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| | O | Home | A new commercial and industrial building SolarVenti product launches early in 2013.
This product allows a series of solar air collectors to significantly pre-heat (at zero operational cost) the air supplied to large building HVAC systems. Construction of the units and their roof mounting specification is simple; so the production, transportation, installation assembly and mounting is highly cost efficient. Initial installations in Scandinavia are indicating an ROI of less than five years and as there are no moving parts the systems are estimated to have a lifespand of at least 15 years.
More information will be posted on the website when we have full technical specifications and costs.
New Products
A new product, the SV20 will be available early in 2013 to fill the gap in the range between the SV14 and SV30 variants.
Please contact us if you require details of this new product.
Banish Damp, Reduce Energy Bills, Improve Air Quality, Breath Healthier air
Here you can find out about the unique SolarVenti product range. The Danish inventor of SolarVenti developed the product for damp holiday cottages and the damp houses which are just as common in Scandinavia as in the UK. However, it is now increasingly being purchased to reduce household energy bills and is being applied to many different dwelling types. It is the world's only alternative free energy source that is both low cost and DIY installable! During the colder parts of the year it quickly provides a reduction in energy bills for the home owner and can pay for itself in 3 to 5 years, rather than 15 years or more! Check out our testimonials page.
CLOTHES DRYING - creating condensation and damp PROBLEMS in winter
Many households have little choice but to dry their washing in the house in winter. It is very common for people to hang wet clothes on the radiators in the effort to dry them. However the water in the damp washing has to go somewhere and in many cases it goes into raising the humidity in your house to unhealthy levels. This creates ideal conditions for black mould and mildew and the windows of such houses often run with rivers of condensation as air borne moisture will condense on any cool surface. Living in these conditions is incredibly unhealthy and it is hardly surprising that streaming colds and bugs commonly afflict families living in these conditions. Why not give your house and family a healthy present for 2010? Getting a SolarVenti will drive out the unhealthy airborne damp, replace it with fresh warmed dry air from the SolarVenti unit and and put these problems behind you every time the sun shines.
DAMP HOUSE PROBLEMS solved permanently PLUS heating bonus
The SolarVenti range of solar air heating dehumidifiers and ventilators, is the most exciting, 'green' innovation of this era for banishing problems of damp, cold and humidity in buildings and also providing FREE space heating. Damp house problems make themselves evident by a cold, stale and musty atmosphere and sometimes also by excessive condensation. SolarVenti air heating dehumidifiers and ventilators eradicate damp house symptoms by regularly and completely displacing and expelling the stale, damp, unhealthy air using the pressure of the warmed dry air from inside the SolarVenti unit. This is a controlled form of positive input ventilation. The stale, damp air is flushed away and completely replaced with fresh, sun-warmed, dry air at ZERO running cost while reducing your carbon footprint!
Damp house problems solved and a FREE supplementary heat source
Solar Air Heating: The larger SolarVenti dehumidifier units whilst acting as dehumidifiers and ventilators for solving damp house problems are ALSO a substantial HEAT source for your house using FREE solar air heating and FREE solar water heating on the SV30AWX model, again the running costs of this are ZERO, so no bills to pay and a further reduction in your carbon footprint.
A recent scientific monitoring of a damp house in Australia reported a 25% reduction in the space heating energy requirement over the winter quarter when an SV30 had been installed and measured at times over 2KW per hour of free energy input to the property!
Using only the power of the sun SolarVenti keeps the following house and vehicle types free of damp :
houses, holiday cottages, summer houses, static caravans, cellars & basements, attics, glider trailers, boats,
garages & workshops, bathrooms and kitchen areas suffering from any kind of damp condensation or mildew problem. It does this because it dehumidifies, ventilates and warms the properties. The larger SolarVenti units improve the living environment, heat your property and reduces heating costs and energy consumption for households and home owners however it applies equally to hospitals, care homes for the elderly, industrial storage areas, golf club locker rooms, cricket pavilions and any stuffy space suffering from poor, unhealthy air quality, and where windows are rarely opened and smells accumulate.
What's more, SolarVenti air heating dehumidifier units are free to run as they are totally solar powered. The larger SolarVenti dehumidifier units significantly warm your house for free and help you to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions while the smaller ones offer a superior payback versus a conventional dehumidifier
Reduce energy bills with SolarVenti
Because people breath, perspire, cook, bathe, shower and steam iron the amount of moisture in a house increases. This is particularly true in winter when windows and doors are kept closed. Significant amounts of energy are wasted trying to get and keep the air and moisture in your house warm. By lowering the humidity in your house or property SolarVenti reduces the amount of energy required to get your house warm. In addition SolarVenti pushes upwards of 1.6KW per solar hour into your house (SV30). The combined effect produces significantly reduced energy consumption and reduced energy bills. For more detail go here: Energy Savings.
How does SolarVenti work?
SolarVenti captures energy in the same way that a car out in the sun does. The enclosed air is heated by the sun, the resulting warmed air is then blown into your house by the SolarVenti's inbuilt impellor. To see further how a SolarVenti air heating dehumidifier works check out our FAQ section and/or you can watch a short video from the ABC TV program 'Carbon Cops' on the link below.
SolarVenti features on 'Carbon Cops' TV program.
You can see a short clip (~ 6 minutes) from the program by clicking on this link to YouTube.
Architects, Developers and Consultants SolarVenti air heating positive input ventilation dehumidifiers help you meet the UK's new building regs regarding ventilation and reduces CO2 emissions in eco friendly building projects (new build or brownfield). Using SolarVenti may make your planning permission easier too.
Landlords
Did you know that if you let any property with damp and mould issues you could be liable for a hefty fine? See details here.
Customer Feedback Jump straight to our customer feedback page to review how we have solved customer damp issues. |
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| | O | Applications For | Many properties and living spaces suffer from problems caused by dampness and stale atmospheres. The effects of these conditions can be expensive in terms of rust, rotting fabrics and general air of decay. Properties that are not lived for months at a time such as holiday properties are particularly prone to decay and have to be cleared of bedding, towels and even curtains during the closed season. The cost of cleaning alone can be extensive because it takes valuable time, money and effort and still does not shift the awful stale smells that often repel visitors from re-booking.
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| | O | Houses & Homes | Many houses suffer from damp and condensation. The causes of this can be many, varied and complex but most often result from lack of ventilation particularly in modern draught proof homes. The market for dehumidifiers in the home has sprung up due to the prevalence of damp and condensation in the home. Some houses have underlying damp issues due to their construction or poor maintenance; in other houses just through living in them with inadequate ventilation the atmosphere becomes increasingly damp and stale due to moisture released by cooking, showering, breathing and drying washing in the home.
Mountain houses, seaside houses, off-grid houses, lakeside houses, moorland houses are particularly prone to damp in the cold seasons and many of these are unable to use an unattended dehumidifier in the cold seasons whether through lack of power or fire risk. For other types of houses the use of a conventional dehumidifier may reduce the symptoms but not get to the cause of the damp atmosphere. In winter months most houses are sealed to keep in the heat and doors and windows are kept firmly shut, the problem reveals itself with condensation from the airborne damp and sometimes mould and mildew problems on walls. Condensation cannot be prevented and occurs wherever there are cold surfaces and a humid atmosphere.
Living in damp surroundings is bad for people's health and constantly breathing damp stale air that encourages mould, condensation and house dust mites, is a health hazard that is the cause of many minor ailments and may even shorten people's lives as well as making living conditions unpleasant. A conventional home dehumidifier only removes a percentage of the water in the stale air.
One simple answer to get rid of a damp atmosphere is to open the doors and windows on a cold dry day and let in all the cold air and then heat it up again but who wants to do that in the colder months of autumn, winter and early spring? Also note that if you do it at the wrong time you can let in more damp air that is also cold!
For an enduring home solution to airborne damp house problems, a SolarVenti dehumidifier unit will automatically take in dry air as and when the sun makes it available. It then warms it and the inbuilt solar powered fan pushes it into your house. This displaces the stale air and carries away the damp that has been absorbed in the fabric of your home. In this way the SolarVenti dehumidifier dries the fabric of your house more effectively than a conventional dehumidifier can ever do and does it as regularly as the sun shines. It gives your house a healthy fresher cleaner smelling atmosphere. It is a true 'fit and forget' solution that deals with atmospheric issues of damp and condensation in a carbon neutral manner and has zero running costs. A dry house is much cheaper to heat than a humid house so you will be able to turn down your heating too. If the fabric of your house and contents is kept dry then periodic bursts of moisture from cooking, drying etc. will be absorbed without you noticing and removed the next time the sun switches the SolarVenti unit on. Just as there are various scales of damp problems and various sizes of properties so there is a range of SolarVenti units to suit different house sizes.
The larger SolarVenti dehumidifiers not only provide a lasting solution to the problems of damp and condensation but also provide a substantial supplement to your space heating and can help to significantly reduce your energy bills.
A recent addition to the SolarVenti range is the SV30AWX unit which also heats your hot water as well as pumping warm dry air into your house, all entirely solar powered.
Image shown is an SV3 on a house in Cheshire
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| | O | Holiday Cottage | Whether you own a small chalet, a static caravan, a holiday cottage or even a huge villa in Spain, the biggest problem is that you cannot be there all the time to ensure that your holiday home is kept warm, dry and adequately ventilated so that it remains free from damp and mildew.
Cottage smells damp on arrival
We all know the situation when you first visit your holiday cottage (or any other type of holiday property) after the winter months. You unlock the doors and walk in to be greeted by that stale, musty dank atmosphere. What's your first reaction? Ventilation! You open up all of the cottage doors and windows to get some clean fresh air into the place. Then you walk into the kitchen area and are dismayed to see that small black mould and mildew patches have appeared all over the walls and tiles, so your next job is a major cleaning exercise, followed by a similar cleaning exercise in the bathroom. Then you make yourself a cup of tea and decide to sit and relax for a while, but find that the half bag of sugar that you left in the kitchen cupboard has turned into a lump of rock. Finally, you actually do sit down, only to realise that your sofa and all the cushions smell musty and damp. All of this caused by damp in the cottage arising through absence of dry air ventilation.
