Kingspan Solar (GUIA GENERAL) en Inglés

Complete CommercialSolar Thermal Solutions

COMPLETE SOLAR THERMAL SOLUTIONSKINGSPAN SOLAR

INTRODUCTION 3

SOLAR RADIATION ACROSS EUROPE 4

HOW IT WORKS: SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEM 5

BUSINESS CASE

WHY SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY? 6

IS MY BUILDING SUITABLE? 8

MARKET SECTOR APPLICATIONS 10

ENGINEERING, SERVICE & SUPPORT 12

COMMITTED TO GREEN BUILDINGS 14

CASE STUDIES 17

CONTENTS

PRODUCT RANGE 27

SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS PRODUCT OVERVIEW 28

KINGSPAN SOLAR HEAT PIPE COLLECTORS 30

KINGSPAN SOLAR DIRECT FLOW COLLECTOR 34

KINGSPAN SOLAR FRAMES 36

VARISOL, AWARD WINNING SOLAR COLLECTORS 38

FLAT PLATE SOLAR COLLECTORS 40

UNIQUE FEATURES OF KINGSPAN SOLAR TUBES 42

TUBE DESIGN 42

BENEFITS 43

EVACUATED TUBE COMPARISONS 46

FIN-IN-TUBE COPY / SINGLE-WALLED TUBE 46

SYDNEY TUBE/ DOUBLE-WALLED TUBE 51

KINGSPAN PUMP STATIONS 52

SYSTEM TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS 54

SIZING GUIDELINES 55

COLLECTOR LAYOUT & ITS EFFECT ON THE SYSTEM 68

CONTROLS & MONITORING 75

SOLAR SYSTEMS CONTROLS, ELECTRICAL

COMPONENTS & MONITORING 76


CERTIFICATION & WARRANTY STATEMENT 83

HEAT PIPE COLLECTORS

HEAT PIPE COLLECTORS 84

DIRECT FLOW COLLECTORS 85

VARISOL HEAT PIPE COLLECTORS 86

VARISOL DIRECT FLOW COLLECTORS 88

HAIL IMPACT TEST CERTIFICATION 89

WARRANTY STATEMENT 91

KINGSPAN EUROPE 93

ENVIRONMENTAL

INSULATED PANELS

INSULATION

INSULATED DOOR COMPONENTS

This document is not for use as a design tool, it is for guidance only and designs should be reviewed by our technical team. All solar thermal systems should be fully designed by a competent engineer.Kingspan Group plc or any of its companies do not take responsibility for any systems designed using the following details. We recommend that you review your design with us.

All descriptions and specifications of products and procedures in this manual are current at the time of printing. However, Kingspan Environmental is continually involved in product testing andimprovement, and specifications and procedures are subject to change. We reserve the right to amend specifications and procedures without prior notice.

Regulations and StandardsThe solar thermal system should be installed in compliance with current building regulations, all local standards and health & safety regulations. These regulations are statutory documents and take priorityover all recommendations within this document. For installation and operating procedures, please refer to the Installation and Operating manuals provided with the product.

For system design assistance, please contact our technical support team: +44 (0) 28 38364500

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KINGSPAN

14millionevacuated tubesinstalled worldwide

40+countries inwhich we operate

25+years knowledge and experienceto support your business

25offices acrossEurope

Kingspan Environmental is part of Kingspan Group,

global leaders in sustainable building products for

energy and water efficiency. With manufacturing and

distribution operations worldwide, Kingspan is recognised

throughout the construction industry for innovation,

design, quality, technical expertise and service.

Kingspan Environmental offer an array of products and

services that provide renewable energy, water

management and environmental solutions. Our Kingspan

Solar thermal package solutions, have been used on

prestigious buildings across Europe with great success.

Kingspan Solar offer complete solar thermal solutions

for commercial, industrial, institutional and residential

applications. Our evacuated tubes use the original and

best technology and have been successfully on the

market for over 25 years. We pride ourselves on not

only our world class product, but on the design,

engineering, and technical service we provide our

customers every time.

3


SOLAR RADIATION ACROSS EUROPE 4

HOW IT WORKS: SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEM 5

BUSINESS CASE

WHY SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY? 6

IS MY BUILDING SUITABLE? 8

MARKET SECTOR APPLICATIONS 10

ENGINEERING, SERVICE & SUPPORT 12

COMMITTED TO GREEN BUILDINGS 14

CASE STUDIES 17

INTRODUCTION

4


SOLAR RADIATION IS A GENERAL TERM FOR THE ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION EMITTED BY THE SUN.

It can be captured and converted into useful forms of energy, such as heat, using solar thermal collectors. The technical

feasibility and economical operation at a specific location depends on the available solar radiation.

The availability of solar energy varies and is the highest in regions closest to the equator. The Alps and adjacent mountain

ranges form the natural border between the sunny south of Europe and the more diffuse north.

SOLAR RADIATIONACROSS EUROPE

Figure 1: Annual average direct normal solar radiation.

Yearly sum of global irradiation incident on optimally-inclined south-oriented modules

PROCESS

All components work together toheat water from sunlight:

Sunlight hits the solarcollector and heats thermaltransfer liquid passingthrough it.

A pump circulates the heatedthermal transferliquid from the solarcollector to the water tankcoil, where its heat transfersto water within the tank.

The pump returns the cooledthermal transfer liquid to thesolar collector for reheating.

When needed, a back-up heatsource, such as a boiler, on-demand water heater, orelectrical immersion element,boosts the tank water to thedesired temperature before itis distributed to its end use.

The differential temperaturecontroller monitors andregulates the circulation rateof the thermal transfer liquid,based on weather and hotwater demand. Theexpansion tank regulatessystem pressure as thethermal transfer liquidexpands and contracts.

5


SSoollaarr ccoolllleeccttoorr - theefficiency and quality of thecollector determines theperformance of the wholesystem.

Pump station

Hot water storage tank

Back-up heat source

Hot water distributionsystem

Solar controller

Expansion tank

A

A

1

2

3

1

2

3

4

4

B

B

G

G

F

F

E

E

D

D

C

C

HOW IT WORKS:SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEM

FACTS

Solar thermal technologytransforms direct and diffusesolar radiation into useful heatusing a solar collector, whichshould face as closely as possibleto the south at an angleperpendicular to the sun.

6


BUSINESS CASE:WHY SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY?

THE SUN - AN UNLIMITED ENERGY RESOURCE

Every year the sun provides over 8000 times as much

energy as we consume worldwide.

A well designed solar thermal system can provide up to 70%

of a buildings needs annually.

This is why solar thermal systems are one of the most cost-

effective and environmentally-friendly renewable energy

solutions available reducing fuel bills and greenhouse

gas emissions.

Solar thermal energy enjoys many economic and

environmental advantages over other forms of energy

currently used, including:

Cost Provides up to 96% solar energyabsorption with 5% emmissivity

Generates heat energy even onovercast and cloudy days.

High performance, tailored solutionsfor hot water, central / space heating,cooling and pool applications across awide range of building sectors.

Safe, reliable, durable and time-testedwith a design life of over 30 years.

Rapid installation and lowmaintenance.

SUPERIOR SYSTEM PERFORMANCEREDUCE YOUR ENERGY BILLS

Cost effective: economical, mitigatesfuture energy shortages and priceincreases.

Immediate and permanent savings.

Enjoy FREE hot water all year round.

Fastest payback and lowest energycost over the lifetime of the systemcompared to other renewable energytechnologies.

MARKET-BASED INCENTIVES

Generous federal, state and utilityincentives.

A solar hot water system can be cash flow positive from day one.

A domestic solar hot water system can last in excess of 25 years and pay for itself many times over.

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* depends on country specific political framework

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

Non-toxic systems.

Non-polluting: solar hot watergeneration produces no greenhousegas emissions.

Non-consumptive: the suns radiationis a limitless resource.

Going green for commercial projectshas now become a PR advantage.

ACCESSIBILITY AND SECURITY

Security: the price of solar energydoes not fluctuate.

Instant distribution: there are noexpensive transportation costs forsolar energy because the sun shineseverywhere.

GROSS SYSTEM COSTS

NATIONAL INCENTIVE SCHEMES

EU INCENTIVE SCHEMES

NATIONAL TAX CREDITS

NET SYSTEM COSTS*

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WHEN CONSIDERING A SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEM FOR YOUR BUILDING, THERE ARE KEY

FACTORS THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED.

As each project has individual requirements, Kingspan will develop a bespoke package, taking into account:

Location /insolation level

KINGSPAN SOLAR TECHNICAL SERVICE

OrientationLimitingfactors,e.g. shading

Roof pitch /slope

Roof areaHot water,heating and/orcooling demand

The checklist opposite provides an example ofa typical site assessment. To assist you further,Kingspan Solar offers a simple site assessmentform (right) that, once completed, allows ourtechnical team to size, design, and estimatesavings on your project.

BUSINESS CASE:IS MY BUILDING SUITABLE?

