Bino

Good morning Théière, To cut to the chase, I would never personally use EV tubes, I sell them but do not recommend them for all sort of reasons, I personally use and sell Flat plate Solar Thermal, I also sell and install PV, We also are heat pump specialists. All I am trying to say is a simple cost effective way to heat a pool / DHW is using EPDM mats installed correctly connected to a heat pump will work 365 days a year 24 hours a a day. There is a care home using EPDM mats on the roof which produce 4000lts hot water (yes 4000) daily providing ALL the hot water needs for the home all year. You can all argue all day about Uv a and B if you want. only trying to help. regards Roy G

Good Evening Andrew, Solar Thermal use IR radiation not UV A or B and evac tubes are more expensive and have more service problems as oposed to flat plate collectors if you have a problem with one tube you might lose all the fluid from the system also the tubes can  be difficult to replace/repair. Solar PV uses UV A or and B to cause the reaction in the receptor. Yes you can have problems with EPDM matting but always use an anti-freeze mix as you should with Solar thermal so that you do not need to drain down the system. They are simple and cheap to repair. Again you can use Solar Thermal and /or EPDM matting as an energy source for a small heat pump, extending the use of the pool. to later in the year. regards Roy G www.theheheatpumppeople.co.uk  

As I understand it, both glass evacuated tube and Poly Tube colectors use IR not UV A or B,However you can always use the Poly Tube or Solar thermal as the energy source for a small heat pump or just use a small air to water heat pump and >> with a bit of clever plumbing you can provide plenty of hot water to the house too using the glass tube system.

Hi Pete you may find this link useful http://www.giordano.fr/chauffage-solaire-giordano-pour-piscine-individuelle regards Roy G

Also the telephone code for Linlithgow is 01506, don't know Baird Hall, in High St, (Linlithgow is 4 miles from us).