Solving the damp cottage smell problem
If this sounds familiar, then a SolarVenti dehumidifier ought to be your ventilation solution of choice. Simply using the power of the sun, your holiday cottage or other style of property can get fresh, dry, warmed air pumped through every time the sun shines when it is unoccupied. Because a SolarVenti dehumidifier invokes ventilation only when the sun shines you ensure that the air you are drawing into your property is drier. This solar controlled ventilation banishes damp, condensation, mould and mildew.
over 30,000 damp cottage and damp house problems solved so far
SolarVenti technology has been the ventilation solution for thousands of Scandinavian holiday cottages chalets and summer houses and other properties for several years now, and every owner has been highly delighted with the immense improvement in the condition of their property when they first visit. Those of you that do spend time at your holiday cottage during the coldest and cooler parts of the year can also benefit both from the pleasant and warmer atmosphere generated by the ventilation properties of the SolarVenti and from the energy savings delivered by the space heating capabilities of the larger SolarVenti units.
What do you need? Access to the sun via a wall with a south, south east or south west facing aspect that is not badly overshadowed by other properties or large trees etc.
Is it easy to install? Yes, most of our dehumidifiers can be easily installed by anyone with reasonable DIY experience. (Note that roof mounting will usually require specialist fitters)
What will it cost to run? NOTHING! Get warm air dehumidifying ventilation for free - fit a SolarVenti !
Image shown is an SV14 on a Shropshire farmhouse.
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| | O | Narrowboats, Boats, Barges, | Narrowboats, barges and yachts all suffer from dampness, especially when over-wintering, and the unhealthy but natural results of having a damp atmosphere such as decay, mildew, rust, fungal spores, coldness and unpleasant smells.
The smaller SolarVenti dehumidifier units (SV2 and SV3) are particularly suitable for narrowboats and cruisers whether or not you live on board. They provide an ideal carbon neutral answer to damp mould and condensation problems by displacing the damp air with air warmed by the sun and powerfully drying the living quarters every time the sun shines. Accordingly, the atmosphere and quality of life on board your narrowboat is greatly improved. This also extends the life of any yacht, boat or narrowboat as a result of regularly refreshing the air whenever the sun is shining and displacing remaining traces of the atmospheric damp that encourages the decay processes. With narrowboats costing up to £60,000 and more, a relatively small investment in a SolarVenti dehumidifier that significantly prevents overwintering decay and extends the life of your narrowboat will be repaid many times over. Just having a narrowboat that is always pleasant to return to makes the SolarVenti dehumidifier well worth it's cost. How many times do you want to thoroughly clean the boat and throw away stale bedding, curtains and smelly cushions?
Remember, a SolarVenti dehumidifier has ZERO running costs and because it needs no power supply connection it cannot have the power supply tripped or the bucket fill up or the heat exchanger burn out.
The picture above shows an SV2 SolarVenti dehumidifier panel mounted on narrowboat 'Pukeko' at it's winter mooring. The mounting is designed to permit a SolarVenti dehumidifier to be simply fitted onto a standard 100mm narrowboat mushroom vent. They can be folded flat onto the roof of your narrowboat when cruising. Specially engineered 'mushroom-vent' mountings are now available directly from SolarVenti - they are provided with all fittings (except bolts for the actual mushroom vent, as these vary in size) and a cover for when folded flat and not in use.
The smallest SolarVenti dehumidifier will push a minimum of 20M³ per hour of dry, warmed air into your narrowboat each time the sun shines on it. You need never come back to a damp smelly boat ever again.
How effectively does a SolarVenti dehumidifier work on a narrowboat? Well, see just what one of the first UK users with a narrowboat had to say here on their letter of thanks.
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| | O | Mobile Homes, Caravans, Statics | Many caravans, mobiles homes and statics suffer from over-wintering storage problems. The first thing you have to do when you arrive at your van is to open all the doors and windows letting in as much fresh air as possible to get rid of the horrible stale and musty smell. Only then might you realise that you've also got mildew growing up the wall in the kitchen and shower areas, and that all your blankets and quilts stored in the cupboards have developed a rank, foul musty smell.
If this sounds all too familiar to you, then SolarVenti dehumidifiers could provide you with a simple and free to run solution. The problem is largely one of controlling the ventilation and air circulation which even our smallest solar powered dehumidifiers can easily cope with. Inadequate or uncontrolled circulation on damp and wet days allows the relative humidity inside the stored van to increase allowing ever increasing dampness onto and into the fabric of the van, thereby providing ideal breeding conditions for moulds and mildews, which in turn leads to the musty stale odours in and on the van's contents.
A single SV2 unit (see picture above right) provides air changes of up to 20m³/hour only when the sun shines ensuring the air is fresh and drier. Not only that, but the dry incoming air is pumped into the interior with a temperature increase of anywhere between 8°C and 12°C. i.e. If it is only 5°C outside, the incoming air can be as high as 17°C. Because warmed dry air has a powerful dehumidifying effect, the upshot is that your van will be kept damp and mould free and you won't have to replace curtains and bedding every year. So what are the running costs? Well, actually the running cost is nil! SolarVenti dehumidifiers and ventilators are entirely self-sufficient and powered purely by the sun.
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| | O | Museums, Garages, Document stores | Protect and preserve your valuable assets using SolarVenti technology.
Wherever you store your valuable assets like classic or vintage cars, planes, a guitar collection or even your collection of stamps or roman coins, the biggest threat is damp and humidity. For example, vintage and classic cars stored in a damp atmosphere deteriorate at an astonishing rate; even a few months of damp air can start to turn a prized vintage car into rust. If you look in your garage, its not only vehicles that suffer but tools, gardening equipment and bikes too.
So, rather than paying for expensive to run electrical dehumidifiers, why not use the power of the sun, at zero running cost, to protect your pride and joy. SolarVenti units have been proven to operate highly effectively when fitted to museums, garages and workshops throughout Scandinavia and now in many uk locations.
SolarVenti units are already protecting national museums in Greenland, parish records in Cheshire, helicopters in Surrey, vintage and classic cars, tractors and motorbikes in multiple UK locations, a vintage tool collection, stored museum items in Scotland, and even a guitar collection in Shropshire. Call us if you would like to speak to a reference user.
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| | O | Park Homes, Lodges, Cabins | "I have a Park Home I live in/use as a holiday property - can SolarVenti keep it free of damp?"
Park homes, lodges and cabins whether used as holiday homes or lived in full time suffer from over-wintering problems caused by persistent damp air. If you live in your Park Home all year round you will be acutely aware of the damp and condensation problems that derive purely as a result of air borne moisture coming from normal every day living such as cooking, boiling the kettle, breathing and drying clothes. You may also be aware that 'normal' dehumidifiers (see dehumidifier questions ) barely touch the damp problem and are anyway merely cycling the same stale air round and round.
When visiting a park home holiday residence in the new season the first priority is to get rid of the horrible stale and musty smell that developed in the stale and damp atmosphere. You may then find that you've also got mildew growing up the wall in the kitchen and shower areas, and that the damp has caused all your blankets and quilts stored in the cupboards to develop a foul, musty and unhealthy smell.
If this sounds familiar to you or even if the damp problem in your park home is less severe, a SolarVenti dehumidifier provides you with a simple and free to run solution to resolve damp and condensation problems. The issue is one of controlling ventilation so that it only takes place on dry sunny days. SolarVenti dehumidifiers are designed to do just that and pre-warm the air to enable it to dry your property out. Poor ventilation or ventilation on damp or wet days allows the humidity inside a property to increase encouraging ever greater dampness and condensation in the fabric of the property. This provides ideal breeding conditions for the moulds and mildews that thrive on damp, which in turn leads to the musty stale, odours that can penetrate a park home and it's contents.
A single SV3 dehumidifier unit (see picture above right, unit to right of park home door) provides air changes of up to 25m³/hour on dry days, ie any time that the sun shines when the air is drier. The incoming air is also warmed and dried and is input with a temperature increase of up to 15°C. i.e. If it is only 5°C outside, the incoming air is at up to 20°C. The upshot is that your park home will be kept damp and mould free and you won't have to replace the curtains and bedding every year. So what are the running costs? The running cost is NIL! SolarVenti dehumidifiers are entirely self-sufficient and powered purely by the sun.
I live in my park home all year round - can a SolarVenti dehumidifier help me?
Definitely!! The day to day activities of living in a park home directly promote a damp and unhealthy atmosphere. Water vapour is introduced into your home all year round from the moisture in your breath to the steam from the kettle and cooking. In Summer it is not a problem but in the cooler months when doors and windows are shut to keep out the elements and the cold the moisture builds up in the fabric of your home until it condenses out or promotes damp based decay. Conventional dehumidifiers do little to solve this problem. Dry fresh air can fix it but who wants to open a window in winter or in a cold autumn or spring? Fortunately there is no need to. By fitting a SolarVenti dehumidifier unit you will dramatically improve your park home's ventilation in a warmer acceptable way and in so doing solve the inherent damp problem. The significantly reduced internal humidity levels are beneficial to your health. We know that a SolarVenti dehumidifier dries out the fabric of your park home and its contents by displacing the stale, moist air. This makes it an ideal long term solution that permanently turns a park home into a pleasant place to live.
The sceptics always ask; "What happens if the sun doesn't shine?" We do occasionally get periods when we don't see the sun for 3 or (rarely) more days but this is infrequent and the drier living conditions mean that the now dry fabric of the building acts as a temporary sponge to bridge these infrequent happenings. Read the testimonial letter below for further evidence of this.
If you own a large park home, then not only can you get rid of damp but fitting a larger SolarVenti unit will additionally help to reduce your space heating costs too!
To fit a SolarVenti dehumidifier unit to you park home could not be simpler. The skills required are the same as those for fitting a tumble drier and will take a good DIY man less than two hours. It involves drilling one circular vent hole and eight screw holes all located via the template provided. instructions are here
See what one Park Home owner says about his Solarventi unit in our Customer Feedback section.
The image shown is an SV3 on a Park Home in Staffordshire.