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BUSINESS CASE MARKET SECTOR APPLICATIONS

Leisure Hotels, camping

grounds, health clubs,

spas, and water parks.

Medical Facilities

Hospitals, clinics and

retirement homes.

Education Schools,

colleges, universities, and

campus accommodation.

Residential Apartment

complexes.

Process and

Manufacturing Drying,

industrial cooking,

pasteurisation, and

chemical manufacturing.

Office.

Sports Facilities.

Swimming Pools and

Water Parks.

LEISURE

AGRICULTURESWIMMING POOLS

RETAIL OFFICE

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Commercial,industrial, andagricultural

businesses usinga high volume of hot water

HOME AND SMALLBUSINESSES: Dish and laundry

washing.

Swimming pools.

Baths and showers.

Space and radiant floor heating.

HEALTHCARE

APARTMENTS HOUSING

UTILITIESEDUCATION

HOTEL

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ENGINEERING,SERVICE & SUPPORT

FULL-SERVICE ENGINEERING

Each project is tailored to the exact specifications of the

individual brief and objectives. This means providing world-

class design consultancy, engineering expertise and

comprehensive advice from initial site visit and assessment

to detailed design drawings and concepts, delivery and

installation support.

We create a system tailored to the unique specifications of

your building and/or business, be it domestic, commercial or

industrial, in any country.

At Kingspan Solar, we offer our customers over 25 years of

solar thermal expertise and experience to supply technical

designs and cost effective solutions on all projects. We can

provide project specific Auto CAD schematics and roof

layouts along with individual reports produced for each

project.

We offer a fast, project specific, tender bid and specification

service. We use T Sol & Polysun, the world renowned solar

simulation software, for system sizing.

Call +44 (0) 28 38364500, to speak with one of our team,

or go online to submit an inquiry at www.kingspansolar.com,

and well respond to your inquiry with tailored solutions.

AT KINGSPAN SOLAR WE AIM NOT JUST TO MANUFACTURE AND SUPPLY HIGH QUALITY

SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS, BUT PROVIDE ENGINEERING, SUPPORT AND SERVICE THAT IS

SECOND TO NONE THROUGHOUT YOUR PROJECT OFFERING THE ULTIMATE, SINGLE-SOURCE

SOLAR SOLUTION.

Projectdesign concept

Kingspan Solar Service

Energyassessmentand systemspecification

Cost andpaybackproposal

Proposalreview andapproval

Installationtraining

Commissioningsupport

Example schematics

as supplied by the

Kingspan Solar

Design Team

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WARRANTY

The 20 year warranty on our evacuated tubes reinforces our

confidence in the quality and longevity of the product.

Please refer to our terms and conditions in the section

Specification and Performance Data, page 89.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Our dedicated team provides focused customer service

including delivery scheduling and installer support, ensuring

a seamless, well co-ordinated customer experience.

To ensure high levels of satisfaction, we conduct customer

surveys to gather important feedback that help us keep a

pulse on the marketplace.

SITE SERVICE SUPPORT

Our technical team provides off- and on-site installation

training and support in order to guide our installers to

deliver products that fulfill customers requirements and

expectations. Our team of fully qualified engineers provide

system checks and start-up support, ensuring installations

are fully operational and working from day of completion.

We offer a site inspection service throughout the installation

process as well as advice on operation and maintenance.

HOTEL JULIA, SPAIN

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IN MARCH 2007, THE HEADS OF STATE AND

GOVERNMENT OF THE EU 27 COUNTRIES

ADOPTED A BINDING TARGET OF 20% FINAL

ENERGY CONSUMPTION FROM RENEWABLE

ENERGY BY 2020.

Attaining this goal requires that buildings be energy efficient

and include a means of producing energy from renewable

resources.

THE ROUTE TO NET-ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS

Kingspan solar thermal systems offer outstanding

performance and durability, providing a valuable contribution

to a buildings overall energy efficiency and carbon reduction

targets on the route to net-zero energy.

ENVELOPEFIRST

Highly insulated buildingenvelope.

ENERGY EFFICIENCYMEASURES (EEMS)

Building services and controls.

INSULATE & GENERATE

EnvelopeFirst + integratedrenewable technologies,e.g., Kingspan Solar.

NET-ZERO ENERGYBUILDINGS

Optimised energy efficientbuildings that are energyneutral over the course of ayear.

-CO2EEMs

Office

Healthcare

Education

Commercial& industrial

Retail

Leisure

Processing

Apartments

COMMITTED TOGREEN BUILDINGS

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DESIGNING GREEN BUILDINGS

BREEAM

BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable

building design, construction and operation and assesses the

environmental performance of any type of building, new and

existing. BREEAM is used in a range of formats from country

specific schemes, adapted for local conditions, to

international schemes intended for the certification of

individual projects anywhere in the world.

A number of Government departments or other public

bodies either require or encourage the use of BREEAM.

DGNB

The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB Deutsche

Gesellschaft fr Nachhaltiges Bauen e.V.) certifies

sustainable and energy efficient buildings worldwide.

The certification system is available for various applications

including existing and new offices, administrative,

commercial, residential and mixed-use buildings.

The standardised assessment system covers all of the six key

aspects of sustainable buildings: environmental, economic,

sociocultural and functional aspects, technology, process

and site. The system defines targets which contribute to

overall performance of the building, depending on the

degree to which they are fulfilled.

Kingspan is committed to supporting green energy rating

systems such as BREEAM and DGNB. Specification of

effective products and systems is key to achieving these

certifications.

SECTION WEIGHTING

Category Part 1: Part 2: Building Part 3:Asset rating management rating Organisational rating

Energy 26.5% 31.5% 19.5%

Water 8.0% 5.5% 3.5%

Materials and waste 13.5% 7.5% 16.0%

Health and Wellbeing 17.0% 15.0% 15.0%

Pollution 14.0% 13.0% 10.5%

Transport 11.5% 18.5%

Landuse and ecology 9.5% 12.5% 5.0%

Management 15.0% 12.0%

ASSESSMENT SCORE ASSESSMENT RATING STAR RATING

< 10 Unclassified

10 25 Acceptable *

25 40 Pass **

40 55 Good ***

55 70 Very Good ****

70 85 Excellent *****

> 85 Outstanding ******

ECOLOGICAL ECONOMIC SOCIOCULTURAL ANDQUALITY QUALITY FUNCTIONAL QUALITY22.5% 22.5% 22.5%

TECHNICAL QUALITY22.5%

PROCESS QUALITY10%

SITE QUALITY

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OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

Kingspans primary contribution to meeting our global

environmental challenges is to design, develop and supply

new systems and solutions in a highly responsible and

efficient manner.

Kingspan has set ambitious targets for reducing the effects

of our operations and products on the environment. In fact,

we have embarked on our own Net Zero Initiative, which in

essence aims to have all facilities running on entirely

renewable power by 2020. We continue to further our

engineering research and development programs to

maximise the life cycle performance and end of life

procedures of every product

we manufacture.

Through its employees, Kingspan instills an environmental

awareness and responsibility that is reflected in the concept,

design, development and production of all its products and

services.

Kingspan promotes the use of construction techniques that

respect the environment in terms of manufacturing,

transportation, site installation, waste and end-of-life.

We believe these construction methods are better

Manufacturing

Packaging

Distribution

Usage

DisposalMaterials

Energy efficiency and environmental sustainabilityare at the forefront of our thinking.

Gene M. Murtagh, Chief Executive, Kingspan Group.

COMMITTED TOGREEN BUILDINGS

integrated, more efficient, faster and safer. Kingspan always

selects materials and systems to minimise the overall

ecological impact of buildings.

VISION

To be a global leader in sustainable business and establish

|a leading position in providing sustainable, renewable and

affordable best practice solutions for the construction sector.

SUSTAINABILITY POLICY

Striving for sustainability in all our business products and

operations is our corporate and personal responsibility.

Kingspan Solar aims to adopt and apply best practice

sustainability principles by ensuring environmental, social

and economic parameters are considered in an integrated

way in product and service delivery. To this end, Kingspan

Solar will:

Incorporate the ethos of sustainability into the vision and

values of the organisation.

Continually improve operational performance through the

setting of long-term objectives and targets related to

sustainability and review progress regularly.

Comply or exceed applicable legal and policy

requirements related to the environmental and social

aspects of the organisation.

Optimise energy and raw material usage and prevent or

minimise pollution and environmental damage.

Communicate and actively promote awareness and

acceptance of this policy to everyone working for, or on

behalf of, the organisation (including employees,

shareholders, suppliers/sub-contractors and customers).

Ensure employees are given adequate training in

sustainability issues and are fully involved in helping

deliver the Sustainability Vision & Policy.

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LOCATION GAIARINE, Italy

APPLICATION Domestic hot water and space heating

CLIENT Piscina Solero

PRODUCT 600 Kingspan Solar Direct Flow tubes

PAYBACK 5 years

A public swimming pool located in the region of Veneto

has been equipped with 60m2 of Kingspan Solars

evacuated tubes.

