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dokgolf
22-06-2011, 22:17
Could anyone please furnish me with names af any renewable energy companies in Tenerife. We are beginning to give serious thought to moving permenently and as my experience is in this sector, would like to see how the marketplace lies before doing anything concrete. I have already checked out Berpau in Santa Cruz. Also, I would very much appreciate if there is anyone out there who has had solar panels or energy recovery units ( or any renewable energy) installed, could they please let me know size, cost and make? Thanks again, Dok:crossfingers:

9PLUS
22-06-2011, 22:28
It goes like this, not really something thats taken off here due to the pricing and end product.

Sadly as we get a lot of Sun

Most people would rather pay Endesa €45 a month.


It will take a lot to change this habit and in the end will be driven by a change in A, Costings B, End result

Maybe one thing in your favor is the lack of an idea most of the so called engineers i've met here seem to have.

yet the guys that maintain the ITER facility are rather good at what they do.

cheery
23-06-2011, 09:15
It always amazes me the lack of solar panels throughout Europe. I was posted to Cyprus in 1986 and one of the first things that struck me (after the incredible heat) was the amount of solar panels on the rooftops. Even our shower block at the old Nicosia Airport had solar panels, and because it was so bright and sunny there was always a fresh supply of hot water.

If I ever had the money I would love to buy a plot of land to build a house as sustainable as possible. Not just because it is 'the right thing to do', but because I'm tight!

9PLUS
23-06-2011, 15:54
you'll find the further south you go the less likely people want to stray away from a simple life

dokgolf
23-06-2011, 18:25
I would say that the higher utility prices go, the more popular they will become though if you are only paying 45 euro a month for electricity, it might be some time yet before the popularity kicks in. I know in Fuerteventura most of the new complexes ( both residential and tourist ) have had solar heated swimming pools installed at time of construction. Would you know if the Spanish government signed up to the Kyoto agreement ( to reduce carbon emmisions by 20% by year 2020)?

atlantico
23-06-2011, 18:32
maybe if a member who fitted these could give some costings, approx of course, that may sway peoples minds. ie if to put a small one on roof to warm a splash pool was €2k, someone might think that was cheap, but didn't ask because they thought it may cost €6k.

anyone know the approx cost of solar panels to keep your hot water boiler hot all day ?

dokgolf
23-06-2011, 18:49
anyone know the approx cost of solar panels to keep your hot water boiler hot all day ?

That would depend on the amount of hot water you want to heat though if you live in an apartment complex, you wouldn't in all liklehood have individual hot water cylinders in each apartment ( I'm open to correction on this). When sizing a solar hot water system, we generally allow 50l per person plus another 50l, so a family of 4 would need a 250l hot water cylinder ( 50x4 plus 50 ). If you are in a communal water scheme, the water tank would be huge ( thousands of litres ) and thereby need multi banks of panels ( though probably not as many as you would imagine given the amount of sunshine in Tenerife)

A.P.&.S.S
23-06-2011, 18:57
maybe if a member who fitted these could give some costings, approx of course, that may sway peoples minds. ie if to put a small one on roof to warm a splash pool was €2k, someone might think that was cheap, but didn't ask because they thought it may cost €6k.

anyone know the approx cost of solar panels to keep your hot water boiler hot all day ?

I was in a 'Ferateria' the other day and saw a huge tank (well compaired to the elec one we have), it had the solar panel attached to the bottom of it and im sure it was about €2000ish to buy. I thought new building regs here insisted that a solar powered water heater be fitted on the roof? I mean in villas as this would not be poss in huge appartment complex.

Excuse me if I am totaly wrong, just going on what I have heard!! :lol:

atlantico
23-06-2011, 19:15
That would depend on the amount of hot water you want to heat though if you live in an apartment complex, you wouldn't in all liklehood have individual hot water cylinders in each apartment ( I'm open to correction on this). When sizing a solar hot water system, we generally allow 50l per person plus another 50l, so a family of 4 would need a 250l hot water cylinder ( 50x4 plus 50 ). If you are in a communal water scheme, the water tank would be huge ( thousands of litres ) and thereby need multi banks of panels ( though probably not as many as you would imagine given the amount of sunshine in Tenerife)?


why would a family of 4 need 250L tank when their present one of 60L is sufficient for their needs ? Are you saying that it takes so long to heat up that you'd have to wait hours in between showers ?

dokgolf
23-06-2011, 21:43
why would a family of 4 need 250L tank when their present one of 60L is sufficient for their needs ? Are you saying that it takes so long to heat up that you'd have to wait hours in between showers ?