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| | O | Cellars and basements | A damp cellar is very common but you can keep it dry
It is not surprising that a cellar is damp. In most cases the cellar floor is close to or below the water table. That said it is an easily solved problem and you do not need to resort to tanking unless you wish to live down there.
Providing you have a S, SE or SW facing wall, and the distance from that wall to the damp cellar or basement is not too far, a SolarVenti panel is an excellent method of keeping the atmosphere in your cellar / basement fresh and dry.
If you have a problem with water ingress, SolarVenti cannot cure this. You will need a sump and pump and you may need to get a builder in to diagnose and fix the problem. However, when it comes to eradicating that horrible damp, musty smell, and eliminating those patches of mildew in the dark and dank corners, SolarVenti will provide a perfect solution at a zero running cost. Every time the sun shines your cellar will be actively supplied with warmed, dry, fresh air; eradicating the moisture and making your cellar amazingly fresher and cleaner. Plus you can switch off your mains dehumidifier and save the electricity.
The image shows an SV3 SolarVenti wall mounted at a slight angle, with an extended flexi-hose providing the air inlet access via an old coal chute.
So how well does SolarVenti work on damp basements and cellars? Let one of our customers tell you himself as he wrote a review of how SolarVenti addressed his damp cellar problem which we have reproduced below or follow the link cellar installation.
It was the smell that was most striking...
...there wasn't one any more.
As I descended lower into the dank, dark, gloomy depths of our cellar, I realised that about all that held true to the earlier part of this sentence anymore was 'depths', as it is well below ground level and, thanks to a brook running about 30' away, the water table too. And as the room hasn't been tanked (basically a big, expensive plastic bag lining) there are two sump pumps (one backup) to keep things dry, as in not underwater. And to keep everything from getting damp and mouldy, there has been a dehumidifier, running pretty 24/7, 365/365, since we got here from Singapore.
And I'm kicking myself. Because it is still. Still there, but no longer required. And the reason is our new (now, not so much) solar-powered dehumidification system from Solarventi.
It really is a very simple system, though operating in a manner that I found unexpected. On an outer (South Facing) wall is the solar collector, which serves to generate the energy for the fan, and to dry out the air it blows. Yes, that's right, blows. I had imagined it would suck the damp air out, but in fact it blows dry air in, displacing the damp up and out.
So you do need two holes. One to get the dry air from the system in to the area to be dehumidified, and somewhere for the damp air to escape. For us the latter was sorted, namely being the stairs and exit to the ground floor.
The inlet was, frankly, more of an issue. There is a finite distance the inlet pipe can travel and still be effective, so you need to locate the unit as near as you can to the room in question, whilst still being in the sun's rays. And for us that meant about 2' down and 2' through solid Herefordshire Georgian foundations. I'll spare you details, along with any pictures of two builders' cracks that would put the Grand Canyon & Marinas Trench to shame.
Suffice to say I am very grateful to Dave of Solarventi to come with the unit to be interviewed, assist with the installation, and share his considerable knowledge on matters enviro and solar with me, which he does to this day, for articles and blogs.
Thumbs Up!
At risk of repetition (but it's often worth it for effect) Junkk.com likes unique (because we think we are!). So there may be others around, and if there are we'll be happy to check them out too, but this was the one we found out about and helped us out with great customer service, so that's the one in the wall.
It's also very simple, useful... and just plain does the job.
With luck it will provide many years of service without needing much, if anything, by way of maintenance, and every minute it blows, that's a few precious watts we're not being charged for or sucking out of a carbon-churning (or nuclear waste stockpiling) power station.
There's a ton more numbers that need to be crunched and shared on ROI (return on investment - Dave kindly has provided some Excel spreadsheets that I will post once I've figured out how), but I just wanted to get something up now.
The thing does exactly what it says on the box, and so far the results are clear, if as yet unscientific.
And once I have figured out how to work the power meter I have yet to review, I will try and put things in terms that jingle in the pocket a bit more, along with the period it will take to pay for itself.
Thumbs Down?
So far, hard to fault.
There are moving parts, so there will be wear and hence matters of reliability, however I am reassured that the Danish (and hence very Nordically precise) makers have over-engineered every part. The casing also seem very solid.
Being solar, you are also at the whim of the sun, which means location, location, location. It is a limiting factor.
Our unit is pretty much at the only place it can be, and when we put it in, the sun sailed gaily across the sky pretty much dawn 'til dusk. That is no longer the case, and it scoots low on the horizon, getting blocked by a row of firs in next door's garden.
While installation is not beyond the means of most competent DIYers, the fact remains that one inevitably ends up punching a fair-sized hole through a thick old wall surface. And if, as in our case, the point where you need to the dry air to blow out isn't the other side to where the unit pumps it out, you can have some work on your hands. There is a limit to how far a pipe you can run, and at 2metres (for our model, the smaller SV3 - larger ones with bigger PV arrays are good for 4-5m) we were taking it about to the max.
And if it is not a 'though and through' the unit needs to be set upon a bracket to allow the flexi-tube to be carried out the back to wherever needed, which is not so neat. See the site for better solutions.
However, when compared to running the dehumidifier, the daily savings to one's bank balance and, naturally, the planet, it is looking like a very good (in every sense of the word) investment. We're hoping for payback in 2-3 years. So this is solar that does make sense (we're looking at the bigger boys and turbines in coming editions), even in the UK.
Big up to those who made it, those who sell it (Solarventi helped us out writing this, so the spoils of PR go their way:), those who use it and, of course, the planet!
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| | | O | Suspended Floors | Many older properties suffer from damp and high humidity underneath the ground floor where a timber suspended floor was originally installed. Remedial work on floors can be time consuming and very expensive. In many cases, the poor design and installation of air bricks or air vents is the main culprit.
So how can SolarVenti help? Well, even the smallest SolarVenti unit, the SV2, will actively push 20M³ of dried, slightly warmed fresh air underneath your property every time the sun shines. Providing you have a south (SE or SW) facing wall, and sufficient depth above ground level, an SV2 will help to circulate clean dry air throughout the void underneath your house, helping to eliminate the conditions necessary for moulds, dry and wet rot.
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| | O | Commercial / Industrial applications | Many commercial and industrial properties in the UK suffer from inadequate ventilation and become increasingly humid and full of stale air. During the winter months, especially in less utilised areas such as store rooms, when doors and windows are firmly shut, this problem manifests itself as condensation and sometimes even as moulds and mildews. SolarVenti units help to overcome these problems at no running cost and thus have many potential commercial applications. Wherever fresh dry warmed air is required they can be an ideal adjunct to your existing air handling and ventilation systems.
So, to name but a few, they could be used in village halls, care and rest homes, hospitals, conference rooms, meeting rooms, hotels and hostels, public houses, restaurants, kitchens, libraries, document stores, changing rooms (e.g. Golf Clubs, Squash Clubs, Cricket pavilions etc.), offices, workshops and store rooms; in fact, anywhere that requires a supply of fresh, warmed, clean dried air can benefit from SolarVenti. A number have already been utilised on museums, document stores and store rooms in Scandinavia. Note that the larger SolarVenti units can have a significant impact on space heating costs too, by reducing the energy required to heat your premises.
Please contact us to discuss your specific commercial or industrial application requirements and we can suggest the optimal solution to meet your needs. Please note that for the majority of UK commercial buildings planning permission is required to mount a SolarVenti unit.
Please note that in Spring 2013, a new SolarVenti product designed to permit the pre-heating of air to commercial HVAC systems will be available. Initial installations in Scandinavia indicate an ROI of less than five years.
More details to follow.
If you are an architect, developer, specifier or consultant who might be interested in deploying SolarVenti technology in any eco friendly building projects (new build or brownfield), please contact us for an initial discussion on how we may be able to help.
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| | | O | SolarVenti and HVAC systems | From spring 2013, a new industrial and commercial building SolarVenti product will become available. This product, using a series of basic solar air collectors, will permit pre-heated air (generated at zero cost) to be supplied directly into existing (or new) commercial and industrial HVAC units. The series of SolarVenti Industrial units can supply air at up to 30C above the outside ambient air temperature meaning your building uses less energy heating the incoming air into its HVAC system. Additionally, because this free supply of warmed air has a high capacity for holding water vapour, it means any HVAC inbuilt dehumidifier equipment also uses less power.
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| | O | Sports Facilities - Changing Rooms | Almost every sports facility has changing rooms and locker rooms and many of them suffer from the ever present problems of bad sweaty odours and condensation from steam in the shower areas. For those facilities that do not incorporate commercial style Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units, this can be a major issue that can cause facilities to deteriorate and decay.
It need not be an issue any longer. A correctly sized SolarVenti dehumidifier will banish sweaty odours and resolves that condensation problem at zero running cost. So whether you are a golf club, a cricket, bowls or tennis club, you can transform your changing and locker rooms into rooms with a pleasant fresh atmosphere. As many cricket pavilions and some golf and tennis facilities have no mains power SolarVenti is an ideal solution to issues of damp and mildew in sports changing rooms.
Depending upon the size of your changing/locker room you can also provide some supplemental heating too, as the larger SolarVenti units actually warm the incoming air significantly meaning you can reduce your heating costs.
All you need is a South, South-East or South-West facing external wall, and the sun will take care of freshening your changing facilities for free.
Place your mouse over Technical and then Specifications to see just which SolarVenti unit would be right for you. Price information for each model can be obtained by placing your mouse over the Prices heading.
SolarVenti is also an ideal and free to run method of protecting all of your grounds equipment too. Fit one to your machinery sheds to minimise damp and help to prevent rust attacking your valuable equipment.
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| | O | Air conditioning and cooling | SolarVenti can now also provide cooling in the summer as well as warmed air in the winter.
OK, it is probably a little unfair to call it air conditioning as such, but using the same unit that provides free supplementary heating to your property in the autumn, winter and spring months, your property can now get a supply of cooled air in the summer. A thermostatic control simply switches the air supply from the SolarVenti unit to a secondary impeller that draws air through piping buried in the ground. This air source has a temperature of between 5C and 10C below the ambient air temperature. Unlike mains powered air conditioning, SolarVenti air cooling costs nothing to run and reduces your carbon footprint. Siting the ground air source vent under trees can also provide a slightly greater temperature decrease.
