Sunny side up

And for the nation’s contractors and installers the potential of this technology taking off, shouldn’t be dismissed. The trouble is that until now, training was not widely available.

However, London-based Construction Resources is currently inviting installers, building technicians and engineers to apply for its training course for the AquaSol Duo system.

The company claims the AquaSol Duo offers the comfort of main-pressure hot water, together with fuel savings from free solar heat and long-term economy with virtually zero maintenance.

Construction Resources product specialist Casimir Iwaszkiewicz takes up the story: “The AquaSol Duo is the first and only water solar water heater tested and certified by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) to comply with the UK Water Regulations.”

However, to ensure high standards of installation, sales of the new system are being restricted to certified installers.

Originally developed in the Netherlands, the system has been used in thousands of Dutch domestic, commercial and public building installations and is now manufactured by AES in Scotland.

The system’s principal claim is to be the complete solar water heating system, ensuring that at least 50% of the hot water needs of a household are provided by solar energy.

At times when solar radiation is too low to meet all the hot water needs, the existing heating boiler provides top-up heat. But the system caters for hot water, not space heating.

AES explains that the system is based on a drain-back principle.

The water drains back from the collector when it gets too cold or too hot, so no anti-freeze or overheat protection system is required. This means that no damage can be caused to the system or building if there is a power failure or if the control system fails. The water circuit in the collector is physically separated from the domestic water supply within the house.

The mains pressure operated cylinder means that no cold water storage cistern is needed and frozen water pipes in the loft are avoided. At the same time it ensures powerful showers and fast filling baths.

The AquaSol Duo has taken over 20 years to develop. And to dispel worries it does work on cloudy days – providing 90-100% of the hot water needs of two to five people in the summer and around 65% throughout the year.