The direct flow system was designed by the Kingspan Solar

Specification team to fully cover hot water requirements in

the sanitary area and realises almost full heating integration

of the indoor and outside swimming pools. The operators

have installed the system to reduce the annual heating bills

significantly and expect a payback period of 5 years.

PAYBACK PERIODOF 5 YEARS

CASESTUDIES

PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL

ITALY

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PROVIDES 30% OFHOT WATER DEMAND

LOCATION Arnstadt, Germany


CLIENT VWG Arnstadt

PRODUCT 24 Kingspan Solar Direct Flow collectors

SAVINGS 30% of hot water

A commercial landlord has equipped his property with

24 Kingspan Solar Direct Flow collectors.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, a commercial

landlord has integrated 24 Kingspan Solar collectors into a

residential building with 67 apartment units. The solar

thermal system has been designed to provide 30% of the

hot water needs and has been operating at a steady rate

since 2010.

An important requirement for the best efficiency is a well

sized solar system which is designed in accordance with the

hot water demand. In this regard a special mounting system

has been developed which accounts for the specific roof

requirements.

We can even achieve solar gains on a very cloudy day.

Its a very efficient system.

CASESTUDIES

APARTMENT BLOCKS

GERMANY

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LOCATION Rokietnica, Poland


CLIENT Kingspan Environmental

PRODUCT 120 Varisol Heat Pipe tubes

SAVINGS 37% of fossil fuels consumption

The installation includes 120 tubes of the only modular

collector on the market Kingspan Solar's Varisol.

Solar energy will be used to provide heat and hot water for

showers and wash basins in the Kingspan Environmental

factory.

This system will save annually more than 1,000m3 of natural

gas and will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 2200 kg per

year. That equals to estimated reduction of fossil fuel

consumption by about 37%.

SAVING 37% OF FOSSILFUELS CONSUMPTION.

CASESTUDIES

KINGSPAN ENVIRONMENTAL

MANUFACTURING FACILITY

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SAVINGS OF UP TO70% OF HOT WATER

LOCATION Leicester, UK

APPLICATION Domestic hot water

CLIENT Leicester College

PRODUCT 300 Kingspan Solar Heat Pipe tubes

SAVINGS Up to 70% of hot water

Leicester College, which is one of the largest in the UK, is

one of the first in the country to adopt evacuated tube

collector technology to service its hot water needs as part

of its commitment to sustainability.

As part of a dramatic overhaul to upgrade its facilities for

students and in keeping with Building Regulations, the

college replaced its old gas boilers with 300 Kingspan Solar

evacuated tubes, which heat a 3,000 litre thermal store.

The Kingspan Solar Specification team has designed the

system to meet 70 percent of its hot water needs all-year-

round.

The performance of the Kingspan Solar tubes has been

nothing but impressive. We get solar-heated water in

record time and there is minimum maintenance

required.

Robin Dalby, Maintenance and Development Co-ordinator at Leicester College

CASESTUDIES

LEICESTER COLLEGE

UNITED KINGDOM

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LOCATION Riga, Latvia

APPLICATION Cooling and Heating

CLIENT BELSS Ltd


SAVINGS 50% - 100% of thermal energy

Latvian company BELSS Ltd. has embarked on a successful

pilot project, creating a highly efficient solar thermal

system that meets both the demanding cooling and

heating requirements of telecommunications base stations.

The installed Varisol system holds 90 of Kingspan Solars

market-leading direct flow solar thermal vacuum tube

collectors, which successfully meet the base stations'

weather-dependent needs.

Each tube contains a vacuum that provides perfect

insulation and protects it from outside weather conditions

including wind, rain and even snow. Because of this, the

tubes deliver an unrivalled transfer of solar energy into heat,

allowing for efficient collection of solar-heated water, which

is then transported to a heat energy exchange unit. This

produces a chilled water source to cool the base station

during hot weather, and the output can also be switched

when the outside temperature calls for heating rather than

cooling.

50% - 100% SAVING OFTHERMAL ENERGY.

CASESTUDIES

TELECOMS BASE STATION

LATVIA

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LOCATION Cavan, Ireland

APPLICATION Domestic hot water

CLIENT Breffni Park Stadium


PAYBACK < 6 years

As part of a L300,000 renovation, Kingspan Breffni Park

Stadium became the exclusive home to the first-ever

Kingspan Solar fresh-water module system.

Reducing carbon-omissions, hot-water costs and with

payback in less than four years, the GAA stadium has been

hailed as a shining example, for its effective use of

renewable technology.

We have already been able to turn off our boilers, which

were powered by gas, saving us over L4,000 a year.

Plus we are also able to use the hot water generated

by the system to heat our radiators. Again saving us

money!.

Kieran Callaghan, Chairman of Kingspan Breffni Park committee

As part of the renovation project, Kingspan Environmentals,

Rainwater Harvesting system was also installed. It is used to

recycle excess water from the roof and pitch. This water is

also used for all the toilets and watering the field when

needed.

SAVING US OVER k4,000a year.

CASESTUDIES

BREFFNI PARK STADIUM

IRELAND

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LOCATION Malaysia

APPLICATION Solar Air Conditioning System

CLIENT University Kebangsaan Malaysia

INSTALLER Alpha Solar Sdn Bhd

PRODUCT 300 Varisol Direct Flow Tubes

The Kingspan Solar Specification team has designed a central

heating station which was installed at the Green Technology

Park at Solar Research Energy Institute, National University of

Malaysia.

The collectors has been designed by the Kingspan Solar team to

deliver thermal energy to a range of systems including Domestic

Hot Water, industrial hot water applications and a range solar

absorption chillers.

The heating station has successfully delivered the required

temperature for this system of 60C to 100C. The central

heating station consists of 300 evacuated tube solar collectors

with three 200L storage tanks.300 EVACUATED TUBESOLAR COLLECTORS.

CASESTUDIES

UNIVERSITY KEBANGSAAN

MALAYSIA

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Singapore Changi International Airport, a major aviation

hub in Southeast Asia has installed one of the largest solar

thermal systems in Southeast Asia. The installation uses

more than 10,000 Kingspan Solar tubes.

Commissioned in 1996, the systems use 350 evacuated tube

solar thermal collectors to heat 66,000 litres of water in

buffer tank storages.

The heat generated by the systems is used for staff

showering facilities in the Singapore Airport Terminal

Services (SATS) and for food preparation, cooling and

washing at in-flight catering centre in Changi International

Airport Services (CIAS).

SAVING k50,000PER YEAR ONELECTRICITY BILL.

CASESTUDIES

LOCATION Singapore

APPLICATION Food preparation, cooking, washing and staff showering

CLIENT Singapore Changi International Airport

INSTALLER Connections International Pte Ltd

PRODUCT 10,500 Kingspan Solar Heat Pipe Tubes

SAVINGS h50,000 per year on electricity bill

CHANGI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

SINGAPORE

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LOCATION Ogunquit, USA

APPLICATION Domestic hot water andspace heating

CLIENT Cliff House Resort & Spa

INSTALLER Nelson & Small EnergyConservation Products, Inc.

PRODUCT 70 Heat Pipe collectors

PAYBACK < 6 years

Committed to sustainability and preserving the

environment, the 5 star Cliff House Resort & Spa has

installed one of Maines largest solar thermal systems.

The installation uses 2,100 tubes on 70 collectors.

This solar installation will save an estimated 11,000 gallons of

propane annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by

more than 140,000 lbs. per year.

Solar energy will be used to provide heat and hot water for

the Resorts Spa building, which includes 32 guest rooms and

10 treatment rooms. The Resort estimates it will reduce

fossil fuel consumption in this building by 30%. A grant from

the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as federal tax

credits, helped offset project costs and reduce payback to

less than six years.

Kingspan Solar not only supplied the collectors, but

designed, specified and supplied all the components,

programmed the controls and commissioned the entire

system prior to handover, providing the ultimate solar

thermal solution.

SYSTEM PAYBACKLESS THAN 6 YEARS.

CASESTUDIES

CLIFF HOUSE RESORT & SPA

USA

26


GRUNWALD, GREMANY

NORTH OF TURIN, ITALY


PRODUCT RANGE

SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS PRODUCT OVERVIEW 28

KINGSPAN SOLAR HEAT PIPE COLLECTORS 30

KINGSPAN SOLAR DIRECT FLOW COLLECTOR 34

KINGSPAN SOLAR FRAMES 36

VARISOL, AWARD WINNING SOLAR COLLECTORS 38

FLAT PLATE SOLAR COLLECTORS 40

UNIQUE FEATURES OF KINGSPAN SOLAR TUBES 42

TUBE DESIGN 42

BENEFITS 43

EVACUATED TUBE COMPARISONS 46

FIN-IN-TUBE COPY / SINGLE-WALLED TUBE 46

SYDNEY TUBE/ DOUBLE-WALLED TUBE 51

KINGSPAN PUMP STATIONS 52

27


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KINGSPAN SOLAR EVACUATED TUBE COLLECTOR

The Kingspan Solar collector is the most efficient, longest

lasting solar collector on the market today. Made in Europe

since 1982, our evacuated tubes have withstood the test of

time.

