Heating Solar and biomass
Case study School pool benefits from solar system
Abbots Bromley School for Girls in Staffordshire – a
private boarding and day school with around 300
students aged between four and 18 – has installed
a Buderus solar thermal panel system to provide
heating for its swimming pool complex.
Vale Heating & Plumbing of Pershore specified 32
solar panels in two fields, each of 16 panels. A range
of Buderus pump stations and accessories allow for
individual fields of between 10 and 50 solar panels
to be installed. Multiple fields of panels, and split
systems, are also possible for bigger commercial
installations.
According to Stefan Gautsch, technical design Solar future... Abbots Bromley School for Girls, Staffordshire.
engineer at Buderus: ‘Solar comes into its own
in commercial installations where there is a large distribution, which in turn creates fewer pressure
demand for hot water, for example, frequent losses and reduces the need for ancillary solar
showering in hotels, heating of swimming pools pumps.
and/or where better building insulation of roofs and Buderus supplies two types of collector – the SKS
windows reduces the load on the heating system. It range and SKN range – each incorporating its own
is also particularly effective with underfloor heating daylight absorption technology to capture as much
systems because of the low, even operational natural solar energy from the sun as possible. For I am
temperatures.’ a correctly sized system, the heat required for hot
uncomfortable
Although the solar system in this installation water preparation between April and September can
meets the usage pattern of the pool without the largely be provided by the solar collectors. With such
about extensive
support of a separate boiler, a particular feature of yields across these six months, up to 60 per cent of use of biomass
the Buderus controls platform is the intelligent solar the annual hot water requirement can be heated by
in built-up
optimisation function, which enables integration the sun, the company claims.
with Buderus boilers. SKS collectors are hermetically sealed and filled
areas because
Each flat plate collector is constructed from with inert dry argon gas. This is designed to ensure of potential air
translucent 3.2mm toughened solar safety glass that no mist, condensation or corrosion forms inside
quality
(said to be 15 per cent more effective than window the collectors. It also protects the absorber from the
glass in optimising light capture). The panels use ingress of dust, moisture and airborne pollutants.
problems
a continuous meandering copper pipe to circulate A vacuum-applied PVD coating is said to minimise – Barry Johnston
solar fluid through the system. This arrangement is heat loss from the absorber and enable up to 97 per
said to help to eliminate hotspots across the field cent of light irradiation to be captured and converted
of panels by providing a more even temperature to useful heat.
drivers such as a low-cost supply of biomass, which will specified appropriately at the beginning. This may
drive the decision-making process between renewable mean avoiding heat pumps where mains gas is being
heat options.’ displaced, since the carbon and energy benefits of
Of course, the choice may not simply be between doing so are marginal. The picture improves where
solar thermal and biomass. There are, according to coal or oil are being saved. Also, heat pumps only
Lelyveld, circumstances where both could be applicable: operate efficiently at low temperatures.’
‘The key area for combined solar thermal and biomass He believes that biomass and solar can also work
would be in very low-energy housing, where the future together. However, he adds: ‘I am uncomfortable about
occupant is also the client-developer and, as such, has extensive use of biomass in built-up areas because of
an interest in lower fuel bills. potential air quality problems from particulates and
‘In such a situation, the specification of solar nitrous oxide emissions. Coupled with solar thermal,
thermal will reduce the biomass fuel costs and biomass boilers have a pleasantly limited job to do
potentially mean that the biomass boiler can be throughout the summer, so a large heat store, with
switched off over summer months – the ideal time for several days of storage, may be required to avoid short
annual maintenance checks. This can be applicable to periods of operation.’
individual systems and larger developments.’ The big challenge facing the solar market is not
For Barry Johnston, head of Solar Twin Ltd, a mix of linked to technology but to skills, according to James
renewables can work in some circumstances: ‘Solar Parkinson, brand marketing manager at boiler maker
and either ground source heat pumps or biomass Vaillant: ‘The rate of market growth has slowed during
can work well together, provided the systems are the downturn, but it has not stopped and the potential >
www.cibsejournal.com November 2009 CIBSE Journal 43
CIBSEnov09 pp42-44,46 SolarBio.indd 43 23/10/09 13:14:59
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