Solar Thermal Collectors
As part of a commercial solar thermal application, Adveco’s large flat plate collectors are designed to help reduce energy demands, cutting carbon emissions and reducing operational costs associated with the provision of hot water. The large, modular design supports a variety of roof and wall mounting options to meet the needs of both new build and refurbishment projects.
The collectors house a low-weight, high-performance copper meander absorber manufactured with high-quality ultrasonic welding that assures system longevity and free movement of solar fluid within the collector plate.
- High efficiency flat plate design, copper meander absorber
- Smaller footprint than PV for equivalent hot water output
- Works with drainback for low maintenance, long service life
- No refrigerants, no F-gas registration required
Features & Key Technologies
- High-efficiency flat panel design
- High-performance copper meander absorber
- Works with Drain Back for reliable, low-maintenance, long-term operation
- Supports mounting on most buildings
- Smaller footprint than PV for equivalent thermal generation
- Ideal for renewable applications with large roof area and predictable hot water demands
- No operational noise for zero sound pollution
A Truly Sustainable System For All Types Of Commercial Buildings
Solar thermal collectors are by far the most efficient way to heat water with solar energy. This means flat plate collectors offer a smaller footprint compared to equivalent solar photovoltaics (PV) for domestic hot water (DHW), making them a prime choice when roof or facade space is limited.
A typical 4 kW PV system requires approximately 16 panels covering 25m² of roof to match just three Adveco flat plate collectors covering just 6.6m² roof area.
Adveco recommends its solar thermal collectors be supplied with an integrated drain back module to prevent the overheating of solar fluid (glycol) within the flat plate collector to ensure system longevity.
This approach enables commercial buildings with high demands to deploy a large number of collectors with a small tank and still provide high-temperature water with the knowledge that in times of low use high-temperature build-up in collectors is impossible. This ensures the system remains protected.
This approach is also more cost-effective as there is no
requirement for the installation of large solar storage, and more efficient as there is no call to dump unused heat.
For installations in densely urbanised areas, Flat Plate Collectors and Drain Back operate with no noise for zero sound pollution. The system uses no refrigerants, so avoids issues of chemicals with high global warming potential (GWP) and requires no specialist registration, such as F-gas, although installers should be solar trained.
Due to the modular concept of Adveco’s flat plate solar thermal collectors, applications can be introduced into a wide range of commercial buildings, no matter the form factor of the structure.
Whether roof-mounted, roof integrated or fixed on floor or wall consoles, fixing and connection are carried out with the same components, whatever the installation type. All mounting systems are prefabricated, meaning subsequent adjustments should not be required, accelerating installation timeframes when on site.
All mounting components are manufactured from high-quality materials for assured, long service life. Delivered complete in a single package including assembly materials, installation of single and multiple panel systems is made easy.
Mount on roof hook. Integrated into the roof. Mounted frame on roof hook.
Frame for flat roof. Wall mounted frame. Façade installation.
Specifications
Adveco Solar Collectors
- Net area 2.22 m²
- Gross area 2.52m²
- Temperature resistant up to 200°C
- Length 2.10 m
- Width 1.20 m
- Height 85 mm
- Operational pressure 6 bar
- Weight 37 kg
- Simple installation system for multiple panels
- Complete installation is delivered in a single package including assembly materials
- Installation options: roof build-on, roof build-in, frame construction for flat roof and wall mounting
- No high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants
- No specialist registration, such as F-gas, is needed for installation, although installers should be solar trained
- Solar Keymark certified
- Approved by EN12975-2-2006
What is a commercial solar thermal collector?
A commercial solar thermal collector is a flat plate panel that absorbs solar energy and transfers it directly into a building’s hot water circuit, rather than generating electricity like a photovoltaic panel. Adveco’s collectors use a copper meander absorber, manufactured with ultrasonic welding, so solar fluid moves freely through the panel over its working life without the joint failures that shorten the life of lower quality collectors. They’re best suited to buildings with a large available roof area and hot water demand that’s reasonably predictable through the year, schools, hotels and leisure sites are common applications.
Solar thermal versus PV for hot water: the roof space comparison
GLT is Adveco’s multi coil, or double coil, cylinder in the GL range, fitted with two independent indirect heating coils rather than one. That lets two separate heat sources, commonly a heat pump on the lower coil and a boiler on the upper coil, run into a single vessel rather than needing two separate tanks. GLC covers the single coil equivalent where only one indirect heat source is required, and GLE drops the coil entirely for buffer or direct electric duty.
Why Adveco pairs collectors with a drainback system
Adveco recommends fitting its flat plate collectors with an integrated drainback module. When the system isn’t drawing heat, solar fluid drains back out of the collectors rather than sitting in the panel and overheating, which protects the fluid and the panel over the long term without needing a large solar storage tank to dump excess heat into. That also keeps the system cheaper to install, since there’s no oversized storage vessel to specify, and more efficient, since there’s no unused heat being generated and wasted.
Installation
All mounting components are prefabricated and delivered as a single package with the assembly materials included, so panels go up without on site adjustment regardless of whether they’re roof mounted, frame mounted on a flat roof, or fixed to a wall or facade. The system uses no refrigerants, so it avoids high global warming potential chemicals and doesn’t require F-gas registration, though installers should be solar trained.
Options
Roof build-on – panels mounted on hooks above the existing roof surface, the most common option for pitched roofs.
Roof build-in – panels integrated flush into the roof structure itself, for a lower profile finish.
Frame for flat roof – a prefabricated frame that angles the panels correctly on a flat roof.
Wall or facade mounted – for sites where roof space is limited or unsuitable, using the same fixing and connection components as the roof options.
Adveco Drainback Systems – For Long-lasting, Low-Maintenance Renewables
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50 Years
Adveco Ltd. is the independent hot water specialist for the commercial built environment and has historically traded as A.O. Smith Water Heaters in the UK.
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