Each collector consists of a highly insulated manifold and a

series of evacuated tubes. The vacuum inside each tube

provides perfect insulation, protecting the system from

outside influences, such as cold and windy weather or high

humidity.

Highly efficient super fast heat transfer

Ease of installation and maintenance

Plug and play design

SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMSPRODUCT OVERVIEW

WE OFFER A RANGE OF SOLAR THERMAL SOLUTIONS TO

SUIT EVERY APPLICATION.

KINGSPAN SOLAR'S UNIQUE VARISOL DESIGN

World leading evacuated tubes and a new click-fit design,

combine to make the worlds first modular solar thermal

collector.

Varisol technology provides

a modern and adaptable

alternative to traditional

rigid manifold systems.

Its precise sizing and

modular flexibility means it

can be sized to the exact

requirements of the end

user, so they only use and

pay for what is needed for

ultimate results.

It is completely expandable so customers can grow their

solar systems as their needs change.

INSTALLATION COULDNT BE EASIER

Insert Varisol tube...

click into position.

rotate down...

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FLAT PLATE COLLECTOR

Kingspan also offers a range of durable and very efficient

flat plate collectors to meet the needs of a wide range of

applications from small residential systems to large scale

commercial installations.

Robust, durable and high performance, our flat plate panels

deliver excellent levels of efficiency combined with flexibility

in installation.

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Kingspan also supplies a range of

components in order to provide complete

solar thermal solutions, including:

Pump Stations

Pump Stations contain a circulating pump

that circulates the heat transfer fluid

through the solar loop (see page 54).

Expansion Tanks

In closed loop systems, an expansion

tank is required to compensate for fluid

expansion and contraction.

Different sizes available.

ASME and non-ASME rated

tanks available.

Solar Controllers

Differential Temperature Controllers are

required to activate circulating pumps and

motorized valves and monitor system

performance. They can record data from

all sensors in the solar thermal system.

Kingspan offers a wide range of

controllers for different system types and

requirements.

Many different accessories available including

LAN module, data logger and BACnet module.

Propylene Glycol

Kingspan Solar recommends Tyfocor Propylene Glycol,

a high temperature glycol formulated specifically for

solar thermal systems.

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HOW IT WORKS

An absorber plate is located inside a glass tube where a

vacuum is pulled to keep the losses to the environment as

low as possible. 99.999999% of the air is removed from

inside the glass enclosure during the manufacture of the

tubes to mimimize heat loss. The heat pipe is the method of

heat transfer from inside the tube to the manifold, where a

water glycol mixture flows past the condenser heat at the

top of the heat pipe and pulls the energy away.

On the back of the copper absorber plate is welded a small

copper tube. This tube is sealed at the bottom and, before it

is sealed at the top, a small amount of fluid is added to the

tube and a vacuum pulled inside the tube. The vacuum

inside the heat pipe causes the water to boil at 29,4 C

instead of its usual 100C. The absorber plate collects

energy from the sun and becomes hot, causing the water in

the heat pipe to boil.

The steam naturally rises up to the top of the heat pipe and

into the condenser head which is located inside the manifold.

Glycol flowing past the condenser head causes the water to

condense, heating the glycol and causing the water to run

back down to the bottom of the heat pipe allowing the

process to continue when significant light is available

(Figure 2).

The heat pipe is a very efficient method of transferring

the energy from the tubes to the glycol in the manifold.

Each tube plugs into a dry socket in the manifold where the

glycol runs past it. This allows for individual tubes to be

removed from the system without having to drain the glycol.

The system can also be commissioned, flushed and filled

prior to inserting the tubes into the collectors, an important

point for large systems that need to be commissioned

before a building is occupied. When the time comes, simply

insert the tubes into the system and it is ready to produce

hot water.

Manifiold (glycol)

Manifiold (glycol)

Dry socket

Figure 2: How a Heat Pipe works.

Condenser

Heat Pipe

Steam

KINGSPAN SOLAR HEATPIPE COLLECTORS


31


The manifold itself is formed from heavy duty aluminum

extrusions on the front and back. Inside is the condenser

manifold where the heat transfer occurs between the

condenser and the glycol flowing past. To install the tubes

simply open the manifold cover, line the tubes up with the

manifold, and press them into place. When finished, close the

manifold cover and this will retain the tubes in position.

The manifold is the only area of the system that becomes

hot and is not protected by a vacuum, so it is protected with

high tech melamine foam insulation. This insulation has a

very high R-value and is stable at the high temperatures the

collector can achieve.

The image above shows the other key components of the

heat pipe tube. The getter is a layer of barium that is

deposited on the inside of the tube after the vacuum is

drawn. This protects the vacuum over time from any air

molecules that may make their way through the glass.

If the vacuum is lost in one of the tubes, the getter will turn

white to indicate this. The TiNOx coating used on the tubes

is designed to absorb 96% of the suns energy that strikes it

while emitting only 4% back to the environment. This is

currently the best available coating for solar collectors.

End

Connection

Condenser Socket

Retaining Strip

Cover

Melamine Foam Insulation

Condenser Manifiold

Rubber EndBumper

TiNOx Selective Coating Soda Lime Glass Flexible Neck

Vacuum Area CopperAbsorber Plate

Getter

CondenserHead

Heat Pipe

32


OUR HEAT PIPE HAS A FEATURE THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE WHEN COMPARED TO ANY

OTHER EVACUATED TUBE ON THE MARKET TODAY:

THERMOSTATIC CONTROL

When the hot water storage reaches its maximum temperature, the solar pump stops and

additional heat will not be removed from the collector. This will cause the tubes to become

very hot. To protect the glycol in the manifold, our heat pipe tubes have a patented

thermostatic control device. This activates automatically in the condenser head and prevents

the temperature in the manifold from becoming hot enough to damage the glycol.

We offer two options for the unique temperature limitation device. When the temperature

rises to 90C/135C, a stack of bimetallic disks flexes, closing a valve that will not allow

additional steam from the heat pipe to enter the condenser head.

When flow is restored to the collectors and the temperature falls below 90C/135C, the

disks snap back and the valve reopens restoring the system to normal operation.

Normaloperation

Limitingtemperature

KINGSPAN SOLAR HEATPIPE COLLECTORS

BRISTOL LIDO OUTDOOR POOL, BRISTOL, UK

33


CERTIFIED EFFICIENCIES

Keymark KeymarkAperture Absorber

0 0.750 0.794

a1 1.18 1.25

a2 0.010 0.010

HP400 / HP450 2m2 3m2

Number of tubes 20 30

Dimensions

Absorber Area (m2) 2.01 3.021

Overall Dimensions (mm) 1952 x 1418 x 93 1952 x 2127 x 93

Width of Manifold (mm) 1418 2127

Length (tube and manifold) (mm) 1952 1952

Depth (mm) 93 93

Aperture Area (m2) 2.16 3.23

Fluid Volume (ltr) 1.2 1.7

Inlet and Outlet Dimensions (mm) 22 22

Weight (empty) (kg) 48 71

Mounting

Recommended Inclination () 20-70 20-70

Performance Data

Efficiency Based on Aperture Based on Aperture

Eta 0 0.75 0.75

a1 (W/m2K) 1.18 1.18

a2 (W/m2K2) 0.0095 0.0095

Solar Keymark Licence Numbers HP400: 011-751793

Operating Data

Flow Rate (ltr/h)

Rated 160 240

Minimum 120 180

Maximum 300 480

Maximum Operating Pressure 10 Bar 10 Bar

Stagnation Temperature (C) 166 166

Heat Transfer Fluid Water/Glycol Water/Glycol

Materials

Absorber Copper Copper

Coating Selective Coating Selective Coating

Absorbance (%) 95 95

Emissivity (5) 5 5

Mounting Frame and Clips Stainless Steel, Stainless Steel,Aluminium, EPDM Aluminium, EPDM

Glass Low Iron - Transm. 0.92 Low Iron - Transm. 0.92

Vacuum

34


HOW IT WORKS

Direct flow solar collectors consist of a row of solar tubes

and a highly insulated manifold. The heat medium to be

heated is passed down through the collector tube within a

coaxial heat exchanger. The vacuum inside each tube

provides perfect insulation and therefore protects the

system from outside influences such as cold and windy

weather or high humidity. This vacuum insulation also

ensures that the energy collected from the sun is very

efficiently and effectively transferred into usable heat.

THE VERSATILE SOLUTION

The flexible installation options of direct flow collectors

provide the perfect solution when the ideal position on the

building is not available.

Direct flow systems can be installed on a pitched or

horizontal surface, and the tube can be rotated 25 to

compensate for installations that deviate from south. As the

collector is a fully pumped unit, there is no minimum angle

for the collector.

