Forman Building systems was approached by a client to provide a Kingspan Solar hot-water solution for an existing residential property that was undergoing significant renovations. The specification required a solution that could meet the daily usage requirements of the household and help reduce power consumption.

In order to optimise the solar capture, it was calculated that a 50x Thermomax evacuated tube system would be required to meet the hot water demands of the property. In addition, the system would require the mounting brackets to be installed at a 33 degree pitch on the north-facing side of the house for optimum performance.

Due the limited roof space it was agreed that the solar system array would be installed on the north-facing side of the house with the TMAX mounting frames bolted to the exterior aluminum cladding and angled. The client pre-installed stainless steel mounting bolts that provided a solid mounting point for installation to support the 200 kg system and the system was piped from the completed manifold through the house to the hot water cylinder unit.

Accredited Kingspan installers from Laser Plumbing Silverdale completed the full installation and commission of the system within two days, with the solar solution providing an effective hot-water operation for the client.

The Thermomax HP400 system installed has three sensor inputs connected to the SC500 wall-mounted controller that allows for feedback of both hot and cold water flow temperatures. This also allows the client, via the controller, to interrogate the performance of the system, data logging daylight hours, comparative wattage and heat generation.

The project will continue to be audited to calculate the potential savings to the client and the performance of the system.