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 | | CITY OF YORK TRIALS VAILLANT SOLAR DOMESTIC HOT WATER | | | Vaillant | | 23/07/2008 | | | Steve Lawson, Senior Projects Surveyor for The City of York Council commented: “All local authorities and housing associations are now looking into having renewable energy sources as part of their housing stock. This solar trial is the first renewable energy project we are running. We will be looking at other schemes in the future to determine which options are the best values. The installation of the solar panels at our property went very smoothly. We will now be monitoring the use of fuel this year against the gas bills for the previous two years in order to evaluate the pay-back and benefits this type of installation could have for our customers. ”
The auroTHERM VFK 900 flat plate collector has ultrasonically welded copper absorbers and 60mm insulation on the rear and sides for enhanced efficiency. It has a solar glass transmission of 91%; extra tough (4mm) glass for increased robustness; and an overall size of 1160 x 1930 x 110 mm (absorber surface area of 2.02m2). The flat-plate collectors are remarkably low in weight for their type, at just 43kg and carry a 10-year warranty.
“It has also been useful for our contractor, British Gas, to receive training and gain experience installing solar panels. We selected Vaillant for this particular project because we have experience of them as a supplier already and are confident about the quality of their products and service,” added Lawson.
Dave Sullivan of British Gas Housing Services added: “Our installers attended a training course at Vaillant’s Training Centre in Elland, Leeds prior to the installations. It meant that we were really familiar with how Vaillant’s domestic solar hot water system works before we started.”
Sullivan continued: “Like other Vaillant courses we have attended, it was a very honest and impressive training package, which gave us all confidence in the product before we began. It will be interesting to see how much the property saves on fuel over the next 12 months.”
The relationship Vaillant has established with both City of York and British Gas has been as a result of providing excellent quality products, high standards of service and responsive communication channels.
Vaillant’s solar DHW system can provide around 50-60% of annual domestic hot water requirements. It generates lower levels of energy even with indirect solar radiation, as well as higher levels of energy from direct sunlight, meaning that it will work as efficiently in the UK as it does in other countries with similar climates. Typically, the solar control system has a built-in intelligence allowing it to automatically switch from solar to conventional power when needed. Vaillant’s solar domestic hot water system ensures hot water comfort, helps reduce fuel bills, adds value to a property and is a positive benefit to the environment because it reduces CO2 emissions. | |
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