This makes it most suitable for installations where the

product needs to be installed below 20 or above 70.

DIRECT FLOW COLLECTORS ARE AVAILABLE IN2 DIFFERENT SIZES

KINGSPAN SOLAR DIRECTFLOW COLLECTOR

DF400

2m2 3m2

Number of Tubes 20 30

Dimensions

Absorber Area (m2) 2.010 3.021

Overall Dimensions (mm) 1952 x 1418 x 93 1952 x 2127 x 93

Width of Manifold (mm) 1418 2127

Length (tube and manifold) (mm) 1996 1996

Depth (mm) 97 97

Aperture Area (m2) 2.15 3.23

Fluid Volume (ltr) 3.6 5.6

Inlet and Outlet Dimensions (mm) 22 22

Weight (empty) (kg) 51 78

Mounting

Recommended Inclination () 0-90 0-90

Performance Data Based on Based onAperture Aperture

Efficiency

Eta 0 0.773 0.779

a1 (W/m2K) 1.43 1.07

a2 (W/m2K2) 0.0059 0.0135

Solar Keymark Licence Numbers 011 - 7S1946 R 011 - 7S1946 R

Operating Data

Flow Rate (ltr/h)

Rated 160 240

Minimum 120 180

Maximum 300 480

Maximum Operating Pressure 8 Bar 8 Bar

Stagnation Temperature (C) 286 286

Heat Transfer Fluid Water / Glycol Water / Glycol

Materials

Absorber Copper Copper

Coating Selective SelectiveCoating Coating

Absorbance (%) 95 95

Emissivity (5) 5 5

Mounting Frame and Clips Stainless Steel, Stainless Steel,Aluminium, Aluminium,

EPDM EPDM

Glass Low Iron - Low Iron -Transm. Transm.0.92 0.92

Vacuum

Vacuum area

Copper absorber plate

Getter

Rubber end bumper

TiNOx selective coating

Soda lime glass

35


Direct Flow Collector Efficiency

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150

Collector Temperature (C)

Effic

iency (-)

400 W/m2

600 W/m2

800 W/m2

1000 W/m2

ART MUSEUM, DENMARK

36


Evacuated Tubes

Manifold

Tube Retainer

Connection Kit

Frame

Tube Retainer

MOUNTING HARDWARE (FRAMES) FOR OUR EVACUATED

TUBES (REFERS TO HEAT PIPE AND DIRECT FLOW)

Kingspan offers a selection of frames to hold the collector at

the proper angle. All Kingspan frames are made from

extruded aluminum supports and stainless steel hardware

for the ultimate durability. Frames are supplied partially

assembled with all clips in the correct locations and legs

bolted together, facilitating fast and accurate installation.

Mounting the frame to the roof is another area that requires

particular attention. The mount will depend on the type of roof

and exactly how the collectors are to be mounted. Kingspan

Solar offers a wide variety of mounting hardware and provides

the experience to select the correct system for the application.

From asphalt shingle, to tile, to EPDM, we can help you choose

the correct mounting hardware for the application.

The connections at the end of the manifold use a redundant

double o-ring seal to allow for expansion and contraction,

if multiple manifolds are connected in series. The connection

kit provides the adaptors necessary to adapt this to 3/4

copper pipe at the end of

collector banks.

Connecting multiple

collectors is easy with the

interconnection kit. One

end of the manifold simply

slides into the other and

the interconnection kit

provides the hardware to

properly align these end

fittings.

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

KINGSPAN SOLAR FRAMES

37


APARTMENT BLOCKS, GREMANY

THE ALPS, ITALY

38


VARISOL, AWARD WINNINGSOLAR COLLECTORS

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Delivering all the benefits of Kingspan Solars market-leading

evacuated tubes, Varisol offers the combination of total

flexibility, high quality and proven performance.

The evacuated tubes are pre-assembled with the Varisol

connector for ease of installation and collector sizes of up to

150 tubes. The technology is suitable for both domestic and

commercial applications and is completely expandable

enabling customers to grow their solar thermal systems as

their requirements change.

Precision sizing means customers only need to pay for

exactly what they need. For installers they are quick and

easy to install and distributors benefit from improved stock

control with no manifolds to stock or invest capital in. They

are also environmentally friendly, using 100% recyclable

polymer material.

Varisol has lowered its carbon footprint by eliminating the

need for brazing and welding as well as energy intensive

materials, such as copper and aluminium. The system is also

more lightweight and requires less packing and boxes,

therefore minimising the impact of transport.

THE REVOLUTIONARY NEW DESIGN OF VARISOL OFFERS A MODERN

AND FLEXIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO THE RIGID MANIFOLD SYSTEM.

A copper pocket is over-moulded into thepolymer header to house the condenserand ensure a dry connection of the tubes.

Quick and easy to install, Varisol allowsindividual tubes to be simply clicked togetherto create solar collectors of varying sizes.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION DF HP

Dimensions (mm) 1950 x 70.9 x 70.9 1965 x 70.9 x 70.9

Weight (kg) 2.2 2.13

Volume (l) 0.19 0.05

Max. Operating pressure 6 6

Min. slope 0 20

Max. Slope 90 80

Max. Load 2.5 2.5

Heat transfer medium Propylene Glycol Propylene Glycol

Max. field size 150 tubes = 21m2 (gross) 150 tubes = 21m2 (gross)

39


This versatile product provides theperfect solution when the ideal positionon the building is not available.

RETIREMENT HOME, ITALIAN ALPS

40


FLAT PLATESOLAR COLLECTORS

HOW IT WORKS

Flat plates are a very simple method for capturing the

energy form the sun and turning it into hot water. A copper

plate is coated with a special coating that absorbs as much

of the suns radiation as possible. On the back of this plate

are a series of tubes that are welded directly to the back of

the plate. Glycol flows from a manifold on one end of the

collector to another manifold at the other end. As it passes

through the tubes on the back of the plate, it is heated by

the energy that the plate has absorbed from the sun.

To keep as much energy in as possible, the collector plate is

surrounded on five sides by insulation. This insulation prevents

the loss of energy from the hot plate to the surrounding

environment. On the front side of the panel is a plate of glass

that the sun shines through. The glass also provides insulation

for the collector plate from the cold environment outside.

A frame around the outside holds everything together and

keeps moisture out.

Both ends of the manifolds have union fittings that allow for

a connection kit to be attached, or another panel. For arrays

of multiple collectors, one collector simply screws into the

next and seals with a flat washer. A plug is screwed into one

end of each of the manifolds and the connection kit added to

connect up an array of collectors.

Kingspan offers two sizes offlat plate. This allows foroptimal placement of thepanels on the roof andsignificant flexibility in theoutput of the system.

41


KEY FEATURES

There are many flat plate products on the market today,

differing significantly in terms of design, construction

quality, performance and size. Kingspan flat plate collectors

offer high efficiency, combined with robust design and

construction, providing solar thermal systems that are

designed to last and perform for many years.

SPECIFICATION / TYPE FPW25 FPW21 FPW18

Dimensions (mm) 1988 x 1218 x 90 1988 x 1041 x 90 1927 x 927 x 90

Weight (kg) 44 37.2 34

Sealing Material EPDM & Silicone & Aluminium Frame

Gross Area (m2) 2.42 2.07 1.79

Aperture Area (m2) 2.24 1.92 1.62

Absorber Material Almeco Tinox Highly Selective Aluminium

Thickness (mm) 0.3 0.3 0.3

Absorptance (%) 95 95 95

Emittance (%) 4 4 4

Glass Material Low Iron Tempered Glass

Insulation Material Rockwool

Efficiency

eta 0 (zero loss efficiency - n0a) 0.785

k1 (W/m2K) (1st heat loss coefficient - A1a)

3.722

k2 (W/m2K2) (2nd heat loss coefficient - A2a)

0.012

Stagnation Temperature at 1000 W/m and 30C

203C

GUATEMALA

42


UNIQUE FEATURES OFKINGSPAN SOLAR TUBES

TUBE DESIGNFIN-IN-TUBE DESIGN

In a evacuated tube system, a copper absorber plate is

welded to a heat pipe tube and sealed inside a single wall

glass tube to collect the suns energy. Most other evacuated

tubes are a Sydney design in which two glass tubes are

formed into a vacuum flask with the selective coating

surface on the inner glass tube and the absorber plate and

hydraulic fittings are housed inside the cavity of an open

ended flask.

Kingspan Solar's sealed glass tubes protect all components

inside a controlled environment where outside conditions

cannot affect heat production and heat transfer. Moisture will

not build up around the tubes components and they will not

corrode.

Heat Pipe Tube Cross Section Sydney Tube Cross Section

Low-iron contentsoda lime glass

Selective coating

Copper absorber fin

Copper heat pipe

Vacuum

Borosilicate glass

Borosilicate glass

Absorber plate

Selective coating

Copper heat pipe

Vacuum

43


BENEFITS

There are three core objectives -

Performance

Longevity

Consistency

These main objectives are fulfilled through the following:

HIGH QUALITY GLASS

Outside air will seek to penetrate and compromise the

insulation properties of a vacuum quality glass can prevent

this from happening.

