The owners of a holiday cottage at Budle Bay, Northumberland were looking at ways to reduce the fuel bills and improve the bathroom facilities at the property.  As the cottage benefits from a south facing roof and only has electric heating, both solar water heating and solar photovoltaics were considered.

As the roof had a small area and was shaded later in the day by an adjoining building, solar water heating was the more sensible option. Solar thermal panels are more efficient, therefore they require a smaller roof area and can still function when partially shaded.

The aesthetics of the installation were important to the owners, particularly as the panels are viewed on arrival at the cottage, so two flat plate collectors were fitted into the roof in the same way as one would fit a roof window.

Inside, a 250 litre custom made hot water cylinder was installed to store the hot water heated by the solar panels. Immersion heating was built in as a back up, for use when there is insufficient sunlight, to ensure that guests always have hot water on demand.  The whole system is thermostatically controlled so that immersion heating will rarely be used during the summer season,(end of April through to the end of September). During the winter months the panels will partially heat the hot water thus further reducing heating bills.

The hot water cylinder is unvented, therefore it provides mains pressure hot water for the new shower without the need for a booster pump.  We have also provided a display unit on the wall to allow guests to view the water and collector temperatures at any time.

The installation has simultaneously reduced the electricity bill and carbon footprint; improved the bathroom facilities, and provides holiday makers with a first hand demonstration of the benefits of solar water heating.

As a commercial installation, the system benefits from payments of 8.9 pence per kWh of heat generated as measured by the heat meter fitted by the cylinder.  This Renewable Heat Incentive payment will be made to the owner for 20 years and is adjusted for inflation in line with the RPI.  The payment offers an additional incentive for the installation of commercial systems and allows the owner to relax somewhat regarding hot water usage, as not only is the sun providing the energy but they are being paid for collecting it too!