Cooling kits are only available for the SV7, SV14 and SV30 models.
Each kit comprises:-
2 x vertical stack pipes (125mm Diameter X 1250mm)
120 Metres of 25mm Diameter PEH corrugated piping
1 x 125mm Diameter connector nipple
1 X 125mm 90o curved bend
1 X Dust filter bag
1 X Roof hood for inlet vertical stack (to prevent rain ingress)
1 X Cooling impellor [12v] unit (125mm) with wall vent and counter valve
Please contact us at SolarVenti for full details of the earth cooling kits.
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| | O | Glider Trailers | Glider trailers, especially at clubs where no mains power is available, can present a major problem. During the winter months, the valuable contents seem to attract moisture and condensation and can even develop mildews and mold growths. Even worse, the gel coating on modern gliders can blister, leading to an expensive refinishing job.
The smallest SolarVenti unit, the SV2 (see picture) can readily be mounted on most glider trailers for overwintering, and removed when in use during the spring, summer and autumn. Every time the sun shines, the unit pushes a large volume (20m³ per hour) of warmed, dry air through the trailer, forcing out any traces of damp or condensation. The SV2 raises the incoming air temperature by up to 12C, so even when there is a ground frost, the unit is pushing warmed dry air through the trailer protecting your glider from the ravages of damp and condensation.
We have found out that some glider trailers have long thin air vents at one or more points on their underside. If you have a trailer such as this, we recommend that you cover over the vents with a thick layer of foam rubber. This acts as a primitive one-way valve that stops damp air from blowing back into the trailer on wet weather days.
Please note that because there is no standard design of trailer, we are unable to offer any standard mountings - you may have to design and make your own if the standard ones provided do not suffice.
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| | O | Technical | Why does SolarVenti work so well?
Have you ever noticed that after a cold clear night the sun shines and the air feels fresh and dry? That is because all the moisture has dropped out as dew and frost. That is when SolarVenti is turbocharged in terms of freshening and dehumidifying a building. The cold dry air is warmed and then blown into the house, with powerful dehumidifying effect. This keeps the internal atmosphere fresh and dry.
The effects are manifold: doors and drawers no longer jam and warp, tools stay free of rust, bedclothes can be left out without going damp and smelly, salt and sugar don't go lumpy and sticky.
22,000+ users cannot be wrong! The worlds most exacting consumers, the Scandinavians, are buying SolarVenti units in greater volume year after year. Get on board now and help yourself and the planet by buying a carbon neutral SolarVenti.
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| | | O | SV2 SolarVenti | Please note that the SV2 unit will be withdrawn from the product range on 1st April 2013. This has always been the lowest volume selling unit in the range so the manufacturers have decided to withdraw it from production.
Dimensions:
524 x 524 x 55 (mm)
Weight:
4.8 Kg
Airflow under ideal conditions:
~20m³/hour minimum
Incoming air temperature rise:
~12°C maximum
Suitable for floor footprint areas of:
~15 to 20m² maximum
Air outlet:
125 mm Diameter
Materials of construction:
Recyclable aluminium, special felt heat absorber, shockproof polycarbonate cover, european manufactured photovoltaic cell, far east manufactured impellor and motor.
Price and application details.
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| | | O | SV3 SolarVenti | Dimensions:
704 x 524 x 55 (mm)
Weight:
5.8 Kg
Airflow under ideal conditions:
25m³/hour minimum
Incoming air temperature rise:
~15°C maximum
Suitable for floor footprint areas of:
~25m² maximum
Air outlet:
125 mm Diameter
Materials of construction:
Recyclable aluminium, special felt heat absorber, shockproof polycarbonate cover, high quality photovoltaic cell, far east manufactured impellor and motor.
Price and application details.
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| | | O | SV7 SolarVenti | Dimensions:
1004 x 704 x 55 (mm)
Weight:
10.1 Kg
Airflow under ideal conditions:
~60m³/hour minimum
Incoming air temperature rise:
~15°C maximum
Suitable for floor footprint areas of:
~40m² maximum
Air outlet:
125 mm Diameter
Effective energy output under ideal conditions:
Up to 0.25 kW per hour
Materials of construction:
Recyclable aluminium, special felt heat absorber, shockproof polycarbonate cover, european manufactured photovoltaic cell, far east manufactured impellor and motor.
Price and application details.
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| | | O | SV14 SolarVenti | Dimensions:
1990 x 704 x 55 (mm)
Weight:
19.4 Kg
Airflow under ideal conditions:
~80m³/hour minimum
Incoming air temperature rise:
~30°C maximum
Suitable for floor footprint areas of:
~70m² maximum
Air outlet:
125 mm Diameter
Effective energy output under ideal conditions:
Up to 0.6 kW per hour
Materials of construction:
Recyclable aluminium, special felt heat absorber, shockproof polycarbonate cover, european manufactured photovoltaic cell, far east manufactured impellor and motor.
Price and application details.
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| | | O | SV30 SolarVenti | Dimensions:
3000 x 1020 x 100 (mm)
Weight:
29.5 Kg
Incoming air temperature rise:
~40°C maximum
Suitable for floor footprint areas of:
~140m² maximum
Air outlet:
125 mm Diameter
Effective energy output under ideal conditions:
Up to 1.6 kW per hour (~5,460 BTU)
Materials of construction:
Recyclable aluminium, reneable timber, special felt heat absorber, shockproof polycarbonate cover, high quality photovoltaic cell, far east manufactured impellor and motor.
Price and application details.
Download the SV30 Technical Data Sheet.
Please not that the SV30 is also available in the UK as a hybrid (dual) system - the SV30AWX - offering impressive ventilation, dehumidification, warm air heating AND solar water heating all in a single unit!
See SV30AWX for details.
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| | | O | SV30AWX | SolarVenti SV30AWX:
The SolarVenti SV30AWX is a recent addition to the SolarVenti product range and replaces the older SV30H Plus. The main difference to the H Plus model that it replaces is the the solar cells are mounted externally to the unit. This product provides almost all of the outputs that our existing SV30 does - ventilation, a powerful dehumidifying effect, and significant supplemental space heating. Yet from the same unit it also provides free solar hot water (SWH).
The picture shows an older style SV30H Plus with the cover removed.
The SV30AWX is supplied as a complete self fit package. It is delivered with everything you need to get Solar Water Heating for free except a hot water cylinder.
The kit includes:-
-: The SolarVenti SV30AWX unit (dimensions and specification as per the SV30)
-: 1expansion tank
-: 16mm Polypropylene pipe plus insulation
-: Integrated 12V control unit - regulator/pump/thermostat
-: 12 Volt (solar powered) pump [Laing - EcoCirc]
-: Antifreeze for the solar heating circuit
-: Roof and wall mounting brackets and fittings
The unit weighs less than 33Kg.
*We no longer supply the Atlantic hot water cylinders with this unit as they are not compliant with the latest UK building regulations, but we can supply twin or triple coil vented hot water cylinders in varying sizes suitable for utilisation in combination with your existing heating systems. Please contact us for further details.
The SV30AWX is completely independent of mains electricity. The pump is solar powered so hot water transfer automatically takes place everytime the the sun shines. SolarVenti's unique design allows self cooling even when the pump is stopped - this helps to counteract boiling of the heated water in the system.
Price and application details.
Download SV30AWX Technical Data Sheet.
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| | O | Solar Air Heating | All SolarVenti units provide ventilation, supplementary heating and a powerful dehumidifying effect, but how efficient are they as an additional heat source for a property?
The answer is that they are surprisingly efficient; the ability of the larger SolarVenti units to heat air by between 30 and 40 degrees over the outside air temperature provides a substantial amount of free energy in the form of warmed air to the inside of any property. This free incoming energy supplements your existing space heating system, of whatever type, to a pleasantly surprising degree.
Is SolarVenti sufficient to heat a property by itself?
You DO need some other form of heating. A lucky few live in super insulated eco-houses, where SolarVenti alone may be sufficient. For the rest of us SolarVenti provides a valuable supplement to existing space heating systems. Those wise enough to use SolarVenti get a radical transformation of the internal atmosphere in their property and reduced energy bills too.
So how does SolarVenti help with my space heating?
The larger SolarVenti models have a substantial energy output as well as moving significant air volumes. This energy, which is captured directly from solar radiation across the spectrum, can be used to supplement the existing space heating system in any domestic or commercial building. The energy is input to a building in the form of heated air. This has two key effects:-
- The incoming air is significantly raised in temperature, providing direct heat energy into your property. This free 'heat air' energy directly supplements your existing space heating system, meaning that your existing system has to work less hard to keep your property warmed. This is a direct saving which reduces your expenditure on gas, electricity, oil and logs etc.
- The air input by SolarVenti units is warmed and dry and is forced into your property by the inbuilt impeller. This warm, dry incoming air displaces the existing air, however damp, inside a property. Over a period of a few days this has the effect of performing a powerful dehumidifying process and it dries out both the fabric of the building and its contents. Dry air takes far less energy to heat than damp air, and thus your existing heating system uses significantly less energy to reach the required temperature.
To give you an idea of the potential savings, one user of an SV30 (picture above) says that they have turned down their heating controls by 50% during the winter months. (See Customer Feedback)
So what proportion of my space heating could a SolarVenti unit provide?
The larger SolarVenti units with their ability to heat air by 30 degrees or more over the outside temperature (the SV14, SV30 & SV30AWX) can make a substantial impact on your space heating bills. The table below provides the energy outputs in KiloWatts and BTU equivalents:-
| Model |
Air Vol. |
Temp. Increase |
kW (per hour) output |
BTU
Equivalent |
Max Output kW per year (1000 hrs sun) |
| SV14 |
60 m³/Hr |
~30°C |
0.6 |
~2,050 |
600 |
| SV30 |
120 m³/Hr |
~40°C |
1.6 |
~5,460 |
1,600 |
| SV30AWX |
100 m³/Hr |
~40°C |
1.3 |
~4,560 |
1,300 |
Note that the UK averages between 1300 and 1600 hours of sunshine per year which varies with both location and latitude. For this table we have assumed that about 1,000 hours of those sunshine hours are actually usable.
