FAQ
Information about technology
- What is solar energy?
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The sun is a free, inexhaustible and clean source of energy. Our star emits huge amounts of energy in the form of light and heat. Without this energy there could be no life on earth. The sun shines on the earth in one hour, more energy than it serves the entire population on earth in one year.
- How can I use solar energy?
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For personnel health and care use, or for space heating systems with low temperature for the pool, or even for washing machines and dishwashers. Water heating systems that we daily use will consume less energy, since the start temperature is not the environmental distribution network one.
- What is a solar thermal system?
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Solar heating is a technology that allows to exploit the incident radiation of the sun on a vessel (otherwise known as solar thermal panel) and convert it into exploitable heat through the heat exchange between a capturing plate (made of copper on TermoRING (r)) and a fluid (glycol).
The fluid in circulation within the plant, exchanges heat gained from the panel, with the water inside the accumulation, through special coils inside (in case of forced circulation) or in a sealed cavity (in natural circulation systems).
The water then exits the faucet will not absolutely be the same that circulates in the system.
The system therefore provides a series of panels exposed to the sun, a connecting circuit, a storage tank (for the periods in which the sun can not provide the necessary energy), all connected to the boiler or traditional electric kettle for the necessary integration. The latter necessary to avoid being "discovered" during the period, typically winter, when solar radiation is not sufficient to ensure full coverage.
- What kinds of collectors are there?
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The collector the most used is the flat one. Its core is the absorber (sheets and tubes of metal). It has a front cover glass and a thick layer of insulating material on the back and sides. These components are held together by a rigid metal frame. More efficient, but more expensive, are the vacuum tube collectors. In these absorber sheets are included in glass tubes in which a vacuum is created. With the vacuum the loss of heat of tube collector is more limited than in the flat collector and so is particularly effective in the coldest periods of the year.
Besides these glazed collectors are also the so called uncovered collectors. These are usually plastic black tubes, and are used to heat swimming pools, they are good for being purchased and will be amortized in a few years.
ARTINDUSTRIA SRL uses glazed flat-plate collectors with several tricks aimed for maximum performance, considering that they are the ideal solution with regard to cost-effectiveness.
- What benefit has the solar heat to the environment?
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Solar energy replaces the conventional energy sources like oil, gas and coal and reduce emissions of CO2 (greenhouse) and other exhaust gases (smog). Compared to electric water heater, a solar thermal plant of 4 m2 can save each year up to 1,500 kg of CO2. The precious fossil fuels will be so available in the future for better purposes than simply burning.
- What is domestic hot water (DHW)?
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It is the hot water that is used daily to wash their hands, showering or bathing, washing clothes and dishes. There are marketing special washing machines and dishwashers that instead of heating water with electricity can be connected to the network of hot water: so allowing substantial energy savings.
Costs, facilities, incentives
- Where to install this type of plant?
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Usually on a roof with no problems of sun exposure it is good to take care of the obvious differences in performance (due to the alignment and inclination). But there are other possibilities for integration: in front, covering common structures in the garden.
The TermoRING ® is designed to be inserted into the iron railings of balconies, thus reaching the maximum architectural integration.
- What types of plants are there?
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The solar thermal plants are of various types and the case expands greatly depending on installation conditions and needs of the individual. There are facilities for hot water for space heating, hybrids between the two, heating equipment for large quantities of water (pools, or seasonal storage of heat), or even plants for the production of steam pressure (even if they are used in industrial environments). For each type of plant there is a type of connection and tank well defined.
Plumbing connected to the solar thermal system can be:
- forced circulation (more complex but more effective), with switch, thermostatic valves, expansion tank, circulation pump. The circulation is forced through the work of the hydraulic pump, which, under certain conditions controlled electronically by temperature sensors and control unit, allows the fluid to move into the cricuit and transfers heat to the accumulation of warm water. In conditions such as lack of sunlight (night or strong cloudiness) or the attainment of maximum temperature in the accumulator, the pump stops circulating the fluid that transfers heat outside or inside the system,
- natural circulation (simple, cheaper but less effective) to suit particular users (users with low consumption, summer residences, sports facilities, swimming pools). Natural circulation exploits the physical principle of thermal expansion of fluids.
The fluid, warming under the action of the sun expands, loses density and is driven by colder fluid upward. In "top" of the system is usually placed a storage room space which, therefore, is charged with energy automatically, without any electronic control and it is very simple and reliable.
- How to use the produced hot water?
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For personnel care use, or for space heating systems with low temperature, for the pool, or even for washing machines and dishwashers. The concept is that the water heating system uses less energy we use every day because the start temperature of the water is not the environment.
- For private / public swimming pools, is it okay?
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Any use of summer water heating goes perfectly for any demand of temperature with the maximum availability of sunlight throughout the year. Also large domestic installations designed to warm even in winter the house or provide hot water, can dissipate the excess supply of summer, warming the pool water effectively lengthening the period of usage.
- Can I use it for heating?
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Obviously yes, it is especially recommended in case of radiant heating panels to the floor but also by traditional radiators to wall, although this is not the most appropriate use. Everything depends on the available floor area exposed to the sun. In the case of integration with heating, it has to be considered an increase of the area devoted to the installed solar panels.
