Current and future plumbers take note, as 4 March looks set to be a landmark day for the water heating industry as Viridian Solar reveals its new solar heating product range.
Due to be unveiled at the Ecobuild event from 4-6 March, Viridian Solar’s ‘Pod’ solar heating concept promises to transform the way that solar water heating is installed. As such the news is going to be of interest to any existing and trainee tradesmen in this space, namely plumbers and solar power installation specialists, with the product adopting a new form of installation.
The Pod, which is 50cm x 50cm, is a thermal heat store that uses either solar thermal or solar photovoltaic energy, depending on whether it is the Pod-ST or Pod-PV model. Its compact size means that it can fit through a standard loft hatch while also being small enough to fit into tight corners.
Water that flows through the unit will be quickly heated before then joining the existing heating system. This means, the company ensures, that the installation process is quicker and hassle-free as it can easily fit into a property’s existing plumbing set-up; the Pod need only be connected to the solar panels and then be added to the cold water flow into any existing boiler.
Stuart Elmes, CEO of Viridian Solar, said: “We’re very excited to be announcing this product. The main challenge with retrofit solar thermal isn’t fitting the panels on the roof – it’s the interface with the existing heating system. The Pod changes all that. We reckon we’ve simplified solar heating to the point where it’s as easy to install as solar PV.”