Solar thermal 06: Australian release of the Solartech Genius Solar Hot Water System
Renewable energy commercialisation in Australia
The Solartech Genius has low manufacturing and maintenance costs, very simple standard installation, is durable, and is unaffected by poor water quality, hot weather and frost.
Solco Industries has designed and produced the world's first one-piece, polymer-based domestic solar hot water system, the Solartech Genius. This patented world-leading technology was developed to overcome the high up-front cost of purchasing traditional solar hot water units - the main reason why house owners have been reluctant to embrace these products in large numbers.
Supported by a $1 million grant under the Renewable Energy Commercialisation Program, Solco Industries has significantly increased its manufacturing capability and has released the solar units onto the Australian residential market.
The initial response from the Australian consumers has been highly encouraging and, now that the Solartech Genius unit has completed testing accreditation to qualify for government rebates, its already low cost should be further reduced, thereby increasing its market potential.
Solco's initial design concept was specifically targeted to operate in regions of high solar radiation, such as South-East Asia. The current models incorporate an immersion electric booster, integrated pressure reduction valve and a moulded exterior polymeric cover to the storage tank. These features enable the solar unit to operate effectively in regions that experience lower annual solar radiation, such as Southern Australia and Europe.
The main component of the unit is a one-piece integrated solar collector and storage tank formed in a plastics manufacturing process called 'rotational moulding'. The raw material used is an ultraviolet-stabilised polyethylene and has an anticipated lifespan of at least 15 years. The current models have a capacity of 200 and 300 litres, which is more than enough for the averagesized family in Australia.
Both models incorporate an auxiliary flow actuated pump system to deliver pressure water flow to the consumer. In addition, the Solco unit is around 50 per cent less expensive to produce than the nearest comparable product found in any market to date. The unit will never rust as the materials used are non-corrosive and maintenance-free. Since polyethylene is an inert material to which salts do not adhere, it will not calcify or block up. The materials used are ultraviolet-stabilised and resilient. The Solartech Genius does not boil in hot weather and, because of the fully flooded collector panel and the ability of the polyethylene to expand and contract, it is totally unaffected by frost conditions.
The unit's design eliminates the traditional problem experienced in other hot water storage systems where the incoming cold water mixes with the stored hot water and quickly reduces the tank temperature. As much as 160 litres from the 200 litre unit and 260 litres from the 300 litre unit can be used before there is a 1ºC drop in water temperature. The Solartech Genius can be directly connected to slow combustion stoves, providing auxiliary heating in the winter months without the need for pressure reduction valves or shepherd's crooks.
The materials of construction and finished solar products comply with a full suite of domestic and international standards and have received favourable independent assessments carried out by testing authorities in Thailand, Argentina, Jordan, Fiji and the Northern Territory in Australia.
Extensive field tests of the current design have been carried out in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, where over 1,000 units have been installed.
For more information please contact
Anthony Marwick
Solco Industries Pty Ltd
126 Sheffield Road
Welshpool WA 6106
Tel (08) 9356 2844
Fax (08) 9351 8290
Email solco@solco.com.au
Internet www.solco.com.au
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(solar6.pdf - 347 KB)
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