There are many sources of information as to what the 'average' energy consumption of properties in the UK is. Unfortunately, most of them seem to contradict each other, which is perhaps not surprising given the seasonal differences that can occur in the UK as you go further north, and the fact that the types of property we live in are many and varied, as well as being insulated to many different levels.
To give you a feel for the potential energy saving that the larger SolarVenti units can provide we are assuming the following figures give a range which cover the average UK household consumption figures:-
3,300 kW to 4,900 kW per year
So you could save in the region of:-
With the SV14, up to 18% of 3,300 kW or up to 12% of 4900 kW
With the SV30, up to 48% of 3,300 kW or up to 32% of 4900 kW from your energy bills.
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| | | O | An Intro To Solar Water Heating | A Basic Explanation:
Solar water heating systems use special solar panels, usually termed collectors, fitted to your roof (or in some cases to a south facing wall). These collect free radiant heat energy from the sun and use it to warm water which is subsequently transferred to and stored in a hot water cylinder.
There are two common types of solar water heating panels. There are evacuated tubes, which produce more hot water output, albeit at a higher purchase cost, and flat plate collectors. Either type can be fixed onto roof tiles, while some flat plate collectors can be directly integrated into the roof itself.
Most collectors require a mixture of antifreeze to prevent burst pipes during the colder winter months. This necessitates that some sort of heat exchange coil is required, usually a finned solar coil in a replacement hot water cylinder, in order to transfer the heat to a usable and clean source.
There are some collectors which are freeze tolerant that do not require the water to incorporate any anti-freeze. One such system is SolarTwin, which uses special silicon piping in the collector which expands during freezing. Such systems can have a direct hot water feed into your existing hot water cylinder. Another is the Rotex system, which uses a drain-back method so that no water is in the collector at times of freezing temperatures.
In almost all cases a boiler or an immersion heater is required to provide hot water at times when output from a solar collector is low, and there is a need to bring the water up to a higher temperature.
Although most collectors use a mains powered electric pump to push the hot water to the transfer coil, there are a few, including SolarVenti, which are entirely mains powered free, and which use a solar powered pump. These systems are suitable for off grid properties. There are also a few systems that use no pump at all, but which depend on thermo-syphoning. The downside of this type of system is that it means that the collector needs to be below the level of the hot water cylinder, which generally rules out any roof mounting.
Want to know about the different types of solar hot water collectors?
Click here - Solar Hot Water Collectors
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| | | O | Types Of SWH Systems | Evacuated Tube Systems:
These are generally noticeably (and sometimes considerably) more expensive than flat plate collectors, but the bonus for this increased cost is that they work more effectively during times of lower levels of sunshine. The best quality evacuated tube systems will even produce some hot water at a reasonable temperature on heavily overcast days.
There are actually two types of evacuated tube system, these are generally termed Direct Flow Evacuated collectors and Heat Pipe Evacuated tube collectors. The Heat Pipe type dominates the market here in the UK whilst Direct Flow types are still sometimes used in no frost zones such as the coastal Mediterranean regions. Want a detailed explanation? See here. (Link to be added)
Costs will undoubtedly come down over the next few years as production ramps up, especially in the far east. The downside is that a lot of the far eastern manufactured tubes are of poor quality, and the promised longevity of 20 years plus is seldom realised. We have seen very expensive systems where evacuated tubes had started to fail at only two years old.
Flat Plate Collectors:
Flat plate collectors come in a myriad of variations, but the vast majority are essentially insulated metal boxes with glazed or polycarbonate covers and a dark-colored absorber plate inside, commonly with insulation behind it. Heat from the sun strikes the absorber plate and is transferred to a fluid that circulates through the collector in tubes or piping, commonly made of copper or plastic.
Want a detailed explanation? See here (Link to be added).
There are many variations in the configuration of the piping inside the collectors which suppliers claim to make theirs ‘the best’, yet the output performance between even the most expensive one and a home made collector is often hardly that significant.
Drain down systems, whereby a means of either manually, or automatically, removing water from the collector at times of freezing weather is designed in the system, are almost all flat plate collectors.
Common questions about Solar Hot Water systems
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| | | O | Common Questions | Do I need to replace my existing hot water cylinder?
Most suppliers of solar hot water systems will tell you yes. They can then charge for the supply and installation of a replacement hot water cylinder containing a finned solar coil. This will significantly increase both the capital cost and the installation cost of your system.
Providing your existing hot water cylinder is in reasonable condition, we will tell you no. We can supply and install a clever device from Willis Renewables called a SolaSyphon. This, for an outlay of just under £300 (plus about a half a day of a plumber’s time, as opposed to £700-£800 [or more] and a whole day of a plumber’s time), will efficiently transfer your solar hot water to your existing cylinder without effort. In fact, some establishments who have tested this device claim it is far more efficient than a finned solar coil, as it stratifies the hot water directly into the top of your existing cylinder.
The SolaSyphon can be used on either vented or unvented hot water cylinders without problem. All that is required is sufficient space alongside your existing cylinder to fit a device about 6” in diameter and about 1 metre long.
Please note that the SolaSyphon will not work well with combination cylinders (where the cold supply tank sits directly on top of the hot cylinder) as there is insufficient height to achieve decent thermosyphoning.
Want more detailed information? Click here - The SolaSyphon.
I have a combi boiler – can I still use a solar water collector?
The answer, generally speaking, is no. The vast majority of Combi boilers are unsuitable, as to work with solar heated water they need to be capable of accepting a pre-heated water supply (95% of them cannot).
However, we can now supply a clever valve system called a CombiSol. This, together with a pre-heater cylinder (we can also supply suitable 100L or 150L cylinders [not included in the list price]), means that your combi boiler can work in conjunction with a solar water heating system.
There is a fair bit of plumbing effort involved, but it means that you can reduce the amount of energy that your combi system uses in providing on-demand hot water.
Want more detailed information? See here (Link to be added).
What does an installed solar water heating system cost?
A difficult question to answer simply, as properties have different layouts, different existing water systems, and, potentially, different collector mounting positions. So the answer, so to speak, is as long as a piece of string.
The only way to provide you with a fair cost estimate is to understand your property’s layout and existing set-up in some detail.
There are some very fairly priced systems out there, and there are some horrendously priced systems out there. When it comes to solar water heating, the old Latin term ‘Caveat Emptor’ (buyer beware) applies very strongly.
We have seen good basic flat plate systems fully installed and working for less than £3000, and seen similar systems where people have paid £8000+ for a very similar set-up. We have seen fairly decent quality evacuated tube systems fully installed and working for under £4500, and yet seen similar systems installed where the householder has forked out £15000+ or more! (And there you were wondering where all the old double glazing salesmen had disappeared to?)
Remember that solar water heating will generally save you up to a maximum of ~£150 per annum (depending on your property’s size, the number of occupants and the level of hot water usage), though for most properties it is considerably less than this. See the Energy Savings Trust assessment of annual savings here: Solar Water Heating Savings. So try working our your return on investment before you commit to an investment that will possibly never pay for itself.
Shop around, get several quotes, speak to existing customers, and check testimonials. All of these seem to be common sense, yet some people just don’t seem to bother. Oh, and don’t forget to work out the genuine ROI (return on investment) – any salesman that tells you your solar water system will pay for itself in under 10 years is very likely telling complete ‘porkies'.
So why consider a SolarVenti Air & Water Hybrid system?
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| | | | O | SolaSyphon | Providing your existing hot water cylinder is in reasonable condition, and you have sufficient space alongside it to fit a component that is about 800mm tall and 100mm in diameter, then this brilliant device can provide you with a considerable reduction in your system's installation costs.
Most solar hot water system suppliers will insist that you will require a replacement hot water cylinder. This is both expensive in terms of capital costs and installation intensive too (and plumbers are not what you might call 'cheap' nowadays!)
The SolaSyphon has been widely tested and approved, and many of the testing organisations conclude that it is actually more efficient than a finned solar coil inside a cylinder, as it stratifies the hot water directly into the top of a hot water cylinder.
The layout diagram shows a SolaSyphon fitted to a vented hot water cylinder, but they are equally effective on unvented (mains pressure) hot water cylinders too. Click here for a pdf version of the SolaSyphon layout diagram or contact us for more information.
Back to Common Questions
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| | | O | Why Choose SolarVenti? | So why buy a SolarVenti hybrid (air & water) system?
There are two main reasons:-
1) You get a ‘two in one’ purchase – our systems provide both solar hot water AND ventilation, dehumidification and supplementary space heating, all out of a single unit.
2) Price. With our SV30AWX, you get a solar ventilator, dehumidifier and supplementary space heater for £1290. And for another £1500 (probably cheaper than any comparable stand alone product), you also get a decent quality flat plate solar water collector too. (Prices excl. VAT).
And a load of other reasons too:-
3) Systems are simple and require little maintenance. With so few components, failure is a rarity.
4) Our systems are, in many cases, DIY installable.
5) You can optimize the unit during running. We have customers who use only the solar water heating part of the system through the late spring,, summer, and early autumn. They then switch off the water system and use only the air heating component during the rest of the year. Other customers leave both system components running year round.
6) They can be used where no mains electricity is available.
7) Being entirely solar powered, they never cost anything to run.
8) They provide warmed air ventilation to your property too, meaning that moulds and mildews, condensation etc. are virtually eliminated.
9) The drier air that they output makes your house far less hospitable to unwelcome guests such as house dust mite, so they are probably good for people who have asthma, or who suffer from allergies too.
10) The warmed dry air can actually reduce your winter heating bills and hence your overall energy consumption.
Wnat to know more about SolarVenti Hybrid Air and Water heaters?
Contact us for further information, or see the SV30AWX page.
