Solar Performance in the UK

There is a common misconception in the UK that there is not enough sunlight to justify a solar energy generation. However, this is simply not true. The truth of the matter is that almost everyone in the UK would feel substantial benefit from a VELUX Solar Hot Water System. In simple terms this is not as crucial as factors such as polar orientation, pitch of the roof and the efficiency of the auxiliary heating source in your home.

It is true as the diagram above indicates that those how live further south will benefit from greater solar irradiation (the amount of x-rays omitted by the sun) which heats up the water for your home. Modern solar cells operate on daylight, not sunlight, so they work even when it's cloudy. But for those who live in Glasgow will receive sufficient solar irradiation to provide more than half of your annual hot water requirements.

Taking into consideration the solar irradiation in your location and the information that on average the typical consumption of daily hot water (DHW) per household in the UK is between 30 and 50 litres, at a temperature of 55ºC per person, there is a good chance you could provide up to 70% of your home’s hot water needs.