For the owners of this compact 3-storey semi-detached cottage located in an urban conservation area, the main objective was to minimise their dependency on an older model gas boiler. It is now primarily heated by a wood stove in the middle of the building, with the boiler and central heating system making up any shortfall during peak heating conditions.
The solar collector area is large (30 tubes) is relation to the size and occupancy of the house and is able to achieve a high solar fraction (70%+), meeting all their hot water needs between from March to October, supplemented by the gas boiler only during the winter.
During periods of low hot water consumption, e.g. holidays, a heat dump relay detects when the hot water store is up to temperature and dissipates excess heat into the central heating radiators.