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| | O | Dehumidifier Questions | We are asked many questions by people contemplating the purchase of a SolarVenti dehumidifier or air heating unit. These relate to how SolarVenti resolves issues with damp, condensation and even mildew. Many of the questions are about how this still novel device works as one of the world's most efficient dehumidifiers. Some of the most frequent questions are summarised below.
How do conventional dehumidifiers compare with SolarVenti?
What is different about the underlying technology?
Where on a property should one site a SolarVenti dehumidifier?
How does one get the most out of a SolarVenti dehumidifier?
These are all dealt with here.
Qn: Is SolarVenti a better solution than a conventional dehumidifier and if so why?
Answer 1: Small conventional dehumidifiers work by blowing the stale damp air in the room past the equivalent of an ice cube. Larger ones have larger cooling coils equivalent to a couple of ice cubes and above this they may have the equivalent of a tray or more of ice. Regardless of this only the air that comes into contact with the cooled surface inside the dehumidifier has the moisture condensed out. It takes many many passes of that same air to get it dry.
When the sun shines SolarVenti units pump in large volumes of warmed dry air displacing the stale moist air. Even the smallest SolarVenti is much more effective.
Answer 2: Conventional dehumidifiers can cease working in a number of ways such as the Bucket Filling Up, Power Failure, Fuse blown, RCB trips, Compressor Failure; the point being that any of these failures can invalidate the whole purpose of buying a dehumidifier and leave you with the cost and effort of restoring a damp environment back to normal once again. SolarVenti units very rarely fail and are a more effective solution.
On balance, if you have access to the sun and the right aspect and if we have 'sized' the unit, SolarVenti will outperform any dehumidifier for most domestic applications. Not only that but it transforms atmosphere in rooms by displacing micro-organism-laden, damp smelly air and introducing sweeter drier air.
Answer 3: A SolarVenti unit manages itself in a fit and forget manner. It has ZERO running costs and is outside your property not inside it taking up space. It also has no cables and tubes across the floor for you to trip over and no bucket to empty.
Answer 4: SolarVenti is the only Dehumidifier solution for people that feel strongly about Green issues. SolarVenti consumes no power and uses only renewable energy from the sun making it not just carbon neutral but arguably a carbon negative solution.
Answer 5: Normal dehumidifiers do not work well below about 5°C as the condenser turns into a block of ice; so just when you really need it it packs in. Most have a defrost setting or even a cutout built in but the point is they are really inefficient at low temperatures so you need a warmed building for it to function properly - all very self defeating. Plus it is continually circulating the same stale air and microorganisms. SolarVenti units continue to operate efficiently at outside air temperatures that are below freezing.
Qn: Are there enough hours of sunshine in the UK?
Answer: YES! There are more hours of sunshine in the UK in the cold and cool months of the year than there are in Scandinavia where SolarVenti is an outstanding success. In a normal year England averages about 1600 hours of sunshine. The UK as a whole averages about between 1350 to 1750 hours of sunshine per year depending on location.
Qn: How does SolarVenti dehumidify?
Answer: Warm dry air absorbs much more moisture than cold air. After a cold night all of the atmospheric moisture is lying on the ground as dew or frost leaving a very dry but cold atmosphere. SolarVenti takes in this cold dry air and warms it before pumping it into your house where it sucks out moisture from the fabric of your property and replaces the colder damper atmosphere.
Qn: Could I use SolarVenti as the sole form of heating in my property?
Answer: No. SolarVenti is designed as a dehumidifier. The fact that the larger units do indeed produce a significant increase in the temperature of the incoming air does not mean that you could use them as a stand alone space heating solution, at least not in the vast majority of conventional buildings. Since sunshine is not constant, you may need another source of warmth during evenings and overcast periods. That said, you can obtain significant energy savings for your space heating if you supplement it with one of the larger SolarVenti units - see Energy Saving.
Qn: Can I install my SolarVenti myself?
Answer: YES! Any DIY savvy person can easily install a wall mounted SolarVenti. The only essentials are a drill and a screwdriver. If you are mounting your SolarVenti on a brick wall you can hire a core drill to cut neatly through the wall (102-107mm or 127-132mm depending on your SolarVenti model) from your local tool hire shop. Alternatively, you can use a standard masonry drill to go around a marked circle where you require the hole to be and use a chisel to remove the remainder.
Qn: Where should I mount my SolarVenti?
Answer 1: Providing you have a south facing wall which is not obscured from the direct sun by other buildings or by dense trees you have the ideal location. Even if your required location is not directly south facing, SolarVenti will work providing it is south-west or south-east facing.
Answer 2: If your only possibitity is to roof mount your SolarVenti, please contact us as you will require a special roof mounting kit and almost certainly a trained installer.
Qn: How long will my SolarVenti last? What guarantee do you give?
Answer: We can't give you a definite answer here but the original prototype SolarVenti units were installed in Denmark more than 10 years ago and they are still running perfectly and at no cost. If any component in a correctly mounted and installed SolarVenti fails within the first two years it will be replaced at no cost to you. Click on the warranty/guarantee
menu option under the pricing menu for further details.
Qn: How does a SolarVenti actually work?
Answer: SolarVenti dehumidifiers are designed to make use of the significant relative humidity differences that occur during non summer months. On a cold clear winter morning, most of the water vapour in the air has dropped out as dew or frost, so the relative humidity is low. As soon as the sun hits the SolarVenti panel, it will start to suck in cool air, warm it and push it into your property. This incoming air positively displaces the existing damp air. Because the incoming warmer air has a greater propensity for carrying moisture, this picks up the dampness in your property and it is actively dispersed through any ventilation gaps in your house (air bricks, poorly fitted windows, under doors etc.) leaving your property nicely dry and ventilated with fresh, warmed air.
Qn: Will my SolarVenti be effective in the summer months?
Answer: In a good summer, the answer is no. (How many good summers do we have?) On most warm sunny days in the summer we all tend to open doors and windows to enjoy fresh warm air, so there is no need to have your SolarVenti on but if you are out at work during the day it does no harm, only good as fresh air is coming in. Because the amount of water vapour held in the air tends to be lower at night and higher during the day in the warmer summer months, the efficacy of a SolarVenti is reduced in a good summer. On top of that, as it raises the temperature of the incoming air, it may make your property too warm. Note that you CAN now use your SolarVenti unit to provide some degree of cooling during the summer months. Using a buried earth piping system and a secondary impellor, it is possible to reduce the incoming air temperature by between 5C and 10C. Details can be found under Cooling with SolarVenti.
Qn: Is SolarVenti suitable for every situation?
Answer: In short no. There are many properties in the uk where there is no suitable external place to mount a SolarVenti. If for example the South facing aspect is shaded by large trees or other buildings then a SolarVenti would not work in that situation. However if you have the right place to locate a SolarVenti then it will be the best way to get rid of a damp smelly atmosphere.
Qn: Can SolarVenti solve all damp problems?
Answer: Clearly the answer is no! There are many causes of damp and if you have water entering your property through a leak you need to deal with it.
If you have rising damp you need to cure it. SolarVenti will help alleviate some of the consequences of these issues but the underlying cause needs fixing for the more serious situations.
Qn: How can SolarVenti solve condensation problems?
Answer: Condensation is a complex subject. It is caused by moist air encountering temperature differences! If the fabric of your house is damp then condensation will form on the coolest surfaces such as a single glazed window. If however you have a SolarVenti unit frequently displacing the stale moist atmosphere replacing it with a more sterile, sweeter, drier atmosphere every time the sun shines then the fabric of your dwelling, once it is dry, can absorb a lot of the moisture produced by day to day living during those periods when the sun does not appear. This can dramatically reduce condensation. If you look under customer testimonials (under the home menu) there is a letter from a customer that lives in a park home and has been measuring the humidity levels in his property before and after and it exactly illustrates this capability.
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| | O | Brochures, Reports & Press | SolarVenti Brochures
The main Solarventi Product Brochure is available in pdf format. It contains a table of performance data and product technical specifications with property sizing recommendations. Click here to download.
This pdf file (1MB approx) also opens in a new window so please allow time for it to open
The Free Energy Report
A write up of an independent technical study on the overall performance and power output of the SV30 is now available
Click here to download the Free Energy Report in pdf (Acrobat) format
Press Coverage
London Evening Standard. An article on SolarVenti units appeared in the "Really Useful Guide" on the 12 July 2006. You can see the article here. PDF format (320Kb) Opens in new window.
The Independent: 4/9/2006 The Extra, a regular feature of The Independent listed SolarVenti as one of 'The world's greatest green inventions'.
Independent Technical Evaluations
The Danish Technical University performed an independent assessment of the performance of an old version of the SV14. You can see the article if you click here. PDF format. Opens in new window.
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| | O | Roof Mounting | The SV7, SV14 and SV30 variant models can all be roof mounted rather than wall mounted. This requires a special roof mounting kit which is available from SolarVenti. We can supply a set of brackets, roof lead in and fittings to ensure that a unit can be securely attached and weatherproofed. Please contact us for details and pricing information.
Note that roof mounting is not a simple DIY install and will normally require a roofing sub-contractor.
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| | O | Wall Mounting | Wall Mounting Instructions are included with every SolarVenti unit on how they may be installed on your house, holiday home, chalet or caravan etc.
Wall mounting any of the SolarVenti dehumidifier panels is actually far more straightforward and simple than most people realise, especially for the small to medium sized models.
Simply follow the instructions set out below:-
1) Locate the best place to install your SolarVenti (South, SE or SW facing with a minimum of shade from trees etc.) and mark the location for the inlet hole (110 - 132 mm depending on the SolarVenti model). You can then mount the lower two fittings (blue colour) with screws about 5 to 10 cm in from the side edge of frame.
The position of the air inlet valve is arbitrary, you can choose to mount the panel upwards, downwards or on either side.
2) Place the collector into the bottom fixings (blue colour) and tilt it towards the wall. Mark the upper edge with a pencil, or similar, and draw a line about 5 to 6 mm above this. The top fittings (red) can then be mounted along this line.
3) Cut through the wall to make your inlet hole as per the location that you marked in 1). If you do not have a rotary cutter of the relevant size an ordinary masonry drill can be used to cut multiple holes around the mark you have made.
