2008 is the second year I have been conducting solar water heating trials at my home in Birmingham.

There are six panels south facing on my flat garage roof. Each panel is half a metre by one metre giving 3square metres in total.

Each panel is made using ten metres of 15mm copper pipe fixed to an aluminium solar collector.

The casement is made of wood with a high efficiency insulation material fixed to the back and faced with a tough polycarbonate. The whole panel is painted matt black for maximum heat transfer.

I have taken temperature readings of 80 degrees centigrade on the panels, and 60 degrees in the 120 litre water tank. This is equivalent to six Kw/h of free power.The next step is to incorporate it into my domestic hot water system.

I have 2 slide shows on You Tube, showing construction and testing of the panels. 

                            Solar Heating Trials 2007                                          Solar Heating Trials 2008  

                                                                                Click Photo to Enlarge                               

                                                                                                                Please feel free to contact me at:-   martin_brummy@hotmail.com                                                            Copyright 2008