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Environmental FAQ

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What is the typical level of CO2 savings that will be achieved through the typical life time of Solartwin solar water heating system?

A UK government-funded study (Side by side testing of eight solar water heating systems) confirmed that Solartwin can cut yearly carbon dioxide emissions by 250 kg if your water heating fuel is mains gas. If other fossil fuels, or electricity are saved then yearly saving can be up to 1000 kg.

Typical savings accrued through 20 years minimum expected lifetime of a Solartwin will be at least 5000 kg if mains gas is displaced, and up to 20,000 kg if other fossil fuel or electricity is saved.

The same study identified that the environmental benefits of solar can be substantially improved by eliminating mains electricity. Solartwin uses a Photovoltaic cell to power its pump which eliminates the typical 20% environmental penalty associated with using mains electricity to run solar heating pumps and controls. A recent (2008) EST report actually indicates a 22% Carbon clawback from mains electric pumped systems.

Flat plate solar heating systems negated an average of 17% of their potential global warming benefits (i.e. CO2 savings) by using mains electricity. For partial-vacuum tubes, their loss averaged even higher, at 23%. In other words, if you run mains-powered solar for ten years, its electricity consumption deletes its CO2 saving by about two years.

Solartwin’s environment-centred “zero carbon” design specifies a solar electric pump. So CO2 savings won’t retreat two steps after advancing ten.

Bath University have recently completed a Lifecycle Carbon Analysis (LCA) of a Solartwin in comparison to micro wind and PV. The study identified that a Solartwin will pay back the embodied Carbon incurred during manufacture, selling and installing a system within 18 months. Copy of the study is available upon request.

Company involvement in development of new renewable energy sources – what are Solartwin doing to bring forward the commercialisation of new renewable energy technologies?

We have a separate R&D business and are currently undertaking a possible product remanufacture project. Possible outcomes of this might include: a panel which could be single-glazed and which may be selectively coated. However, if we were to introduce product changes, prices and performance are unlikely to differ significantly. For example we have recently developed and introduced a new product which is a PV powered solar controller which can be used for any solar thermal system (most conventional solar systems use mains powered controllers and pumps).

Besides the bread and butter work of mainly stand-alone solar projects, we are keen to pioneer innovations in the emergency relief sector and also to integrate with other renewables, where appropriate. We are also interested in delivering large-scale inter-seasonal energy storage systems in UK.

Solar Twin Ltd involvement in energy savings schemes – what are Solartwin doing to promote energy saving and energy efficiency?

We ensure that the carbon footprint is kept as low as possible by sourcing materials within the UK. Unique in the world, we conduct feasibility surveys of properties over the telephone. This saves large amounts of CO2 compared to driving so the “starting CO2 debt” of Solartwin panel will be much smaller than any other brand. In summary we are greener than most solar businesses because we:

• Source installation labour locally
• Source products locally
• Have a lightweight product
• Do not usually drive to survey
• Run the pump on solar electricity

Besides the solar thermal technology issues above we operate a recycling scheme in the office, have low energy lighting throughout our offices and we offer to pay cyclists 20 p a mile if they cycle on business visits.

Measurement of Solar Twin Ltd’s environmental performance – externally accredited environmental management system.

Solar Twin Ltd is BS EN ISO 9001. An OEM supplier manufactures our panels in the UK in an ISO 9001 facility with experience in developing and supplying environmental technologies.

Solar Twin Ltd currently does not have an externally accredited environmental management system, however, our managing director Barry Johnston used to train extensively on ISO 14001 (environmental management systems) in the energy industry and we hope to implement this formally by February 2009.