4) Before the collector is finally mounted, fix the flexible tube to the outlet valve on the collector. Put the tube through the hole and fix it to the frame inside the house. Push the frame into the hole and fix it to the wall. You may wish to use some silicone sealant to prevent any air ingress around the hole (inside and outside). The white inlet valve may now be pressed into the frame. Turn clockwise to fix.
Now tighten the screws into the top fittings (red) to fully secure the SolarVenti panel to the external wall.
5) On/off switch:
The black and brown leads from the collector must be connected to the terminals in the switch. Press the red and black buttons in the switch and press the leads into the terminal. Release your hold and the leads will lock in place. The blue lead is not in use but you should protect it within the enclosed connecter unless you have also purchased a regulator (see 6.).
6) If you have an electronic regulator:
The three coloured leads should be mounted into the corresponding coloured terminals within the electronic regulator.
Full mounting instructions, including diagrams, are packaged with all SolarVenti dehumidifers at shipment.
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| | O | CO2 Emissions | All SolarVenti products are powered by the sun. There are no mains electrical components so every SolarVenti has zero CO2 emissions.
The graph above shows the cumulative CO2 emissions of a SolarVenti SV7 (Zero) compared with the equivalent CO2 emissions from a commercial mains powered dehumidifier. (The figures shown are for a Mitsubishi MJE16V-E1 running 130 hours per month.)
KgCO2 emissions = (monthly consumption [35.75 kW] X 12)
Annual consumption = 429 kW
X conversion factor = 0.43 (Government figure for mains electricity)
Total annual KgCo2 = 184
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| | O | ROI, Costs & Running Costs | The graphic above shows the purchase cost plus annual running costs of a SolarVenti SV7 versus a conventional mains powered dehumidifier, in this case a Mitsubishi MJE16V-E1.
Unlike many other solar powered technologies you can see that a SolarVenti actually covers its own costs when compared to a conventional mains powered equivalent in three years. Every year after that SolarVenti saves you mains electricity for free; plus it has zero CO2 emissions! In this example we have assumed that your dehumidifer is running for 130 hours per month. If you were in the situation where you were running your dehumidifier 24/7 SolarVenti would have paid for itself in less than 15 months!!
The data for the above table can be found in the following document:- Costs & Running Costs. We have projected only a 7% annual increase in the cost of electricity each year whilst in reality domestic electricity prices have increased by 30% over the last three years (10% per annum).
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| | O | Energy saving with SolarVenti | Heating building versus heating car
When you get into your car after the sun has been shining on it, can there be anyone who has not felt the energy that has been captured from the sun by the car for free? SolarVenti captures that same free solar warmed air energy and pumps it into your house using only solar power so that the running cost is nil. The positioning of the SolarVenti is designed to make very effective use of available winter sunshine. See also space heating for more info.
So can I really save energy with SolarVenti?
Without doubt, and by a greater level than you may initially think. As well as keeping the humidity levels in your property low, and providing a substantial amount of fresh air ventilation, the larger SolarVenti units also provide a surprising amount of supplementary space heating for your property.
How can the larger SolarVenti units save on energy?
Let's take a look at the energy outputs of our larger units.
The SV14 outputs ~0.6 Kilowatts of energy per hour each hour the sun shines. We get an average of 1600+ hours of sunshine each year in the UK. If we assume that only 1000 of these hours are usable (you do not want very warm air input into your property in high summer when it is already hot), then even the SV14 can provide up to 600 Kilowatts of free space heating energy annually.
For the SV30, the equivalent figures are:- Output is ~1.6 Kilowatts per hour - this equates to up to 1600 Kilowatt-Hours of free space heating energy annually. (The SV30AWX produces ~1.3Kilowatts per hour).
So what does that mean in terms of my overall energy consumption?
Depending on which figures you believe are correct for the average UK household energy consumption, these outputs have quite an impact on overall energy consumption. The figures for average household energy consumption vary from 3,300 Kilowatts to 4,900 Kilowatts per annum. Of course, there are many different sizes and types of property, with varying levels of heating efficiency and insulation etc., so these figures can not be considered to be anything other than indicative maxima.
SV14: 1000 Hrs @ 0.6 Kw = 600 Kw = 18% of 3,300 Kw or 12% of 4900 Kw
SV30: 1000 Hrs @ 1.6 Kw = 1600 Kw = 48% of 3,300 Kw or 32% of 4900 Kw
So the larger SolarVenti units can provide a significant proportion of your overall energy for free, thus saving on your costs for space heating.
Dry air versus damp air in buildings
Additionally, SolarVenti reduces your main space heating energy consumption in another important way. It requires much less energy to heat dry air than it does to heat air laden with moisture. SolarVenti displaces and expels dampness from buildings and because the air inside a property is then much drier because of the SolarVenti, so less energy is required to heat it.
Are there any examples of actual savings made by the installation of a SolarVenti unit?
The very first SV30 users in the UK are reporting a significant reduction in their heating bills.
You can read their feedback comments for details of their assessment.
More recently a closely monitored SV30 installation installed in Victoria Australia (similar climate to UK) reports energy savings of almost 35% over the winter quarter. Technical Data for this assessment is available by request.
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| | O | Price List Download | You can download the new SolarVenti price list (effective from 1/11/12) as a pdf by clicking on the following link (file will open in a new window) - Current List Prices. |
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| | O | Installing SolarVenti |
Installation service for SolarVenti
Whilst most SolarVenti units are DIY installed, we must acknowledge that not every customer is DIY savvy and installation can be a concern to some people. Hence SolarVenti offers installation services mainly for the larger SolarVenti units; the SV14 and SV30 in wall mounted situations or for the installation of several SolarVenti's of any type in a single location. We can also undertake roof mounting services (within acceptable travelling distance) using a trusted roofing expert.
Pricing an installation
It is difficult to standardise installation prices as there are so many variables to be considered in the process of arriving at a price for an installation.
Location - ie how far do we have to drive?
Height - How far off the ground is the install?
Is it a one man job or a two man job?
What kind of wall are we having to drill through?
How thick is the wall?
Simple Pricing Scenario
For situations where a customer is within 100 miles traveling distance and has a standard double brick/breeze wall construction and the unit is to be installed at just above ground level SolarVenti can offer to deliver and install this at a fixed price. This would also be the case for ground based mounting connected via ducting or an install on a single story flat roof with door access to the roof area. For ground based mounting a frame will have to be made out of tanalised timber and longer ducting lengths will be needed.(See later re pricing considerations)
If your installation scenario resembles this then, subject to discussion, we will be able to offer you a fixed installation price on request.
Sample installation price for a single SV14 on a brick built semi detached house with the unit being mounted at ground floor level. The journey distance is 50 miles. Price ~£250
Complex/Difficult Pricing Scenario
Where a long drive is required to reach the customer and overnight accommodation plus meals is needed.
Where the unit is large eg SV30, requiring 2 persons to handle it.
The unit must be mounted in a very awkward and high position.
Where the walls are very thick. (We have encountered walls up to 3 feet thick
Where walls are made of a very hard stone which burns out core cutters and core cutting drills and even ordinary masonry drills.
NB On one job we burned out a core cutter and a core cutting drill, the cost to SolarVenti far exceeded the customers installation bill.
Roof Mounting Pricing Scenario
Outside of our normal traveling distance (2.5 Hours Max.) you will need to hire scaffolding and/or get a builder to undertake the roof work. These will be external costs. SolarVenti will talk to your chosen builder/roof tradesman to talk him through what is involved. Installation instructions are provided.
Sources of additional cost
Wooden Mounting frame
Extra ducting
Burned out core cutters due to wall hardness
(You have the option of hiring these items locally - see below)
Overnight accommodation and subsistence
DIY Equipment Hire costs
Typical hire cost of SDS core cutting drill £20 - £30 (collected)
and diamond core cutter 132mm DIA £25 - £35 (collected)
Typical hire cost of a scaffold tower £120 per week (min) + delivery £30 to £80 depending on delivery location
All the above are guideline figures and exclude VAT
Hybrid System Installations
Installation of the SV30AWX units will also require the services of a plumber, so indicative installation costs are even more difficult to assess and almost inevitably require a site visit and survey.
Please note that where an existing vented hot water cylinder exists, it is not always necessary to replace this as (where there is sufficient space) it may be possible to fit a Willis SolaSyphon system alongside the existing cylinder. Please contact us for details of the SolaSyphon system.
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| | O | SV2 SolarVenti Panel | The smallest SolarVenti model, the SV2, is ideally suited for boats, smaller narrowboats, garages, glider trailers and small to medium caravans and motor homes.
The SV2 weighs ~6Kg and produces an airflow of ~20m³/hour with a temperature increase of ~12°C of the incoming air.
The SV2 in plain aluminium, black or white costs £345.00.
People often choose the powder coat coloured options where they wish to match existing colour schemes.
All prices exclude VAT and do not include for fitting and delivery charges.
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| | O | SV3 SolarVenti Panel | The SV3 Panel is ideally suited for larger boats and narrowboats, garages, storage trailers and static caravans as well as small second and holiday homes/flats.
The SV3 weighs ~8Kg and produces an airflow of ~25m³/hour with a temperature increase of 15°C in the incoming air.
The SV3 in plain aluminium, black or white costs £395.00.
People often choose the powder coat coloured options where they wish to match existing colour schemes.
All prices exclude VAT and do not include for fitting and delivery charges.
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| | O | Customer references | It is always good to get feedback from clients. Clearly Solarventi works so well in solving customer damp problems that it usually surprises customers by performing way beyond expectations.
"Click": on the appropriate property type for customer references
Park Homes - Damp Narrowboats - Basements & Cellars - Holiday Properties - Damp Farmhouse - Damp Houses & Heat Energy - Cold house Syndrome
Farmhouses with damp problems
Feedback and commentary from our very first UK customer in connection with solving the damp problems in his old farmhouse expressed via his blog:
See Customer Blog. Quoting from the article: "Despite some longish periods of gloomy and wet weather there has been enough winter sunshine (for the SolarVenti) to maintain a dry fresh smelling atmosphere in my farmhouse. The sun is obviously much lower in the sky now and there are a couple of trees that block the sun for part of its trajectory. The distant trees that I thought might be a problem are not! They have shed all of their leaves and the sun shines through the trees albeit at slightly lower power response from the Solarventi fan unit. Nevertheless the very effective drying ability of the Solarventi is powerfully in evidence in the whole of the downstairs of the house not just the utility kitchen area."
