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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.

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    • CommentAuthorMagnus
    • CommentTimeMar 2nd 2011
     
    For a house in Portugal (where everything renewable / green building related oddly more expensive than UK) have option of either Solar Twin (imported from Scotland) or Wolf Solar thermal (from Germany?). Local solar thermal has low score in quality ranking.

    So does anyone have thoughts on these two - Solartwin versus Wolf?

    Thanks
    Magnus
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeMar 4th 2011
     
    Solartwin is an unusual direct system with flexible pipe and no antifreeze, and a PV-power pump. I reckon it's expensive for what you getb. In the UK I'd always choose an ET system rather than a flat-panel one, but in Portugal it may not make much difference. Not familiar with the Wolf kit, but a quick look on the net suggests they use fairly standard tubes. I can't find system details.
    • CommentAuthoringleside
    • CommentTimeMay 4th 2011
     
    We've had Solartwin for about 5yrs, and are very happy with what it gives us. A mains powered pump can use about 10% of the power saved by the SHW, I understand, so the PV pump gives an additional 10% gain. ETs can leak, so needing repair/replacement - don't know how much this happens, but I've seen installations a few years old with multiple tubes with condensation in them. Direct systems are probably no more efficient than indirect in terms of kW etc, but often give a better practical result - hot water at the top and cold at the bottom, rather than warm all the way through, in spring and autumn. And I've just been talking to someone with an indirect system who is about to go away for 2 weeks, and has had to make special arrangements to avoid overheating - we've not had that with our Solartwin, but I don't know whether that issue was specific to his installation, or is general to indirect systems.
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2011
     
    Ingleside. Yes the pump can be 10% if it's a big fat one on a small solar system, but that's just poor design. My pump is 12W, which is 0.7% of max system output (1.8kW), so a few % overall. And of course any system can have a PV pump if you like, but there can be issues with poor control due to there being enough sun to heat tubes but not run motor early/late in day. ET's don't leak anymore, so that criticism is just solartwin marketing guff. There used to be an issue with glass/metal interface on single-skin tubes but nearly all tubes are now double-walled with no glass/metal seal to fail.

    Equally putting heat in the top of the cyclinder rather than the bottom is independent of panel type and can be done with inderect systems too. (again my system is like this).

    So yes there are good features of the Solartwin system, but it's easy to use these with much more efficient ET panels _and_ spend less money. I do agree that these things are still not standard in ST systems. (The top/bottom issue and its effect on overall solar fraction is complex and depends on usage patterns and control systems, so which is best will depend)
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