Please follow the links below to access our specialised services

We have a vast wealth of experience in solar panel installation. We currently install in excess of a hundred new Solar installations  each year, and this figure is rapidly growing. Are installers are OFTEC and BPEC registered. Our work is to the highest standard possible and installations carry a full two year workmanship guarantee in addition to the manufacturers product warranty.

The content of this website is carefully designed to give you the straight facts about Solar panels in the UK, and to help you make a balanced decision in your choice of the right solar  panel for you. The information is based on our vast experience, not on hard sell.  Although obviously as a business we need to make a profit. But the prices we charge for our products and installations are fair. Over the years the Solar Panel industry has been subject to much bad press and miss selling of panels with promises of fantastic temperatures and phenomenal performance. When contacting us you will never go through to a pushy sales person, but will always, if required speak to an engineer who actually puts the panels on the roof! That way we can give you an honest appraisal of what an installation requires, and be able to accurately answer any of your questions.

The Best Solar Panels for the UK environment

Evacuated Tube Installation

To simplify the situation there are two main types of Solar panels available in the Uk. Evacuated tubes and flat plate collectors. Each type of panel has its strength and weaknesses. Evacuated tubes are capable of  producing very high temperatures, however this in itself can cause the unit to fail. The excessively high temperatures at the top of the tubes, [up to over 100c] causes shearing forces in the manifold and tubes, which can lead to tube failure. The tubes are quite fragile and subject to storm damage if sited too close to trees. They unfortunately are also subject to damage from vandalism. For most people this is not a problem, but if the panel is to be sited close to a road or path, this is a very important issue to take into account. Because of the very high temperatures involved it is often necessary to mount pressure relief valves on the roof, this in itself makes the panels unsightly. Finally, the initial cost of installation of a typical Evacuated Tube Solar Panel installation tends to be quite high, and the ongoing running costs of maintenance are also considerably higher. For example, the cost of an Evacuated Tube Solar Panel system for an average household would typically be in the range of £8 to £12k. An equivalent Flat plate Solar Panel installation would be in the region of £3 to £6k. Obviously this means that your payback time is greatly reduced.

Flatplate Collectors

Although they do not produce quite the top end temperatures of Evacuated Tubes, [typically temperatures of 80 c plus are not uncommon]. Flat plate collectors have several significant advantages. The real strength of flat plate solar panels is their ability to produce large quantities of usable water in the 40 to 70c range. After all human skin cannot tolerate much more than 42 degrees centigrade, so anything above that requires to be blended down to a usable temperature. The mounting options for flat plates are much more varied. They can be mounted on the roof, or in the roof, the advantage of this is all pipe connections are inside the building and esthetically the panel looks much neater, as in the photographs below. Flat plates are very robust and are more suited to the UK climate. It would be almost impossible for a correctly mounted panel to be pulled off the roof by the wind, and the front covers are made of toughened materials to resist anything throne at them, whether deliberately or by the weather.

Performance Issues and Payback Periods for Solar Panels in the UK

All of the panels that we supply are capable of producing excellent results in UK conditions, they are all very efficient in their ability to collect Solar energy. But! This is the UK, and as we have seen this last year the weather can be very unpredictable. Most Solar Panels will work in light cloud conditions, but no panel will work if the clouds are black with rain. Other factors such position in the UK, length of internal pipe runs and customer use, will all effect the panel performance. There are figures widely available for potential Solar energy for each area of the country, but these should be treated as the absolute maximum achievable.

Possible Payback Times

Now for the big question! How quickly will the panel pay for itself? As the industry grows, more and more information is becoming available on this issue. Generally speaking a good quality Solar Panel installed correctly by a professional installer should be capable of producing up to about 70% of a household’s hot water requirements for a calendar year. Obviously, this is averaged over different times of the year, where during the summer it will take over completely and other times when there will be little or nothing. Based on being constantly in the field, in contact with our customers, the general picture that we get is that the payback period will vary from 4years up to ten. Figures recently published by The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers indicate a period of 9.3 yrs. In reality with so many variables in the equation it is impossible to predict the time precisely. For example if fuel prices suddenly went through the roof a lot of people who have already gone Solar would be rubbing their hands with glee. The final factor that effects payback is you the customer. For example, if your family take showers predominately in the evening. Your hot water usage will be less, as this type of schedule suits a Solar hot water system better. On the other side if you want to take loads of hot baths during the day or are running a b & B for example, then this would require a different type of installation, which would be more costly.

