Solar Hot Water Systems

Evacuated glass tube technology is a revolutionary solar hot water heating system designed specifically to provide maximum free energy to heat your domestic hot water. The solar hot water system design has evolved due to worldwide concerns about global warming and government programs to cut greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere. In the last decade, we have seen dramatic advances in solar collector performance and energy efficient building designs as well as a shift in people's awareness and expectations of energy efficient products. As a company, our objectives are to provide and develop energy free solar hot water systems and re-educate the public on how to use these products to maximise efficiencies and comfort levels.

- Basics of Evacuated Tube Technology

An evacuated tube is a double glazed vacuum sealed tube. Borosilicate glass is used in the manufacturing process due to its ability to handle the stress caused by extreme temperature differences. Most of you know this as 'Pyrex' kitchenware.

The vacuum seal in between the inner and outer tubes forms excellent insulation keeping 97% of the heat gain in. This is much like a thermos flask. The inner tube has a special 'Novel Sputtering' which was developed and patented at Sydney University. Light energy, even on cloudy days, is absorbed and turned into heat energy.

On a Global level, evacuated tubes are the highest performing and biggest selling systems due to their ability to absorb solar energy even on cloudy days. When averaged out over an entire Australian year, evacuated tube collectors can increase efficiencies at least 40% more than a standard flat plate solar hot water heating system and in excess of 100% compared to normal pool heating plastic panel or strip system.

- Basics of Heat Pump Technology

The Siddons Solarstream uses heat pump or heat transfer technology to heat hot water efficiently. A heat pump works like a refrigerator in reverse. A refrigerator uses refrigerant gases to extract heat from one space (making it colder) and transfers it to another (out of the back). Using similar refrigerant gases, a heat pump extracts heat from one space (air), and transfers it to another (hot water storage tank). The cooled air is then expelled from the rear of the unit via a fan into the atmosphere.

When the heated gas is compressed it creates a lot more energy than what has been consumed. This we refer to as the heat pumps coefficient of performance (C.O.P) and can vary from 2.5kW/h to 8.0kW/h, depending on the outside temperature.