This is a combined solar thermal system which heats both a vented twin coil hot water cylinder and a 36m2 outdoor swimming pool at a 4 bedroom converted Oast located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Four 30 tube ground mounted solar collectors (120 tubes) supply heat firstly to the cylinder located in the house. Once the cylinder has reached its target temperature all excess heat is diverted to the pool via an indirect heat exchanger. The swimming pool needs no other heat source.
The large collector area ensures that a high solar contribution can be maintained through the winter. During spring, summer and early autumn the system generates far more heat than is needed to satisfy domestic hot water requirements. The excess heat is diverted into the swimming pool, attaining comfortable temperatures (~27°C) between May and September.
The distance between the collector array and the cylinder in the house is 25m. They are connected by pre-insulated flexible stainless steel pipe buried underground in plastic soil pipe, which provides mechanical protection. It rises up the side of the house in a soil pipe and enters the roof space through the gable.
The pump for the solar circuit is linked to the pump for the pool’s filtration circuit by an electrical relay. This ensures that excess solar heat will be diverted into the swimming pool and protects the solar circuit against overheating.
