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How it works.
Giacosun solar panels form part of a system which remains separate from the boiler heating system. The panels are mounted on a surface which is selected for its exposure to sunlight and usually connected, via pipe work, to the lower coil of a twin-coil solar cylinder. The energy in the sun's rays is absorbed by the panel and the heat is transferred into the pipe work in the absorber plates. The pipe work is filled with a ready-mixed liquid, containing glycol and water, which is circulated by a pump to the coil in the hot water cylinder. The heat is deposited in the storage cylinder and the glycol returns to the panel to absorb more free solar energy. The system is equipped with a simple unit to control the flow of energy from the panels to the storage cylinder.
Materials
Each Giacosun solar collector has a net surface area of 2.3 m2. The panels are covered with solar glass which helps the selective coating on the copper collector absorb 95% of the available energy. The panel contains 50mm of mineral wool which contributes to the low 12% emission rating
Efficiency
A common question about solar in Ireland focuses on whether there is enough sunshine available to make solar worthwhile. The usual idea of Irish weather is of cloudy skies and intermittent sunshine. Giacosun solar panels have been developed with this typical weather in mind and make the most of both direct and diffused sunlight to give a useful annual contribution wherever you are in the Ireland.
Evacuated Tube Collectors
How it works
Joule Solar Collectors have multiple evacuated glass tubes which act individually to heat up solar absorbers and, ultimately, solar working fluid (water and anti-freeze mix) in the manifold in order to heat domestic hot water. The vacuum space between the two glass layers creates a perfect thermal insulation and so helps to minimise the heat loss of the collector. Inside the inner glass tube is a copper pipe and a small amount of a heat conducting fluid. When heated, this fluid changes from a liquid to a gas, and rises to the top of the tube. In doing so, it transfers the heat to the solar fluid in the manifold, condenses back into a liquid, and flows down the inside of the tube. This process repeats itself continuously within each evacuated tube. The heated solar fluid is pumped in a closed loop to a coil in the cylinder, and is the circulated back to the manifold at the solar collector panel to be reheated. Fluid circulation is by means of a mechanical pumping station.
Materials
Each evacuated tube consists of two glass tubes made from strong borosilicate glass. The outer tube is transparent, allowing light rays to pass through with minimal reflection. The inner tube is coated with a special selective coating (Al-N/Al) which features excellent solar radiation absorption and minimal reflection properties.
Efficiency
Given that the average household uses around 15kWh/day just to provide hot water, using Joule Solar Thermal can greatly reduce total household electricity usage. Due to the round shape, evacuated tubes passively track the sun through the day. By tracking the sun from early morning to late afternoon, the solar collectors provide more heat for longer each day, which means more hot water. The special selective coating (Al-N/Al) on the inner tubes provides a high conversion efficiency, which in turn means an excellent year round performance. Joule evacuated Tube Solar Systems can provides on average up to 70% of your hot water needs therefore considerably reducing your monthly energy bills.
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