Thermal store ?

[DaveI]

I am currently planning a new heating system for a barn renovation. I will be installing Navitron or similar solar tubes on the roof and a large woodburner, possibly  a large Woodwarm 20kW woodburner with a boiler to heat both the water tank and up to about 10 radiators. I was considering a 300 litre unvented solar tank with 2 coils for the solar and woodburner with the woodburner circuit being vented to a header tank.

Would it be worth considering a thermal store in place of the unvented tank and does anyone have any experience of how this works, is the thermal store vented, and how does it provide domestic hot water?

Dave

 

[Gluestick]

Dave:

If you use the search function, you will find quite a bit on heating, including solar and thermal store technology.

A number of members are considering the Thermal Store approach, as the cost of oil rises to the stratosphere!

The basic concept is the Thermal Store (TS), is simply a super-insulated tank which stores heat energy by way of extremely hot water.

DHW is usually provided by circulating  stored water from the TS, through a calorifier contained in another tank. The DHW tank is in France, usually a Ballon type, with an electric heater as back up.

Heating simply takes stored water from the TS and circulates this around the heating circuit, as required (On demand from the control system).

If this is a fresh conversion, then use Underfloor Heating: it is far more effective, provided the correct valving and stats and etc are fitted.

Consider a wood gasification boiler: they are the most effective.

Also consider Geothermal, if you have sufficient suitable land space and can either sink boreholes or "Slinkies" in trenches.

Best of luck!

 

[Poolguy]

[quote user="DaveI"]

I am currently planning a new heating system for a barn renovation. I will be installing Navitron or similar solar tubes on the roof and a large woodburner, possibly  a large Woodwarm 20kW woodburner with a boiler to heat both the water tank and up to about 10 radiators. I was considering a 300 litre unvented solar tank with 2 coils for the solar and woodburner with the woodburner circuit being vented to a header tank.

Would it be worth considering a thermal store in place of the unvented tank and does anyone have any experience of how this works, is the thermal store vented, and how does it provide domestic hot water?

Dave

 

[/quote]

 

I have sent you a PM about the Thermal store and the Navitron solar system. I am installing the same at the moment.

Andrew