Our tubes are constructed of low-iron content soda lime

glass. We generally think of glass as being completely

transparent, but glass actually absorbs some of the light

passing through it, typically allowing only 94% of light to

assist the heating process. Low-iron content soda lime glass

has one of the highest transmission characteristics of any

high-strength glass on the market today. The test involves firing a one inch ice ball at 50 mph, five

times at the same point on the tube (image above). Kingspan

tested borosilicate glass to quantify the performance

difference as compared to soda lime glass.

Shot impact point

THE ALPS, ITALY

The Hail Impact Test

Kingspan Solar's evacuated tubes are one of the few tubes

from the major solar thermal manufacturers to have passed

this European trial that is covered under EN 12975-2

specification.

44


UNIQUE FEATURES OFKINGSPAN SOLAR TUBES

STATE-OF-THE-ART MANUFACTURING

Kingspan Solar tubes are manufactured using European

sourced parts in a state-of-the-art facility in Northern

Ireland. The evacuated tube manufacturing process is fully

automated, removing the potential for human error and

providing consistently high levels of production quality.

Inferior productmechanical seal

45


Unique glass to metal seal

UNIQUE GLASS TO METAL SEAL

The seal between the glass and the heat pipe where the pipe

emerges from the neck of the tube is critical to maintaining

the vacuum and its insulation properties. The tubes feature a

patented hermetic seal that fuses metal and glass together.

The two materials are bonded so the seal remains intact

under all operating conditions.

SUPERIOR VACUUM

The vacuum and its insulation properties are the most

important elements of an evacuated tube. The vacuum is

drawn to 1x10-6 mbar, signifying that 99.9999999% of the air

is removed from the tube. It is extremely difficult to remove

this much air from any space in a commercial production

environment without using state-of-the-art manufacturing

techniques.

Kingspan Solar tubes maintain their vacuum,continuing to perform for over 30 years.

All evacuated tubes use a barium getter to attract and

collect outgassed air or stray molecules that can infiltrate

the evacuated tube and degrade the vacuum. our tubes

provide the largest getter surface area in the industry,

maintaining their vacuum and continuing to perform for over

30 years in many cases. It is not surprising that Kingspan

Solar tubes contain one of the best vacuum levels on the

market.

46


EVACUATED TUBECOMPARISONS

In the following section, competitors tubes have been

photographed and compared to the Kingspan Solar tube to

demonstrate the key differences in quality and production.

The two types of evacuated tubes are:

Fin-in-tube or single wall tubes as discussed earlier, our

tube is a Fin-in-Tube type design which has the heat pipe

sealed inside a single wall glass tube; and

Sydney Tube or double wall tubes where two glass tubes

are formed into a vacuum.

This section aims to give an overview of the differences in

both types of tubes and outline of the main differences

between Kingspan Solar and other tubes on the market.

SYSTEM COMPARISON: KINGSPAN SOLAR VS. FIN-IN-TUBE COPY

KINGSPAN SOLAR EVACUATED TUBES LAST

LONGER AND PERFORM BETTER THAN ANY

OTHER EVACUATED TUBE ON THE MARKET.

Heat pipe sealed withspin closing and TIGweld. Double protectionwith 100% automatedinspection.

Heat pipe sealed witha plug.

HIGH QUALITY HEAT PIPE SEAL

Kingspan Solar Tube Competitor tube

47


High quality flexible stainless steel neck (relieves stress on the glass tometal seal with high quality, UV stable EPDM rubber flange.

Unique patented and patent pendingtemperature limiting technology usedwithin the Kingspan Solar condensers.

Empty heads no mechanicaltemperature limitation.

TEMPERATURE LIMITATION DEVICE

Kingspan Solar Heat Pipe Tube

FLEXIBLE NECK

Kingspan Solar Heat Pipe Tube

30 years glass blending experience withsolar tubes. Processes perfected andfully automated.

Highly visible glass blend linesoften with air bubbles in the glassblends which can result infractures after installation.

QUALITY GLASS WELDING & BLENDS


Competitor tube

Stiff neck technology stresses the glass / metal seal.

Competitor tube

48



SYSTEM COMPARISON: KINGSPAN SOLAR VS. FIN-IN-TUBE COPY

Heat pipe is a singlehermetically sealedcopper pipe within thevacuum space.

Mechanical/soldered joinwithin the vacuumspace.

SINGLE PIPE


High quality EPDM rubber endprotector on the tube.

Low cost option no end protection.

HIGH QUALITY PROTECTIVE END BUMPER


49


High quality rigid EPDMrubber flange. Insulatesand protects the glass tometal seal.

Thin rubber end flange tohide the mechanical glassto metal seal.

HIGH QUALITY RUBBER FLANGE


Getter flash shows consistent anddefined length at top end of tube.

Getter flash has undefinedlength at centre of tube.

LARGER GETTER AREA, MORE ROBUST VACUUM


50



Metal End Bumper Al Nitrate Coating Heat Pipe

Getter Mechanical Glass to Metal Seal

CondenserHead

Tube Diameter 4

SYSTEM COMPARISON: KINGSPAN SOLAR VS. SINGLE WALL / FIN-IN-TUBE

Rubber EndBumper

TiNOx Selective Coating Flexible Neck

Vacuum Area Getter

CondenserHead

KINGSPAN SOLAR TUBE

SINGLE-WALLED TUBE

Tube Diameter 2 5/8

Heat Pipe

51


SYSTEM COMPARISON: KINGSPAN SOLAR VS. SYDNEY / DOUBLE-WALL TUBE

Rubber EndBumper

Al Nitrate Coating(on inner glass)

Heat Pipe

Getter Mechanical Glass to Metal Seal

CondenserHead

OuterGlass

VacuumArea

InnerGlass

KINGSPAN SOLAR HEAT PIPE TUBE

SYDNEY TUBE

Rubber EndBumper

TiNOx Selective Coating Flexible Neck

Vacuum Area Getter

CondenserHead

Heat Pipe

52


KINGSPANPUMP STATIONS

ALL SOLAR THERMAL APPLICATIONS

REQUIRE A PUMP SYSTEM TO MOVE FLUID

THROUGH THE COLLECTORS.

KINGSPAN SOLAR RECOMMENDS THE USE

OF CLOSED LOOP GLYCOL SYSTEMS AND

OFFERS A SERIES OF PUMP STATIONS

SUITED FOR USE IN THESE SYSTEMS.

Systems will differ in the number of collectors in them,

the length of piping and the type of heat exchanger used.

All of these parameters will affect the choice of the proper

pump station for the system. Kingspan Solars offering

includes a wide variety to handle from small systems with

only a few collectors to very large systems that require a

custom design.

In a closed loop system, there are a large number of

components required to satisfy the maintenance and safety

requirements of the system. The pump station is a collection

of these components in one small preassembled package. One

main difference between the various offerings is if a heat

exchanger is offered in the pump station. This will depend on

if the heat exchanger is included in the tank or not. The

various offerings Kingspan Solar has have been categorized

based on if they include the heat exchanger or not.

All heat exchangers in the pump stations are double walled

with positive leak detection. Most codes will require these for

solar systems to separate the water and glycol mixture, even

though the glycol mixture is termed non- toxic.

The controls are another thing that are closely tied with the

pump stations. The controls are required to activate the

pumps when there is energy to be harvested from the solar

collectors. The various different pump stations will require the

solar controllers to be programmed differently depending on

how the system is hooked up, etc. Kingspan Solar offers the

specialty controls that go with the pump stations and provides

a program for the particular system selected. This ensures

that the overall solar system will function as intended.

Figure 3: Typical pump station without heat exchanger.

T TP

Figure 4: Typical pump station with built-in heat exchanger.

T TP

Ball valve

Pressurerelief

Check valve

Pump

Balancevalve

Flow meter

Heatexchanger

Airseparator

53


SOLAR PUMP STATIONS

A Kingspan Solar Pump Station provides a circulator for the

solar system. In addition, most features that are required on

hydronic systems are provided on the pumping station,

making the piping of the system much faster than if all the

devices had to be plumbed by hand. The pump operation is

controlled by the solar controller, which will activate the

pump when there is energy to be gained from the sun.

A range of solar pumping stations are available for both

domestic and commercial applications. The selection of the

pump station depends on the size of the collector array, the

required flow rate and the overall pressure loss in the system.

Our Standard Flow 2-12 LPM pump station is shown below.

For other options, please contact us.

Figure 5: Solar pump station.

