- After the installer’s measured up, given you an estimated output and recommended some systems for you, they’ll arrange date to come to your home to install the solar thermal panels. They’ll also let you know if any scaffolding will be required.
- Next, they will start to fit the panels, or collectors, to your roof. Stainless steel brackets will be provided with the system and they will remove your roof tiles or slates to attach the brackets to the rafters. They’ll then replace the tiles and add waterproof flashing to ensure you don’t get any roof leaks, and add the frame.
- If you’ve chosen evacuated tube solar thermal panels, the installer will bolt the heat transfer unit to the top of the frame but not install the tubes until nearer the end. This is because the tubes start to transfer heat to the exchanger immediately, and when everything is unconnected this could damage the unit.
- If you don’t need a new boiler with your installation, a new dual coil water cylinder, pump and system control system will be fitted. It’s best in a loft or upper floor of your home.
- A new thermal store or hot water tank that will store the heat provided by the solar system is much larger than a standard tank but it may fit in the spot of your old one. The installer will ensure that it’s connected to the mains cold water, your other heating source (such as a gas boiler or biomass boiler), immersion heater, temperature sensors and the solar collectors themselves.
- Next they will install the pumping station, usually near the water tank. The expansion tank will be installed on the solar thermal loop, which is usually nearby. Its job is to prevent pressure changes that could damage the system.
- You’ll get a heat generation meter which must be MCS-certified if you want to take advantage of the RHI, and any control equipment that comes with the system will be installed.
- The installers will then bring the system to pressure by pumping the heat transfer liquid into the system up to a pressure of around 2 bar.
- Finally, your MCS-registered installer will register your solar thermal system so you can apply for RHI payments of up to £525 per year. So that’s the process of installing solar thermal panels. Remember – it's always best to use a professional to install any kind of renewable technology.
Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London. It was formed in 1965 from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the historic county of Middlesex. The borough covers a total area of 44.67 square miles. This makes it the second biggest of the 32 London boroughs by area.
For administrative purposes, the borough is separated into North and South Hillingdon. The south of the borough's former strong relationship with industry has diminished since the 1980s to be replaced by a primarily residential suburban population; the north continues to be a consistently residential suburban area.
The borough's residential places expanded with the extension of the Metropolitan Railway from Harrow on the Hill to Uxbridge during the early 20th century and the gradual establishment of stops along the line, becoming known as 'Metro-land'.
The population increased from 2001 to 2011 by 11.5 per cent, which is 4.4 per cent above the England and Wales mean of 7.1 per cent, making the borough a part of the quickest population-growth area. In this time, the number of households also increased by 3.3 per cent, with an average of 2.7 inhabitants per household.
The borough maintains over 200 green spaces, totalling around 1800 acres. As much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt it was, in 2008, one of the least densely populated of all of the London boroughs; open spaces range in size from the Colne Valley Regional Park to smaller gardens like Lake Farm Country Park. For all your property upgrades, be sure that you employ trustworthy pros in Hillingdon to ensure you get the best quality.
