Solar panels + solar energy. Solar water heating systems vs PV photovoltaic solar panels. Carbon footprint / life cycle analysis. Solartwin review of product environmental life cycle.

Solartwin “twice as green” claims validated by Bath University

Solartwin’s solar panel’s “twice as green” claims have been independently validated by a report entitled: MG 2008-SG-005 from Bath University. Their life cycle analysis reports on Solartwin’s innovative zero carbon (PV pumped) solar water heating technology. A micro-wind turbine and a domestic scale solar electric photovoltaic system were also included in the analysis for comparison.

It concludes that the energy payback of Solartwin solar thermal systems is be around 1.5 years of operation. This is less than half what traditional solar incurs: a great solar benefit.

A separate report from DTI shows that the carbon clawback of conventional solar thermal (with indirect plumbing and mails pumping) has about 8% energy clawback as a result of its mains powered operation (and 20% carbon clawback too). Over 25 years, use which is what as assumed in the Bath study, therefore this equates to about 2 years of energy extra clawback by conventional solar. Solartwin has a figure of Zero here because this solar heating system does not run on mains electricity but only solar electricity, which it generates on site.

So if you install conventional solar thermal which is usually uses more materials that Solartwin, it takes 4 (or more years) of use to reach energy breakeven. But it takes less than 2 years with Solartwin solar water heating system. How patient are you?

Which technology would you choose? The Solartwin solar water heating system is at least twice as green from the perspective of “embodied energy plus operational energy”. In other words Solartwin gets you there, to the energy breakeven point, after which you go into energy credit, in half the time – because it has half the energy requirement in its manufacute and use combined.

Half the carbon fotoprint is a sound reason to chooose Solartwin: what we regard as the best solar panel innovation to come out of UK. This report validates independently our belief that it is twice as good as conventional solar when it comes to energy breakeven time.

“We have achieved this remarkable step change for the solar thermal world. Now who will do it for cars?” asks Barry Johnston, Managing Director of Solar Twin Ltd.