Solar Thermal InstallationHot Water from the SunBolton & Manchester
Solar thermal panels provide 50–70% of your annual hot water from the sun — even in our climate. Integrates with existing cylinders or paired with new heat pump cylinders. Reduces energy bills year-round.
50-70% annual hot water • All-year savings • MCS-quality install
50-70%
Annual Hot Water
Flat Plate & Tube
Panel Types
Free
Survey
Gas Safe + MCS
Registration
25+ Years
Lifespan
Solar Thermal — Practical Hot Water from the Sun
Solar thermal systems use roof-mounted panels (flat plate or evacuated tube) to heat fluid which is pumped through a heat exchanger in your hot water cylinder. Over the course of a year, even in the North West, they deliver 50-70% of your hot water for free.
Unlike solar PV (which generates electricity), solar thermal directly heats water — making it much more efficient at the specific job of supplying hot showers and taps. Best paired with a twin-coil cylinder (or a new heat pump cylinder if you're going renewable end-to-end).
Real-world payback in our area is typically 8-12 years with current energy prices. Long lifespan (25+ years) means significant lifetime saving and meaningful carbon reduction.
Real Work Examples
Why Solar Thermal Often Beats Solar PV for Hot Water
Solar PV is brilliant for general electricity use. But if your goal is reducing hot water bills specifically, solar thermal is typically 2-3x more efficient at converting roof area into hot water. It's also a simpler, longer-lasting technology.
- Solar thermal collectors convert 60-80% of sunlight to hot water; solar PV only converts 15-22% to electricity
- No grid connection or inverter — solar thermal is independent of electrical supply
- Hot water demand is fairly constant year-round, matching solar thermal output reasonably well
- Compatible with gas boilers, heat pumps and electric immersion as back-up
- No export tariff or batteries needed — simpler, cheaper system overall
Our Process
Survey
Free home survey: roof orientation, pitch, shading assessment, existing cylinder compatibility, suitable mounting locations.
Quote
Detailed quote including panels, cylinder (if needed), pump station, controls, mounting and electrical work.
Roof Installation
Panels mounted on weatherproofed brackets through tiles or slates. Flashing fitted properly to prevent leaks.
Indoor Installation
Pump station fitted near cylinder, heat exchanger coil connected, pipework run from roof through loft.
Commission
System pressure-tested, glycol-water mix charged, controls configured. Full demonstration before sign-off.
Why Choose Conroy
50-70% Free Hot Water
Annual contribution to hot water demand — significant year-round savings on gas or electricity.
Long Lifespan
25+ year design life on collectors — pays back many times over in energy savings.
MCS-Quality Install
Properly designed and commissioned systems perform consistently — not all installs are equal.
Flat Plate or Evacuated Tube
Both panel types stocked — we recommend based on your roof and budget.
Twin-Coil or Heat Pump Cylinder
System designed to integrate with new or existing cylinder, including heat pump systems.
No Grid Dependency
Fully passive system — works during power cuts and needs no inverter or feed-in arrangement.
Technical Detail
Flat Plate vs Evacuated Tube
Flat plate panels are cheaper and visually neater; evacuated tubes are more efficient in cold and cloudy weather. Both work well in the North West — we recommend based on roof space and budget.
Cylinder Requirements
Solar thermal needs a twin-coil cylinder — one coil for the boiler/heat pump, one for the solar circuit. If your existing cylinder is single-coil, we'll quote a replacement.
Glycol Circuit
The roof circuit is filled with a propylene glycol-water mix to prevent freezing in winter and provide adequate heat transfer. Glycol degrades over 8-10 years and needs replacing — included in maintenance.
Pump Station
An indoor pump station controls flow between collectors and cylinder, monitors temperatures, and runs the pump only when collector temperature exceeds cylinder temperature.
Pairing with Heat Pumps
Solar thermal pairs excellently with heat pumps — solar handles summer hot water demand efficiently, heat pump handles winter, dramatically reducing total annual energy consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for something else? Phil also covers 24/7 emergency plumbing, full boiler installation and boiler repairs, annual boiler servicing, central heating installation, power flushing, leak detection and landlord gas safety certificates (CP12). Browse the full list on our services page or see recent jobs and customer reviews.
Based in Bolton, we work across Bolton, Manchester, Bury, Blackburn, Chorley, Wigan, Preston and Salford. See all areas we cover, learn more about Phil Conroy, or get in touch for a free quote.
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