I would be willing to bet that your 60l tank has a built in instantaneous heating element with which it heats the water as required ( much like an immersion or electric shower) or perhaps you have a gas boiler?

Added after 2 minutes:


I was in a 'Ferateria' the other day and saw a huge tank (well compaired to the elec one we have), it had the solar panel attached to the bottom of it and im sure it was about €2000ish to buy. I thought new building regs here insisted that a solar powered water heater be fitted on the roof? I mean in villas as this would not be poss in huge appartment complex.

Excuse me if I am totaly wrong, just going on what I have heard!! :lol:

What do you mean by having a solar panel attached to the bottom of it?

A.P.&.S.S
23-06-2011, 23:29
I would be willing to bet that your 60l tank has a built in instantaneous heating element with which it heats the water as required ( much like an immersion or electric shower) or perhaps you have a gas boiler?

Added after 2 minutes:



What do you mean by having a solar panel attached to the bottom of it?

I agree, the one we have is about 60L-80L and has a heating element, just like an electric shower. The solar panels that are fitted to roofs here are like a water tank on their sides with a large solar panel below for the sun to heat the water.....if I find a photo I'll post it?!

9PLUS
24-06-2011, 01:16
Originally Posted by atlantico2

why would a family of 4 need 250L tank when their present one of 60L is sufficient for their needs ? Are you saying that it takes so long to heat up that you'd have to wait hours in between showers ?





I would be willing to bet that your 60l tank has a built in instantaneous heating element with which it heats the water as required ( much like an immersion or electric shower) or perhaps you have a gas boiler?




I bet you it doesn't

kitty
24-06-2011, 06:50
I have a Saunier Duval Helioset (drainback system) with 150 lt tank and high efficiency solar panel.
I was lucky to find a special offer last year, as a wholesaler had them on stock and unable to sell them here in Tenerife.
Paid only 2k instead of 3,600.
I'd highly recommend this system.

dokgolf
24-06-2011, 09:35
I bet you it doesn't

:D I did say I was open to correction. Does the hot water then come from a main communal tank?


I have a Saunier Duval Helioset (drainback system) with 150 lt tank and high efficiency solar panel.
I was lucky to find a special offer last year, as a wholesaler had them on stock and unable to sell them here in Tenerife.
Paid only 2k instead of 3,600.
I'd highly recommend this system.

Was that including installation?

Larisa
24-06-2011, 17:18
Does anyone know about the maintenance the solar system for the water tanks involves?

mike in chayofa
24-06-2011, 17:44
Does anyone know about the maintenance the solar system for the water tanks involves?

Not as such, but the panels will need a good frequent clean.

Logically, because of the sunshine that we have, you would think that they would be extremely popular. The reality is that there is so much sand in the air that to keep them functioning in a reasonable manner, this sand needs to be cleaned off often.

dokgolf
24-06-2011, 18:21
Does anyone know about the maintenance the solar system for the water tanks involves?

I dont know about the ones in Tenerife, but the ones here are filled with glycol ( anti-freeze) and this will coagulate over time. We generally flush out systems every two years. I'm not sure if this would apply in Tenerife because I can't think of a reason as to why you couldn't fill them with water there.

kitty
25-06-2011, 06:19
Was that including installation?

Yes, but offer no longer available...

Larisa
28-06-2011, 17:44
what about the anticalc system, is it indispensable for solar panels?

dokgolf
28-06-2011, 20:44
what about the anticalc system, is it indispensable for solar panels?
Tbh, I don't know an awful lot about anticalc systems as here in Ireland, we dont have a huge amount of hard water. I presume its some kind of salt based anode that would be replaced every so often? If your panels and solar coil in cylinder are filled with antifreeze then an anticalc system would have no bearing on the solar side of things. I would presume however, that, it would still be needed to treat the water in the cylinder itself.

Pooh
28-06-2011, 22:39
We didn't notice any issues with calc with the system we had on our house in Cyprus, and the water there was much, much harder than it is here in Tenerife (at least where we live).
There was a problem with a lot of dust settling on everything (more than I experience here - had to clean the windows at least once a month, and sometimes you couldn't see the bottom of the pool), but we didn't notice any significant impact on the solar panels from that - we didn't clean them once during the whole time we lived there, and they weren't clean even when we moved in.
In my opinion the problems which those kinds of systems are very much exaggerated - they are virtually maintenance free.