Sunmaster Electric Flat Plate 315L

Installing a Solar hot water system has great benefits especially when replacing an Electric Storage tank. It can potentially reduce electricity consumption, running costs and environmental impact by ⅔rds.

• 40% of a typical households electricity is used for heating water.

Therefore a Solar water heater can potentially reduce the overall electricity use by 25%.

Australian electricity is predominantly generated using non renewable and dirty coal fired power stations. As well as electricity they produce carbon dioxide emissions, ash, particles and waste heat, while consuming vast quantities of water and non renewable coal.

Rinnai Solar hot water heaters / systems reduce the need for electricity and are part of many major energy reduction programs. Solar hot water heaters / systems also offset electricity just when it is needed most – Summer – as that is when air conditioners are running, loading up the electricity network.

The Solar collector is the most important component within the system as it absorbs the energy from the sun and heats the water. Collectors are generally made up of a combination of:

• A glass surface (flat on a flat plate collector or round for evacuated tube collectors).

• Tubes containing a fluid that is to be heated by solar energy.

• Heat absorbing surface / fins attached to the tubes.

• A treated surface on the absorber to capture and retain solar radiation.

• A casing / vacuum to retain heat.

• Pipework to enable the transfer of solar energy to the storage tank.

The Solar collectors are roof mounted and ideally face North when installed in Australia. Facing East or preferably West is OK, but a reduced amount of solar energy will be collected.

Avoid having the collectors shaded by adjacent buildings, structures and trees.

There are two types of Solar collectors:

Flat Plate collectors: consist of an insulated, tray-style casing topped with a sheet of low-iron solar glass. Beneath the glass lies a solar absorber surface – either a single plate or multiple fins – with a network of water or heat-transfer fluid channels attached. Often referred to as solar panels, flat plate collectors are ideal for non-frost areas and close-coupled solar hot water systems, offering a reliable and efficient way to harness solar energy.

Evacuated Tube collectors: consist of a series of durable borosilicate glass tubes, each containing an inner glass tube with a vacuum layer that provides excellent heat retention. The solar energy absorbed by these tubes is transferred to the hot water within a well-insulated header assembly. These collectors typically come in sets of 20, 25, or 30 tubes and are ideal for frost-prone areas, as they can operate efficiently in temperatures as low as –12°C. Evacuated tube systems must be installed as part of a split solar hot water system.

Flat Plate collectors operate by capturing Solar energy to heat water. They consist of a dark, flat metal absorber plate coated to efficiently absorb sunlight. Beneath this plate are small tubes through which water flows. As the sun heats the absorber plate, the heat transfers to the water inside the tubes. The entire unit is enclosed in an insulated box with a transparent glass or plastic cover that allows sunlight in while minimising heat loss. The heated water is then directed to a storage tank for residential use.

Your choice depends on your climate, roof, and hot water needs.

• Flat Plate collector system: are durable, low-maintenance, and work well in warm to moderate climates.

• Evacuated Tube collector system: are more efficient in cold, windy, or low-sunlight conditions.

Your installer can help pick the best option for your home.

The Australian Government has a list of Solar water heaters that are eligible for STCs and are therefore eligible to receive a rebate based on the number of STCs awarded.

An STC is a calculation of how much energy is expected to be saved over ten years when using a Solar water heater compared to the electricity consumption of an equivalent electric water heater.

• 1 x STC is 1 x MWh of electricity saved over 10 years = 100 kWh saved in a year.

Performance calculations take into account geographic location, solar radiation, the angle of the sun, the efficiency of the solar collector, tank heat loss, cold water temperatures, the quantity of hot water used and hot water usage patterns.

The more STCs awarded to a system equate to a higher rebate available on the purchase of that system.

Visit the Australian Government website for more information on rebates, including a rebate calculator >