SOLARGENIUSRTHOT WATER SYSTEM
Harnessing solar energy using a SOLARGENIUS RT Hot Water System will save you between 50% and 75% of your household hot water heating bill.
In most homes, domestic hot water is usually provided by an electric or gas-fired water heater. Heating water with electricity is expensive and will become even more costly as the price of fossil fuels used to generate it continues to climb. Although heating water with gas is less expensive than heating with electricity, prices will continue to climb and burning gas still contributes to pollution and global warming.
In contrast, combined with an electric backup unit, the SOLARGENIUS RT can reduce the requirement for conventional water heating by 50% or more. The total amount saved will depend on your household's hot water consumption, and the amount of sunshine the collectors receive daily and throughout the year.
Traditional solar water heaters consist of two separate items:
- he collector panel ‘collects’ the radiant energy from the sun and transfers it in the form of heat to the water in the collector panel.
- he hot water storage tank stores the water that has been heated in the collector panel.
The SOLARGENIUS RT is unique in that:
- It utilises a fully flooded collector panel that contains no channels or pipes but instead provides a water-filled cavity over the complete collector area.
- It utilises a design in which the collector panel and the storage tank are fabricated in a one-piece moulding - removing the need for joints, seals or gaskets all of which are a major potential source of leaks and corrosion.
From your water supply, cold water is introduced into your solar unit that is installed on the roof of your home or workplace. Energy from the sun is then absorbed by the solar panels converting the sun’s radiation into heat energy providing you with solar heated water.
The SOLARGENIUS RTs operates as a “constant pressure” system. The main supply water is fed directly into the collector panel via a transfer chute located in the storage tank. This means that the SOLARGENIUS RT prevents cold water jetting into the storage tank and significantly reducing the temperature of the stored hot water. In independent tests, it was found that 85% of the capacity of the SOLARGENIUS RT could be drawn off before any reduction in water temperature was measured. This is a lot more hot water than you would expect from any other similar sized conventional domestic hot water storage system including gas, electric or other solar units.
The SOLARGENIUS RT is an integrated single piece solar collector and storage tank formed from medium density polyethylene using a rotational moulding process.
The storage tank is surrounded by polyurethane insulation that also acts as the structural body of the unit. Further insulation is obtained from styrene foam located underneath the collector panel. A high transmission impact resistant acrylic cover protects the collector plate and helps keep wind off the surface of the collector.
The SOLARGENIUS RT is an integrated single piece solar collector and storage tank formed from medium density polyethylene using a rotational moulding process.
The storage tank is surrounded by polyurethane insulation that also acts as the structural body of the unit. Further insulation is obtained from styrene foam located underneath the collector panel. A high transmission impact resistant acrylic cover protects the collector plate and helps keep wind off the surface of the collector.
Polyethylene, the main component of the SOLARGENIUS RT, has several advantages:
- It is inert – which means that nothing sticks to it or corrodes it. This means the polyethylene unit is 100% rust free.
- It is flexible and can withstand both elevated and sub zero frost conditions.
- The polyethylene in contact with water meets the Standards Australia requirements for direct contact with potable (drinking) water.
- The material is U.V. stabilised and has an expected service life in excess of 15 years under extreme conditions of solar radiation.
- Polyethylene is also used to mould the extremely tough and durable outer skin that covers the insulated storage tank.
The SOLARGENIUS RT models have been tested by a variety of test facilities including the Plumbing Testing Laboratory, Testing and Certification Australia and the Murdoch University Energy Research Institute (MUERI) in Western Australia to Australian Standards including AS3498, AS4234, AS2535.1 and AS2712.
Our Quality Assurance Program ensures that the manufacture of each SOLARGENIUS RT is controlled by procedures approved by Standards Australia’s Quality Assurance Services. As a result of meeting these stringent test and quality requirements, the SolarGenius has been awarded StandardsMark Certification 2733 to AS/NZS 2712.