A Flow meter

B Flush / fill ports

C Balance valve

D Circulator pump

E Expansion tank connection

F Pressure gauge

G Pressure relief valve

H Supply temperature / check & ball valve

I Collector connections - 22mm compression (KSP0025). 1" ISO228 male (KSP0033)

J Flow temperature / check & ball valve

K Air trap bleed

L Air trap

M Tank Connections - 22mm compression (KSP0025). 1" ISO228 male (KSP0033)

L

K

JI

M

B

C

D

E

F

A

H G

150

340

280

430

450

54


KINGSPANPUMP STATIONS

LARGER SYSTEMSKingspan has a wide range of pump skids for larger projects

as well. The larger stations are built on skids with electrical

enclosures and all of the necessary components in place.

These units range from semi custom, all the way to full

custom pump skids, depending on the job and number of

collectors.

All of these skids include all instrumentation required to

monitor the performance of the system and verify that it is

working properly. The controller included with these systems

comes preprogrammed for the particular system and all

documentation is included for the installation.

SMALLER PUMP SKIDS

The smaller pump skids utilize up to three pumps in parallel

to achieve the desired flow rates. These pump stations are

available either with or without a heat exchanger. All pumps

used on these systems are variable speed to optimize the

electrical and thermal efficiency of the specific system.

FULL CUSTOM PUMP SKIDS

For larger systems, Kingspan offers a full custom pump skids

design service to fit your needs. These units can include

simplex or duplex pumps, fixed or variable speed pumps in

any configuration to meet your needs. If your project

requires a custom pump skid, please contact Kingspan for

design and specification assistance.

55


SIZING GUIDELINES 55

COLLECTOR LAYOUT & ITS EFFECT ON THE SYSTEM 68

SYSTEM TECHNICALCONSIDERATIONS

56


SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS CAN BE USED IN A VARIETY OF OF COMMERCIAL AND

DOMESTIC APPLICATIONS.

SIZING GUIDELINES

When using solar thermal for a particular application, there

are many things to consider in designing the system. This

section provides information on what is required for a solar

thermal system and how Kingspan sizes based on

information about the building. This section is for guidance

only and designs should be reviewed by our technical team.

All solar thermal systems should be fully designed by a

competent engineer. Kingspan Group plc or any of its

companies do not take responsibility for any systems

designed using the following information.

USES FOR SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY

There are many processes that require heat energy. The

most common usage of solar thermal collectors is to heat

domestic hot water. This is a simple application that requires

minimal disruption to the existing systems in the building

and excellent payback in most applications.

The energy created from the solar collectors can also be

used to heat buildings, pools or for AC reheat.

Most commercial buildings will use water or glycol for

transport of energy throughout the building for the heating

system and this is another application that is good to tap

into with solar thermal collectors.

Pools require large amounts of heat energy in order to offset

the losses from evaporation and solar collectors can provide

a large portion of this energy that is required.

AC reheat is used when the air is over cooled to remove the

humidity and then heated by a separate coil to bring the air

back up to the desired temperature. This is a great

application for solar because the demand is usually the

highest when the sun is out and shining.

In addition, many industrial processes use large amounts of

heat. The solar thermal system can provide a good portion

of the overall energy needs for these processes. Breweries

are a great example where a lot of energy is needed to heat

the beer to the desired temperature during the brewing

process.

SOLAR PERFORMANCE

We are all used to fossil fuels providing energy in our lives.

They provide the same energy regardless of the conditions

outside; a gallon of propane provides 26.96 kWh on a cloudy

and sunny day. Fossil fuels represent concentrated energy

that was provided by the sun millions of years ago.

The sun produces an abundance of energy, but it is spread

out and requires much more collection area to provide

equivalent energy to fossil fuels. A 30 tube collector will

provide about as much energy on its peak day as a gallon of

propane. However, unlike a gallon of propane the collector

will continue to provide energy as long as it is exposed to

sunlight instead of ending up as carbon dioxide and water.

Solar systems can be utilised to offset a large portion of the

fossil fuels that we currently use, but they require a different

method of sizing than traditional fossil fuel systems. If

everything is designed and sized correctly, the solar system

can be very effective in replacing fossil fuel usage for up to

30 years with very little maintenance or replacement parts

necessary.

A Kingspan solar thermal system canbe very effective in replacing fossil fuelusage for up to 30 years with very littlemaintenance or replacement partsnecessary.

57


system, but the software will provide a far more accurate

calculation of what is needed. Kingspan Solar will be happy

to run these solar reports for your project with a completed

site assessment form.

DETERMINING HOT WATER DEMAND

Solar hot water systems are sized very differently from

traditional water heaters. A traditional water heater will look

at the maximum possible demand of the building and then

size the tank and burner so that this demand can always be

met. The only consideration for this is how many taps there

are and how much they can flow.

The solar system will be sized to meet a portion of the hot

water for the structure, but not all of the demand. Typically

this will be between 20% and 70% of the yearly demand for

the structure. There are several reasons for this:

1. There are more sun hours in the summer than in the

winter. Sizing a system to meet the winter demand will

mean that it is much too large in the summer.

2. The weather affects the output of the solar system.

Often, the storage will be large enough to allow solar

energy to be carried over from a sunny day to a cloudy

day, but several successive cloudy days will deplete the

solar storage and require a backup system.

3. Energy produced above what can be used in the building

must be dissipated. This prevents the overheating of

the system and will ensure a long life for all components.

Any energy that must be dissipated will not contribute to

the payback of the system.

DOMESTIC HOT WATER SYSTEMS

Domestic hot water systems are the most common use for

solar thermal energy (Figure 6). They are typically sized to

provide up to 70% of the overall hot water demand for the

structure and the balance is made up by a backup hot water

heater.

The solar collectors are typically mounted on the roof of the

building and plumbed to a heat exchanger that is either

immersed in the tank, or an external plate type. When the

sun shines on the collectors, the solar pump activates and

runs glycol through the collector manifolds. The solar collectors

will raise the temperature of the glycol and this energy is

transferred to the water in the tank via a heat exchanger.

The key information required for sizing these systems is how

much water is used on a daily basis, when it is used and how

much the solar collectors will produce. Determining the hot

water usage is the key factor in the design. The output of

the collectors is simulated in software using historical

weather data from the location that the collectors are going

to be installed, along with calculations based on the usage

pattern of the building. These are critical factors in

determining the number of solar collectors and the size of

the tanks. Information in this section can be used to

approximate the number of collectors and tank size in the

Kingspan Solar has a simple site assessment form that,

once completed, allows our technical team to size, design,

and estimate savings on each project.

Figure 6: HP collectors (standard using dual stream pump)


58

GUINNESS BREWERY, DUBLIN, IRELAND

SIZING GUIDELINES

hot water, so one will have to be added. The simplest way to

measure hot water demand is using an ultrasonic flow meter.

This meter simply attaches to the outside of the cold water

pipe going into the water heater and will log how much

water enters the water heater. The hot water delivery

temperature and cold water temperature complete the data

needed to measure the hot water energy for the building.

A solar system is not designed to provide all of the hot water

which is why a backup-system is required. The backup

system should be sized normally because the minimum

contribution of a solar system is zero and the backup system

must insure that all demand is met under all circumstances.

The backup system will not run as often as it would if the

solar system were not there, but during some periods may

have to run at full capacity.

There are two ways to determine the demand from a

structure; measurement and estimation. Measuring is the

best way to ensure that the solar system is sized properly.

Most buildings will not have a measurement system for the

Kingspan will assist in the design,sizing and specification of allcommercial solar thermal systems.

Typical T*SOL report

59


Ground water temperature: Important for sizing both the

solar collectors and the tanks. This will vary with season

with the highest temperature coming around August and

the lowest in February or March.

Shading: Also greatly affects the output of the collectors.

Any time the collectors are in a shadow, they will not

produce energy. This should be considered early on in the

project, as not all locations are a good fit for solar

systems. The suns path varies greatly depending on the

time of year, so a device called a solar pathfinder should

be used to check if the shading is an issue and when it

occurs. Figure 7, right, shows the suns path at different

times during the year.

Panel orientation: For optimal performance, the collectors

should face due south. Slight deviations from south will

not affect performance much; in fact they can be

orientated within 45 of south and still have about the

same performance.

Building recirculation loop: Most commercial hot water

systems will have a recirculation loop on them to provide

instant hot water at the taps throughout the building.

This is a major source of energy loss from the hot water

system. It is important to know the length, insulation and

operating hours of the recirculation loop for aiding in

sizing the system. The solar system has to be oversized in

order to help provide this energy.

System operating temperature: Commercial systems

generally operate at high temperatures to protect against

legionella bacteria growth in the tank. Some systems for

laundry or dish service will operate at higher

temperatures than this. The higher the temperature, the

more solar collectors will be needed to provide the energy

for the system.

Consumption Type Hot water requirement per day andperson at a temperature of 60C (Ltr)

Average From - To

Retirement home 45 30 - 65

Kitchen - breakfast 2 2 - 3

Kitchen - noon/evening 5 4 - 8

Swimming pool - public/private 40/20

Sauna - public/private 70/35

Hospital 80 60 - 120

Sports facilities - total 35 - 50

Sports facilities - showers 25 20 - 30

Hotel (** - ***) 50 30 - 80

Hotel (**** - *****) 80 80 - 150

Guest house, inn 30 20 - 50

Holiday house 40 30 - 50

Camping site 20 15 - 35

Youth hostel, holiday hostel 20 15 - 30

Student hall of residence 25 15 - 60

Figure 7: Sun position chart illustrating how the sun moves across the

sky throughout the year.

