The Swedish company Ephex is developing a new solar heating system for single-family homes. The heart of the system is a new flat-plate collector.
It includes a full surface flow-through aluminium absorber. The frame is also made of aluminium. In contrast to other collector concepts, the collecting channel is an integral part of the frame. According to CEO Lennart Jacobsson, the welded joint between the collecting channel and the aluminium profile is where the special expertise comes into play when manufacturing this collector. The front and rear sides are sealed with polycarbonate plates. The rear insulation consists of a 4-mm Thermoreflect plate. Using this structure, Ephex achieves a collector height of just 50 mm and a weight of 32 kg. The gross surface area is 2.03 m2.
Another new feature is the salt-based latent storage system. Together with a heat pump and conventional water heater, it rounds off the complete system. By using a latent-heat storage system, the volume of the water tank can be significantly reduced. Ephex is currently using three layers with different melting temperatures. According to Jacobsson, the system configuration is still being optimised.
Jens-Peter Meyer
Photovoltaic Feed