Solar thermal

Solar thermal panels are good for providing hot water between April and October. However, prices for solar thermal panels have not fallen in cost as rapidly as solar PV panels, so if you have only limited roof space, we recommend focusing on putting as much solar PV as you can afford on the roof. If you have surplus roof space and use a lot of hot water it might be worth installing solar thermal.

Solar thermal is good for energy reduction as it does generate more kWtherm per sq metre than PV does for kWh, but we tend to use less hot water than electricity. This is mainly because we want more hot water in the colder winter months (when solar thermal is less efficient). However, you will be able to use your shower or bath for free in the late spring through to mid-autumn with solar thermal. It is important though that the system interacts to your boiler so that you maximise the free energy, so ensure that the controls are compatible and easy to use.