Birds Eye Energy has introduced a 2-in-1 solar panel that promises to redefine how households, hotels, hospitals and hostels meet their energy needs. Their cutting-edge solar panel not only produces electricity but also generates hot water simultaneously, all from a single panel.
This dual-functionality is a game-changer. They have designed and developed a heat recovery system which is placed underneath the PV layer and captures the otherwise-wasted heat and utilizes it to heat water.
I’m not sure about a game changer. Solar hot water has been around for ever, I had a system installed 20 years ago.it just about paid for itself before the pump broke and proved difficult to replace. There is an obvious advantage in that solar pv operates best at about 20c, and having a cooling system will help optimise electricity production, as well as provide some water heating. However, the need for hot water is greatest in winter, when it would produce nothing. I expect the payback period will be similar to standard pv, the problem will be finding people with both pv and plumbing skills to install and maintain it
The idea of duplex solar panels from Birds Eye Energy is excellent because it does two things simultaneously: making electricity and heating water. This is smart because you can do more with just one panel.ADVERT DELETED
Last edited by Jubiee on 12 Feb 2024, 14:19, edited 1 time in total.
Only slightly warm water, NOT hot can be produced if the PV module is to work with reasonable efficiency.
Possibly more appicable to heated swimming pools at about 25 degrees, than to general domestic hot water at about 55/60 degrees
"Installers and owners of emergency diesels must assume that they will have to run for a week or more"
If combined with a heat pump of about 1.5KW output it could supply DHW at 40 to 50 C quite economically. I had a 2kw heat pump back in the 80s which supplied us with hot water using the cooling air from a generator to provide a heat source. It worked quite well until the genny caught fire!! The German company supplying the heat pumps downsized from a 2kW unit to a 1.5kW unit as they thought it better fitted the need so I got a 2kW unit on the cheap!