Figure 11: Typical domestic hot water demand

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

030 80 130 180 230 280 330

6:00

8:00

10:00

18:00

16:00

14:00

Summer solstice

Equinox

Wintersolstice

12:00

Solarelevation(deg

rees)

East Solar azimuth (degrees) West

60


SIZING GUIDELINES

(A) CALCULATE THE HOT WATER HEAT REQUIREMENT

The amount of energy to heat the daily hot water demand

(QHW) is calculated using the formula:

Volume of Daily Hot Water (l)

Cw = Specific heat capacity of water

(1.16 Wh/kgK)

T = Temperature difference between cold

water temperature and desired

water temperature

Continuing example of 4 person domestic household:

Therefore the heat requirement = 9.28 kWh/day

(B) CALCULATE THE STORAGE VOLUME

For domestic solar systems typically the storage volume of

the tank should be equal to 2 times the daily hot water

demand.

To correctly size the storage volume the following formula

should be used:

Vcyl = Minimum volume of tank (Ltr)

Vn = DHW demand per person/day (Ltr)

P = Number of people

Th = Temperature of hot water at outlet (C)

Tc = Temperature of cold water

Tdhw = Temperature of stored water

QHW = Volume of Daily DHW x Cw x (T)

Again, continuing the example of the 4 person domestic

household:

The tank size is rounded up to the nearest available size, in

this case = 250 Litres

(C) SIZING THE COLLECTOR AREA

To size the required collector area the following formula is

used:

Expanding this formula:

QHW = 160 x 1.16 Wh/kgK x (60-10) = 9280Wh = 9.28kWh

Vcyl =2.Vn.P. (Th - Tc)

(Tdhw - Tc)

Vcyl =2.40.4.(45-10)

= 224 Ltr(60 - 10)

AR =No. of Days x QHW x Solar Fraction

Yearly Solar Irradiation x Av. System Eff.

AR =ED

SC

APARTMENT BUILDING, ARNSTADT, GERMANY

61


SYSTEM EFFICIENCY

The system efficiency is strongly dependent on the solar

fraction of the system. When there is a high solar fraction

the system efficiency is lower.

High solar fractions result in a higher return temperature to

the solar collector, the effect of this is that less solar

irradiation can be absorbed by the collector, hence reducing

the system efficiency.

In undersized systems with small collector areas, the solar

fraction is low but the system efficiency is high. In oversized

systems with large collector areas the solar fraction is high

but the system efficiency is low.

The counter effect of the 2 variables can be seen in Fig 8

below:

Figure 8: Relationship between solar fraction and system efficiency

System

Effic

iencySE

Maximumcollector yield

Maximum consumercoverage

Optimised forcontribution and cost

SolarFractio

nSF

Absorber Surface Area A

SF

SE

62


SIZING GUIDELINES

To simplify the selection of collector area, the following

graphs have been created to quickly determine the correct

collector size.

If the same daily DHW demand was required using an

evacuated tube collector, from Fig 9 below we would see a

collector area of 3m2 for a solar fraction of 60%.

IMPORTANT

For Kingspan Solar evacuated tube collectors we recommend

a minimum tank storage of 100 Ltrs per m2 of collector area,

in this case:

System sized as 3m2 of tube, therefore the tank volume

should not be less than 3 x 100 Ltrs = 300 Ltrs.

PIPEWORK AND PIPEWORK SIZING

Suitable Materials

The following piping materials are suitable for use in a solar

system:

Black steel pipe (a.k.a. gun barrel)

Copper tubing

Stainless steel tubing

INSULATION

The insulation has to be UV stable where exposed to the

sunlight and has to be resistant to high temperatures in

excess of 170C. To prevent high heat losses through the

pipework it is recommended to use insulation with a

minimum thickness equal to half the pipe diameter and

an U value in [W/(mK)] of U 0.035 [W/(mK)].

It should be noted that REIA recommend an insulation

thickness equal to 100% of the internal diameter.

UNSUITABLE MATERIALS

We do not recommend the use of the following material to

be used in solar systems:

Plastic pipes (PEX)

Multi-layer aluminium / plastic pipes (ALU-PEX)

Galvanised metal pipes

SUITABLE FITTINGS

Compression fittings

Press fittings (with gasket rated for temperatures above

150C)

Brazed fi ttings

Fittings supplied with solar stainless steel tubing, i.e.

Waterway, Aeroline etc.

Note: The use of solder ring fi ttings on copper pipework is not recommended.

On long pipework, runs allowances should be made for

expansion in the pipework, please see Fig 10 below.

Figure 9: Thermomax DF & HP evacuated tube collectors

Figure 10: Pipe expansion due to temperature

10

8

6

4

2

0

60%

50%

40%

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Absorber

area

inm

2

DHW demand in Ltr/day, 45C

Temperature Raise Steel Pipe Copper(C) Expansion (mm/m) Expansion (mm/m)

50 0.48 0.66

100 1.08 1.49

120 1.32 1.83

Fig 11 below shows recommended pipe sizing for typical

domestic systems.

63


Figure 11: Typical domestic pipe sizing

Collector Flow Rate Pipe DiameterArea (m2) Ltr/hr Copper DF HP

External (mm) (mbar) (mbar)

2 120 15 x 1 8.54 1.76

3 180 15 x 1 12.57 2.56

4 240 15 x 1 17.08 3.52

5 300 22 x 1 21.11 4.32

6 360 22 x 1 25.14 5.12

8 240 22 x 1 33.68 7.04

PIPEWORK SIZING

For domestic pipe sizing we recommend a minimum flow

rate of 60 Ltrs/hr/m2. For commercial systems lower

minimum flow rates of 40 Ltrs/hr/m2 can be used.

In order to minimise the pressure drop through the solar

pipework, we recommend that the flow velocity through the

solar pipework should not exceed 1 m/s.

Ideally flow velocities between 0.4 and 1m/s should be used,

resulting in a pressure drop of between 1 and 2.5 mbar/m

pipe length.

The required internal diameter of the pipework can be sized

using the following equation:

Where:

i = Internal diameter (mm)

Vs = System flow rate (Ltr/min)

= Velocity of fluid (m/s)

Pipework with an outside diameter of less than 15mm should

never be used, in this example we would increase pipe size

from 8mm to 13mm (= 15mm OD pipe with a 1mm wall

thickness).

i = 4.6Vs

v

CARPE, SOUTH AFRICA

64


Stagnation in a solar system can be caused by a number of

reasons such as:

Oversized systems

Undersized expansion vessel

Poor set up of the system it is essential that all solar

systems are installed and commissioned by fully trained

and technically competent installers who fully understand

the requirements of a high performance solar thermal

system

Air locks or leaks in the system

Prolonged periods of low hot water demand. Using our

range of control panels this can be overcome by using a

heat dissipation function

STEAM REACH

During stagnation the heat transfer fluid in the collectors

may vaporise. The vapour will expand into the connecting

pipe work. In large systems with direct flow collectors, the

volume of heat transfer fluid in the collector will be large

and the vapour may travel a significant distance along the

connecting pipework.

Where sensitive components such as pumps, valves and

expansion vessels may be affected by the high temperature

vapour, a steam reach calculation should be performed to

assess the areas of the system that could be affected.

SIZING GUIDELINES

EDUCATION FACILITY, DENMARK

65


Figure 12: Heat dissipation Option A

This is why it is crucial to design systems properly. Adding

more collectors and increasing the solar fraction makes the

system more susceptible to stagnation where there are long

periods of sunlight. An error by which the system is

oversized by 30%, may create serious stagnation issues.

Therefore it is always best to undersize systems and

underestimate the number of collectors.

There are several ways to combat overheating:

1. design the system and size it correctly, thus avoiding need

for dissipation in many applications;

2. open a spill valve from at the top of the tank and allow

hot water to spill out when the tank reaches its maximum

temperature;

3. divert flow from the collectors through a wet or dry

cooler to cool the flow from the collectors once the tank

has reached temperature as per figure 12;

4. utilize an existing facility to dump heat, such as an

oversized cooling tower, a section of snow melt tubing in

concrete, an AC reheat system or a pool.

Allowing the collectors to stagnate for an extended period of

time will cause issues with the system in the long term.

This is true of both flat plates and evacuated tube systems.

Some systems, however require heat dissipation:

1. systems with seasonal use, such as a resort that closesdown during the off season; and

2. systems with changes in usage throughout the week,

such as a school or office building, where they are not

used, or underutilized on weekends.

Kingspan Solar offers a full line of components for heat

dissipation and will assist in selecting the correct

components for each individual project.

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