Does anybody have any experience of Firebird Sydney solar tube systems?
Apparently they are made in Ireland. My plumber has recommended them over the Kingspan Thermomax. He said they perform better and are cheaper.
They are made in Ireland and SEAI registered
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I presume the Kloben tubes are also made in China and then assembled in Italy?
The other solar tubes I was considering were the Italian Kloben tubes. I've been told that they are far superior to the Thermomax "due to actual aperture area and also to effectiveness of the tube".
Can you share your thoughts on the chart in the following link? It's not consistent with the info in the solar keymark database. http://www.ecoevolution.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/SolarEnergyComparison.pdf
I have heard people talking about inferior Chinese products. I have an IPhone for almost two years and it's still working after a lot of abuse. It's state of the art and top quality in my opinion. It was made in China.
Can you share your thoughts on the chart in the following link? It's not consistent with the info in the solar keymark database. http://www.ecoevolution.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/SolarEnergyComparison.pdf
2) All vacuum tubes or flasks will need to be replaced after 15 to 20 years. The Chinese ones are much cheaper to replace (about €5 each)
3) A heat dump is about €300 to install. The relay for it is already included in most controllers. It will never "max out", so it preserves the life of glycol. Using a heat dump allows you to put in more tubes than you normally would, and this give you better heat cover in spring and autumn. Any system that doesn't have a heat dump will not provide warranties if you exceed their recommended ratio of tubes to water storage.
4) Another issue with CPC systems is that they rely on light being reflected from the mirrors onto the back of the flask. That works well in the test bed on a new system, but after a few years, the back of the tube is usually filthy and so this no longer work. All you have done is substantially increase the wind load of the system.
If that is true why would Kingspan offer a 20 year warranty on their tubes and if it is true, then happy days, they will be replaced free of charge under warranty!
I would also bet that many heat dumps are radiators on the glycol circuit and not plumbed into the heating circuit as this requires an additional circulating pump. Many are very undersized for the job in hand because a single small radiator is cheaper than a 1m double and often the route taken by the installer if taken at all.
Just a few things I would add to this.
1) The relative efficiencies of Sydney tubes cannot be compared directly because they don't take into account Incidence Angle Modifier or IAM - Zero loss efficiency is used when the sun is directly in front of the tubes (noon sunshine), whereas Sydney tubes work better either side of noon. There is an article on this .
2) All vacuum tubes or flasks will need to be replaced after 15 to 20 years. The Chinese ones are much cheaper to replace (about €5 each)
3) A heat dump is about €300 to install. The relay for it is already included in most controllers. It will never "max out", so it preserves the life of glycol. Using a heat dump allows you to put in more tubes than you normally would, and this give you better heat cover in spring and autumn. Any system that doesn't have a heat dump will not provide warranties if you exceed their recommended ratio of tubes to water storage.
4) Another issue with CPC systems is that they rely on light being reflected from the mirrors onto the back of the flask. That works well in the test bed on a new system, but after a few years, the back of the tube is usually filthy and so this no longer work. All you have done is substantially increase the wind load of the system.
The only way to compare both systems is to run a computer simulation. Taking IAM into account boosts output of some Sydney tubes by over 40% at times of the day, but the average boost can be about 15% to 18%. It varies widely.If the Sydney tubes are cleaned every two to three years how do they compare in performance and longevity to Kingspan and Kloben given bstops "entirely glass container" point and yours regarding comparisons and lack of consideration for IAM?
I am presuming that cleaning involves some soapy hot water and an old rag
The major advantage of Sydney tubes is that the vacuum is contained in an entirely glass container and this will hold the vacuum longer than a tube which has glass to metal joints.
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