- Can it be installed in an industrial context?
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Yes, sure, whenever you want warm water in large quantities with cheap costs. The architectural nature of facilities (wide sizes not shaded) usually makes it convenient the introduction of such a technologies.
- What is the cost of a solar thermal plant?
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The costs strongly depend on plant size, and thus directly on the number of people who use them and their needs for hot water. It is possible to make estimates following some experimental data. Indeed, we can estimate a consumption of 25/50 liters / day of DHW per person (average about 40 L).
In Italy, thanks to the good irradiation of the country, this level (assuming a good exposure and normal weather conditions) can be produced from about one square meter of solar collectors. So, for a sizing plant, can be considered approximately one square meter per person.
Certainly, a lot also depends on habits of end users. Wasteful or frugal?
- What's the investment turnover?
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The investment (construction and installation of the solar plant) has a cost that is recovered deducting to the economic value of the energy that would be spent with traditional techniques (use of gas or other fossil fuels) from the total cost. Return times are around 4-8 years (maintenance included), that allows, after that period, to earn. In the future, the time is expected to decrease as the cost of traditional energy increases (20% and over) so activating a range of cutting the turnaround time.
- How long does a solar plant work?
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A good plant for the duration of an existing hydraulic system considers about 25/30 years. The collectors have a highly durability (considering the appropriate general maintenance required).
- Are there tax advantages for this type of intervention in Italy?
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Yes there are and these are mainly:
- Discount of 55% personal income tax deductible in 5 equal annual installments (in case of restructuring) Applying VAT at 10%
- Regional incentives (the timing of these incentives is not regular, visit the website of your region)
- I'm renovating my house, can I integrate these technologies?
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Obviously, yes, indeed we can safely say that the context of partial renovation of a building is one of the best opportunities that may be used for this type of intervention. For two reasons:
- for a better management of the integration project.
- in this way you can open the scenarios of tax breaks for works in progress, thereby lowering the cost of the installation and the payback period of investment.
- Can it be installed in every home?
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Theoretically yes, in relation to standard plants is sufficient to have a good surface of the roof structure or building that can provide space to the surface area of panels / collectors needed to cover its needs, and a space in which to insert the boiler of accumulation of the water heated by the sun. Even in condominiums it is feasible, in case of agreement of apartment's owners.
In the case of application of TermoRING (r) many problems are solved, both technical (accumulation positioned on the balcony, where often there is also the boiler) and of architectural integration, and bureaucratic intervention in the case of condominiums: because in this case each apartment has its own TermoRing solar system. For the apartment's owners who do not want the solar system, you can install the railings without the absorber (the absorber could eventually be installed afterwards in case of change of mind of the apartment's owner).
- Can it be integrated into an existing facility?
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Certainly yes, respecting the conditions of functionality above mentioned.
Bureaucracy and practices necessary
- How do I install a plant?
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ARTINDUSTRIA is available for any need, from inspection, up to the installation.
- How to make a preliminary assessment of feasibility?
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We have to know the location and the square footage of the area on which the panels should be installed for the capture of the sunlight, then have an idea about the number of persons living in the house/facility (DHW consumers). It might also be useful to have the bills for gas consumption of last year at least (preferably three years) in order to better estimate the turnaround time and better assess the actual need of the plant.
All the information are needed to simulate the system behavior in terms of expexted annual efficiency.
- Who should I contact?
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Please contact or our solar partners.
- Who are the professional people to contact what are the paperwork they have to fulfill?
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In addition to those for the request for tax advantages already mentioned, these are: contact an enrolled technician (architect, surveyor, engineer), who prepares an application for grant / building permit, the project's economic and technical report and the patterns plants.
- What are the main documents required?
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Mainly we can list:
- Statement of Activities Start (or Authorization / Grant to work)
- Form to be sent in Italy to ENEA for the communication of the deduction of 55% IRPEF of taxes.
For condominiums, in addition, are required:
- Minutes of meeting where it was deliberated and decided the solar installation.
- With the adoption of TermoRING (r) are no longer necessary Tables of dimensions sharing common expenses, except in the case of centralized systems.
Maintenance and operation of the solar installation
- How long does it take to install?
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The timing is calculated from time to time depending on the complexity of the installation and intervention required by the building itself.
- What is the best time of the year to install this system?
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As usual, as with all the construction work, you should start in Spring. For solar thermal technology it is all more interesting because the period of increased production would occur just from spring to autumn so getting quickly its direct benefits.
- What is its maintenance need?
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We do not speak of real maintenance.
Solar thermal water requires periodic checks (from 2 to 5 years depending on the type installed). These controls are essentially of two types:
- State of the accumulator (which tend to fill with limestone): periodic check of sacrificial anode if the electronic anode was not selected.
- Basicity of fluid.
With a regular check on these two parameters, a well-sized plant has a very good durability thus ensuring the investment done.
- Do I need special care?
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After you install it, check its work with simple things and attention (control pressure, temperature), it is possible that some change in habits is necessary especially if you want that all the hot water demand is covered solely by the solar. No problem if you integrate with traditional systems.
- Will there be additional costs over time?
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Only those due to maintenance or replacement of components in case of failure due to catastrophic events or vandalism.