Businesses considering a transition from gas to electricity can be put off by the energy bill shock, with grid electricity continuing to be substantially more expensive than gas. These operational costs can also increase when using an air source heat pump as a DHW pre-heat source. This is due to the heat pumps having to work harder in DHW applications, reducing the coefficient of performance (COP) and requiring extra electrical energy to achieve the necessary higher working flow temperatures (50-55°C preheat).

For organisations considering, but not ready to commit to a heat pump-based system, FUSION T is available now with an option that delivers a twin-coil stainless steel tank and mounted ARDENT electric boiler and controls without the heat pump preheat. This iteration futureproofs the system or allows for solar thermal to be introduced into the lower coil as the system preheat. FUSION’s controls optimise top-up heating from the boiler as the pre-heat fluctuates across the year.

With FUSION now supporting capacities up to 750 litres with 24 kW heat output, it is suitable for solar systems designed for small to medium-sized buildings. While solar thermal systems will typically be designed to evenly split capacity between the preheater and after heater, this single-cylinder FUSION scenario uses Adveco’s smart controls to ‘cheat’ the system in favour of the solar thermal input. Adveco can deliver a 600-litre solar capacity application in a 750-litre tank for an extremely compact all-electric, low-carbon emission, solar water heating system with a minimal rooftop or façade footprint.

With Adveco’s high-efficiency, robust flat plate collectors and compact protective drain back vessels to preserve operational qualities of the solar fluid, a well-designed and installed all-electric solar thermal system offers organisations a proven, low-maintenance renewable investment with accelerated return on investment. Using solar thermal preheat on electric water heating systems will offset a minimum of 30% of the annual UK DHW energy demands. For some UK regions, especially in the South and West, this percentage is much higher. In the summer months, solar can potentially meet all a DHW system’s energy demands, especially in the case of smaller commercial businesses and offices.

Adveco specialises in the provision of system design and supply for commercial water heating and solar thermal applications. The company also offers training and onsite engineering support for installers wishing to add solar thermal systems to their technology portfolio.

www.adveco.co