce your electricity bill with quite a big bite. There are many ways of heating water of course, but we ensure that we supply you with the best method of heating your water and reducing your electricity bill.

We have the following popular water heating solutions for you at hand:

·                Solar Water Heating which means that water is heated inside a vacuum tube or panel by the energy of the sun.

·               PV Solar Panels which converts the energy of the sun into electricity. This is normally a very effective water heating method.

·                Heat pumps which are electrical units that heats water via the thermo heat transfer and these units are also know to reduce your electricity bill with quite a lot.

·                Multi open and combined close circuit solar water heating systems. ( Digital water heating systems that can combine multiple heating sources and drains like:

Solar Modules and Heat pumps are combined in one system to provide heating. In the process the normal household water supply is heated while for exp. The pool and underfloor heating with towel rails are heated trough closed circuits from the same storage cylinder. The energy consumption factor is, via this process reduced allot.

The new PV solar heating consist of a few  300watt solar panels and no modifications needs to be done to your existing geyser or hot water cylinder. A very fast and easy installation with an electrical automated switch which allows your geyser to heat water through an element with the supply of electricity from the solar panels during the day. This system is much more effective as the solar water heating systems, but more pricy.  Even during cold winter days, this system is highly effective as long as it has a little sunlight. 

If you are interested in any of these systems, do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to supply a solution for you and if we don’t have one for you, we will find one for you

In the average home almost half of electricity consumption is attributed to heating water with your geyser. By installing a Solar Geyser and utilising the free energy from the sun, you can expect a reduction of 33% in your electricity bill.

A solar Geyser comprises a hot water storage tank and solar heat collector panels. Through a thermo-siphon effect (in which hot water rises), hot water circulates between the collectors and the Geyser while there is sun and is stored at the end of the day in an insulated Geyser. All our systems are equipped with an electrical heating element as a back up, controlled by a thermostat for those odd days when the sun’s energy is insufficient for water heating. The geyser and collectors may be split to allow for a discreet installation.

Benefits

• Cost saving – lower electricity bills.
• An investment – installing a geyser adds to the value of your property.
• Environmentally friendly – solar energy is clean energy. No pollution and no exploitation of limited natural resources.
• Consistency of supply – with a solar geyser you will have hot water even during blackouts and erratic power supply.
• Aesthetically pleasing – discreet installation with only the panel on your roof. The geyser can be placed either in the roof, or on top of it.

The system is designed to work uninterrupted for years. It carries a 10-year warranty on the collectors and geyser, but is expected to last for more than 20 years, and features the newest technology available, developed in conjunction with Daimler-Benz Aerospace.

The savings you will achieve on your electricity bills by harnessing free solar energy from the sun means that you will recover the cost of your initial investment in a few short years.

To achieve the best results, the following requirements apply:

• A solid roof (pitched or flat), that is exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day.
• The solar collectors should be placed facing north.

Vacuum Solar Panels

1. The radiation from the sun is absorbed by the collector of the Vacuum Tube
2. The collector heats the liquid inside the heat pipe
3. The hot liquid in the pipe rises to the top where the heat is transferred to the water flowing through the manifold

Because the heat pipe is housed inside a vacuum, no heat can escape from the vacuum tube. It is the same principle as a vacuum coffee flask, where hot water is inside, but the outside stays cold to the touch. Even after hours the hot liquid inside remains warm

There are two kinds of vacuum tube Solar Panels namely Heat pipe and U-Tube Solar Panels. The details of the Vacuum Tube collector is shown in the table below:

Comparing Solar Panels

Every day vast amounts of energy are send to the Earth from the Sun in the form of electro-magnetic radiation. The best known of this radiation is visible light. We call this energy Insolation. Insolation is a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time. It is commonly expressed as average irradiance in watts per square meter (W/m�). The average energy available in South Africa is 80 kWh/m� per day.

Solar Panels are designed and built with the following 4 principles in mind:

1. Heat Absorption: Any object left in the sun will heat up, but dark surfaces absorb more heat – thus all Solar Panels are dark in colour. Special coatings increase absorption.
2. Heat Transfer: Heat is lost during transfer from one component to the next. The tighter the connection , the lower the heat loss
3. Heat Radiation: The heat radiation from the Solar Panels must be minimized. This is accomplished by special coatings on the glass and Solar Panels
4. Insulation: Heat loss must be minimized by insulating the Solar Panels

The two most common types of Solar Panels are Flat Plate Panels and Vacuum Tube Panels.

Vacuum Tube Panels represents the latest solar technology. The two basic designs of Vacuum Tubes are Heat Pipe and U Tube. Heat loss is prevented by enclosing the Solar Panels in a vacuum. The better the connection between the heat absorber area and the fluid channel, the higher the efficiency of the collector. 

 

Frequently asked Questions

1. Will the Solar Panels Spoil the Aesthetics of my house?

The solar heating system was designed in conjunction with a team of architects to ensure the aesthetic value of the house is not compromised. The geyser may be installed inside the roof to reduce the effect of the system on the aesthetics of the house.