Solar Panel Installation Service

Apart from installing our own panels, with our vast experience in all aspects of Solar Panel installation and engineering, we are able to offer a complete independent installation service. This service covers both Evacuated Tubes and Flat Plate collectors. Our service is not just limited to panel installation. We can provide a complete plumbing service to complement our Solar work. Our services cover the installation of, thermal stores, unvented cylinders, solid fuel appliances [such as Rayburns], oil and gas boilers and full central heating. We are also specialists in providing multi-fuel installations, where it is necessary to combine multiple heat sources. For example combining: Solar Thermal, Rayburn/Aga, Oil/gas boiler, Immersion and wood burning stoves. This service is offered on a labour only basis, or we can design and install a full system to your own specific requirements. So, if you are working on your own eco-project, or have brought a DIY Solar kit and have just got stuck.  We can offer you the complete service. As each job is of a different nature, this service is available by quotation only. Please call us on 01643 706300 or E-mail your enquiry to installations@taps-uk.co.uk

Solar Panel Breakdown Services

Due to our vast experience in the Solar field we are able to offer a unique Solar panel breakdown services. For many years, the Solar industry has been plagued with many ‘quick profit’ companies [just like double glazing]. This has left many people with panels that have little or no maintenance back up, or in the worst case scenario, a broken down panel. In many cases the panel failure is not catastrophic and it is just the technical skills to fix the problem, that are missing. In reality Solar Panels are pretty simple, and all work very much on the same principals.

We have the technical; skills and depth of knowledge across a wide range of  Solar Panels, to be able to offer this service. Listed below is our schedule of charges for this service.

Service Level Callout 1

This service provides the services of an engineer on site for 3hrs. This should be sufficient to identify the reason for panel failure and fix minor problems. If the engineer is unable to fix the problem on the day, a full report will be generated for the customer, indicating the exact nature of the fault and the full cost of repair.

The price includes consumable materials and 3hrs travel to and from site. System parts are charged separately:                          
Call out charge: £350 inc VAT

Service Level Callout 2

This service call is the same as service level 1, but two engineers are required on site for safe roof access, and working practices.

The price includes consumable materials and 3hrs travel to and from site. System parts are charged separately:                          
Call out charge: £450 inc VAT

Reduced Service Level Charges

Reduced level service charges are available where significant reductions in on-site time or travelling are possible.

Specific examples would be where the fault is clearly identifiable before the callout, or where the call out is timed to correspond with our engineer already being in the area.

All service charges must be fully agreed with TAPS-UK  before any callout will take place.

Solar Panel Grants

Unfortunately the current government support of ‘micro generation’ is appalling. In some areas grants are available, but generally the support is poor. Any Solar Panel installation we carry out will not only be inline with the manufacturer’s recommended installation guidelines, but it will also be in line with current BPEC, Clearskies and British Standards. If any grant application you make is refused or stalled on the quality of the installation. We will return free of charge and make any necessary
alterations.

Solar Panel Sales

We can supply and fit a just about any Solar Panel System available in the UK. Listed below are the three main panels that we fit, they each have their own strengths which make them very popular.  The prices are a guideline figure only, as there can be many variations. On completion of our Solar survey and a brief chat with one of our engineers, we can confirm prices for your exact system.  We have not included full details of each panel here, but have provided a link to the manufacturer’s website, where full details of each product are available.

Solartwin Direct Hot Water System

The beauty of the system is it’s pure simplicity. The Solar pump is powered by a small photovoltaic cell mounted on the front of the panel. The temperature and pumping rate are then managed by a compact control unit. This means that there is no parasitic power usage. This system is unique because of this and the fact that it heats the water directly. This means that unlike most indirect systems, there is one less heat exchange to take place, thus saving energy. In most cases further savings can be made as in most cases your existing cylinder can be used. In some case particularly where the water is hard, it may be necessary to fit a water softener or twin coil cylinder. This would be picked up in the Solar survey and the cost of the installation would be adjusted accordingly. Typical basic system cost £3499    www.solartwin.com Click to enlarge

Alpha Smart Solar System

Alpha boilers are suppliers of high quality comb- boilers. They have designed a high quality Solar package that can be fitted to just about any Combi-boiler. The system is very simple, the Solar panel supplies hot water to a storage tank in the attic. This is then used to pre-feed the inlet supply to the combi-boiler. Using an innovative and patented ‘Solar Valve’ water is directed either to the boiler intake or directly our to the hot water system. This means that if the storage temperature is above 60C the water flows direct to the hot water taps without the boiler firing, or in the case that the storage temperature is lower, the Solar system pre-feeds the Combi boiler with pre heated water. This significantly reduces the fuel consumption of the boiler as it is heating the inlet water not from mains temperature [typically 9C] but from the pre feed temperature of the store. This system can be used on almost all Combi-boilers, not just Alpha, providing that the  boiler is [fully modulating] the Alpha Smart Solar system is a natural choice for Combi users. Typical basic system cost: £4000    www.alpha-boilers.com

Grant Solar Thermal System

Grant boilers are the largest manufacturer of oil fired boilers in the UK. Their boilers are without any doubt the best in the Uk. They supply a fully integrated Solar solution to go with their boilers as well as other manufacturers. The basis system can  be fitted to your existing cylinder of you already have a twin coil cylinder. If not then the complete system can be upgraded at the same time as the Solar system is fitted. If you already have a Grant  boiler the Grant Solar Thermal System is the natural upgrade to your existing system to try and keep your fuel costs under control. Typical basic system costs: £4000 with cylinder change £8000    www.grantuk.com

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