Solar hot water systems are a great way of generating some of your own energy, they are cost- effective and a well sited system can reduce your hot water bills by 50% and provide up to 70% of your annual hot water needs.

A solar hot water system should idealy be placed on a south facing roof, although they can also be placed on frames on a flat roof or on the ground. There are 2 different types of system: flat plate and evacuated tubes. You can find out about the differences here.

The principle is very simple: when the sun shines water is pumped through the solar panels and the sun's energy is used to heat the water. The hot water gets pumped through a heat exchanger and heats the water in your cylinder. The system works with your boiler so when there is not enough sun your boiler takes over, meaning you are never without hot water.

View our annimation on the "how it works" page or download our fact sheet on solar hot water to find out more!