2. What is the size of the System that I require?

The solar heating storage tank comes in a range of sizes from 100L to 400L. A rule of thumb suggests that you would require 50L of hot water per day for every person living in the house. For 4 people living in a house you will require a 200 L system.

Note: More than one system can be combined to cater for bigger applications.

3. How does a solar heating system work?

The solar heating system comprises of a hot water storage tank and solar heat collector panels. Through a thermo-siphon effect (in which hot water rises) hot water circulates between the collectors and the tank while the sun is out and is stored at the end of the day in an insulated storage tank.

All systems are equipped with an electrical heating element as a back up, controlled by a thermostat for those odd days when the sun's energy is insufficient for water heating.

4. Will I have hot water at night?

Our solar heating systems are designed to supply hot water 24 hours a day. The hot water collected during the day is retained in the storage tank. The insulated storage tank is perfectly capable of retaining hot water overnight.

All systems are equipped with an electrical heating element as a back up, controlled by a thermostat for those odd days when the sun's energy is insufficient for water heating.

5. What happens in winter?

You will continue to have hot water in winter because the solar energy that is absorbed by the collectors comes from the sun's radiation and not from direct heat. However, should rainy weather occur, standard electrical back up will be activated to ensure a constant supply of hot water.

6. Will a hailstorm damage the panels?

Our collector panels are hail resistant.

7. What happens in freezing weather?

The solar heating system circulates an anti-freeze fluid contained in a closed-circuit system between the solar collectors and a heat exchanger in the storage tank. The heat exchanger then transfers the heat to the water in the storage tank.

8. Will I still be able to use my existing Geyser?

Typically, the solar heating comes complete with a storage tank and panels. However, if your storage tank is fairly new and still in a very good condition you could choose the conversion option where solar panels are combined with your existing storage tank. Our team would gladly advise you.

9. Can Solar heating heat up the water sufficiently?

The solar Heating systems are designed to heat water to 65�C, as is the case with any standard electrical storage tank. This is possible because the solar energy that is absorbed by the collectors comes from the sun's radiation and not from direct heat.

10. What savings will I get on my electricity bill?

In the average home almost half of the electricity consumption is attributed to heating water. A solar heating system is capable of saving you 80% of the water heating costs, reducing your electricity bill by nearly half.

11. What are the basic requirements needed to install a solar system?

To achieve the best results from a solar heating system, the following requirements apply:

·         A solid roof (pitched or flat), this is exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day

·         The solar collectors should be placed facing North.

12. Are there any maintenance requirements?

The maintenance of a solar heating system is minimal. With no moving parts, the system is designed to work uninterrupted for years.

13. What is the system guarantee period?

The solar heating system carries a 5-year warranty on the collectors and Storage tank, but is expected to last for more than 20 years.

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Please give us a call or pop us an enquiry if you are interested in our services and we will contact you or arrange a time and date to meet you which will suite you best.

( Please take note that our Solar and Heat pump water heating systems falls under home improvements and home loans or finance can be applied for at major banks as we are registered with the NHBRC.)

Flat Plate

Heat Pipe Vacuum Tube

U-Tube Vacuum Tube

Absorption

Absorber Plate with selective coating collects Solar Radiation

Absorber Plate with selective coating collects Solar Radiation

Coating on Inner Glass collects the Solar Radiation

Heat Transfer method

Heat Collected by the Absorber Plate is transferred to the liquid flowing through the fluid channels. Absorber plate to Fluid Channel is one component resulting in high percentage heat transfer to the fluid in the channels.

As the Absorber Plate heats up, the small amount of liquid contained in the copper tube evaporates. The vapour rises quickly to the element, taking with it the heat collected. At the element, the heat is transferred to the water, the vapour condensates and the process is repeated.

As the Absorber on the Internal glass layer heats up, the heat is transferred to the Heat Exchange Fins. The fins then heat up the Fluid Channel. The liquid in the fluid channel evaporates and heat the element. At the element, the heat is transferred to the water via the manifold.

Heat Transfer Points

1 X heat transfer point:
 

1. Absorber plate to the water

NOTE: Flat Plate Panels with a loose Absorber plate to fluid channel connection has poor heat transfer!

2 X heat transfer points:

1. Absorber plate to the element
2. Element to the water in the manifold

4 X heat transfer points:

1. Coated Glass to Heat Exchange Fin
2. Heat Exchange Fin to Fluid channel
3. Fluid Channel to Element
4. Element to the water in the manifold

Insulation: against heat loss

Glass cover & Insulated back reduce heat loss

Vacuum prevents the heat collected by the Absorber Plate to escape

Vacuum between two glass layers - reduce heat loss. The internal components are not under vacuum. Majority of heat is retained

Heat Radiation: Prevention

1. Selective coating on Absorber Plate
2. Textured Tempered Glass

1. Selective coating on Absorber Plate
2. Single layer Borosilicate Glass Tube
3. Vacuum

1. Double layer Borosilicate Glass Tube
2. Vacuum

Persons in House

2 to 3

3 to 4

4 to 6

6 to 8

Capacity

100L

150L

200L

300L