Another old farmhouse with damp issues:
"I am very pleased with the unit which i use for venting and drying the lowest floor."
Nick orchard.
Damp Narrowboats
A letter from one of the first customers to fit a SolarVenti SV2 to cure damp in their narrowboat.
"I am writing to express our great satisfaction with the SolarVenti solar powered dehumidifier, which you fitted to our narrow boat last September.
We left the boat and the dehumidifier unattended for seven and a half months over winter from 1 September until we returned to the boat from New Zealand on 22 April.
The boat was wonderfully dry, and everything in it was fresh. There was no smell of mustiness anywhere. When we were on board we noticed a slight rise in temperature whenever the sun was shining on the panel.
We consider that this is an important asset for anyone who leaves a boat unattended for long periods to have, and we have already recommended it to several people we have met on the canal since we set off.
We are also very grateful for the effort you made to have the device fitted before we left last year.
Once again many thanks.
Kind regards,"
Jim and Dawn Wardle (nb Pukeko)
Another happy narrowboat owner:
"Our boat is now nice and fresh all the time. The soft furnishings were left in the boat over winter and stayed fresh and usable just as we were promised. It was pleasant to get back in the boat at the start of the season without the need for a major spring clean."
D Bulbeck - Narrowboat owner.
Holiday properties
Comments from happy holiday cottage owners:
"We bought a SolarVenti for our cottage in Wales. It has been fantastic for us. Previously there was always a constant musty smell and it (SV) has completely cleared the damp. All patches of mould have completely cleared."
Sue and Bob.
"Best £500 investment I've made to date. I can now strongly recommend
one to anyone with a dank spot in the house, a cellar, or north facing
wall, or condensation plagued cupboards."
Tanya Lees.
You can read about Tanya's SolarVenti experience on her fascinating blog about her old property with no electricity and no mains water, the 'Stone Caravan', as she calls her remote Northumbrian hideaway.
She contemplates her purchase:- Should I buy a SolarVenti?
Initial reactions:- Lets hope it has worked.
Secondary reaction on the SolarVenti's effectiveness:- It Works Fantastically!
Houses, damp basements & cellars
Here's a review of a SolarVenti SV3 used to dehumidify and ventilate a basement on a house in Ross-on-wye. Written by owner of the property and friend and colleague Peter Martin, instigator of the brilliant re-use and re-cycle site www.junkk.com. See SolarVenti review.
Damp houses and Heat Energy savings
Quotes from one of the UK's first SV30 users in East Anglia.
"We have an Edwardian cottage (built 1901), & we were struggling to keep it
warm & dry without running up huge electricity bills. Our other major problems being, condensation on the windows & the house
being cold, indoors, even on the hottest of summer days.
We chose solarventi as we could see its potential in helping solve our
problems.
Despite only installing it in November, we have been amazed how it has
utilised the small amount of sunlight we have had, & how much warmth it has
generated.
We look forward with absolute confidence, to a warmer next summer 'indoors'! & we are sure, because of its' performance so far, that given 12 months use, it will dry out the cottage & our heating bills will gradually be reduced. A plus for us & a plus for the environment."
Ann Coe.
"Since fitting the SolarVenti SV30 our heating costs have decreased dramatically. We have night storage heaters and since deploying the SolarVenti unit, we have been able to turn down the heater controls by 50%, even during winter. So not only are the units cost-effective, but it is also reducing our carbon footprint and helping protect the environment.
The unit was incredibly easy to install and the customer service we have received from the SolarVenti team has been exceptional. It really is a true fit-and-forget solution". John Coe. (11 weeks after installation).
Heating savings comment
"I've had the unit for exactly 470 usable hours since I got it and have been surprised at the 25 degree temperature gain for the incoming fresh air. I have been able to turn the heating down a few notches since I got it."
Len Maxwell.
Helping to preserve an old organ
"We installed the SV7 unit in November 2007 and it has been a great success. We live in a converted chapel and want to conserve the old church organ. We suffered enormous heating bills and still had 95% humidity in winter. With SolarVenti we have got it down to a comfortable 55% and are very satisfied with it. It has been a terrific success."
David Sanger.
Park Homes and damp issues
A letter from a SolarVenti SV3 user with a Park Home living in Staffordshire:
"Just a short note to say how delighted I am with my new SolarVenti SV3.
The humidity in the bedroom has always been over 80% and even when I put the mains electric dehumidifier in there I couldn’t get it below 70%.
After just a few sunny days last week the SolarVenti had it down to 38%! And I really got the room ‘dried out’. Even now after several days of snow and rain the humidity is still well below 70%.
Thank you very much for your excellent product."
Bob Hickmott.
Comment from a Park Home owner with damp issues.
"We live in a park home and suffered damp problems in the bedroom. We are very impressed with SolarVenti. It has been a tremendous help in banishing the dampness and are very happy with it."
P. Marsden
Large Park Home previously with damp and mildew issues:
"I am just ecstatic with it (SV14) - I am usually very picky but within 1 day the atmosphere was completely transformed and the musty smells were gone."
Mrs Gallop
Properties with 'Cold House Syndrome'
This customer had lived with cold house syndrome prior to installing SolarVenti as part of a campaign to dry his house out. Symptoms even included mould on the walls.
"SolarVenti has been an integral part of getting the house dry. It has made a huge difference to the atmosphere of the house which has been transformed. Drawers now open smoothly in the furniture."
Tony Grice - Cambridgshire.
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| | O | SV7 SolarVenti Panel | The SV7 Panel is ideally suited for large house boats, big garages and large static caravans as well as smaller second and holiday homes. It can also be used on holiday chalets, log cabins, lockers and changing rooms etc.
The SV7 weighs ~14Kg and produces an airflow of ~50m³/hour with a temperature increase of ~15°C in the incoming air.
The SV7 in plain aluminium, black or white costs £550.00.
People often choose the powder coat coloured options where they wish to match existing colour schemes.
All prices exclude VAT and do not include for fitting and delivery charges.
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| | O | SV14 SolarVenti Panel | The SV14 Panel was developed for larger second and holiday homes, where periods of inoccupancy tend to make the air stale and damp. They can also be used on any small or medium sized domestic property with a particular damp, condensation, mildew or odour problem, providing a noticeable space heating supplement for free. It will ventilate, dehumidify and provide supplementary warmth to any building with a footprint up to ~70m².
The SV14 weighs ~20Kg and produces an airflow of ~70m³/hour with a maximum temperature increase of ~30°C in the incoming air.
The SV14 in aluminium, black or white costs £850.00.
People often choose the black or white powder coat coloured options where they wish to match existing colour schemes.
This price includes for a supplied integrated regulator/thermostat control unit.
All prices exclude VAT and do not include for fitting and delivery charges.
Note that roof mounting kits are available for the SV14 at an additional cost. (Please contact SolarVenti UK for details.)
The image shown is an SV14 on a commercial office building in Cheshire.
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| | O | SV30 SolarVenti Panel | The SV30 Panel was developed for large second and holiday homes, where periods of inoccupancy tend to make the air stale, damp and musty, or any larger property with a particular damp, mildew or odour problem. Installed on larger domestic and commercial properties in the UK, Denmark and Sweden, they have been shown to make a significant impact on winter heating costs. (Under ideal solar radiation conditions, the SV30 outputs up to 1.6kW per hour.) A single SV30 can dehumidify and warm buildings with up to a ~140m² footprint.
The SV30 weighs ~30Kg and produces an airflow of ~140m³/hour with a temperature increase of up to ~40°C in the incoming air.
The SV30 in plain aluminium or a black or white powder coat high quality paint finish costs £1290.00
This price includes for a supplied integrated regulator/thermostat control unit.
All prices are exclusive of VAT and do not include for any fitting or delivery costs.
Note that roof mounting kits are available for the SV30 at an additional cost. (Please contact us for details.)
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| | O | SV30AWX | Under clear solar radiation conditions, the hybrid SolarVenti SV30AWX outputs up to 1.33kW per hour of warm air energy. A single SV30AWX can ventilate, dehumidify and provide supplementary space heating to buildings with up to a ~140m² footprint whilst also producing Solar Hot Water for free.
The SV30AWX weighs less than 33Kg and produces an airflow of ~100 cubic metres per hour. The incoming air is heated by up to approx 40°C whilst the SV30AWX is simultaneously producing hot water at 50°C to 65°C.
The SV30AWX may be set to provide only hot air or only hot water or any mixture of the two depending on the needs of the user at the time.
The SV30AWX is available in plain aluminium or with a black or white powder coat high quality paint finish. The SV30AWX is supplied with everything you need, including a roof mounting kit, for a complete self install package [excluding any hot water cylinder] (see SV30AWX details).
Prices:
SV30AWX (Aluminium, Black or White) including self install kit: £2,790.00
Price shown is exclusive of VAT and does not include any delivery costs.
If you have a reasonably serviceable large hot water cylinder and do not want to go to the cost of replacing it with a new large cylinder incorporating a finned solar coil, we can help by supplying a Willis Renewables Solasyphon system which transfers the solar gained energy into your existing hot water cylinder. Please contact us for further details.
If you have a combi boiler and would still like to make use of the solar hot water capabilities of the SV30AWX then we may still be able to help. Most combi boilers are not capable of accepting a pre-heated water supply, but we can get around this issue by using a Grant Combisol valve set. Please contact us for details. Please note that this method also requires the installation of a new hot water cylinder and therefore quite a lot of plumbing is involved. Also, this method is not as efficient as using a separate dedicated hot water supply cylinder.
Important Note:
Please note that the manufacturers are intending to drop the hybrid air and water systems from their product range in spring 2013. Demand has been too low to continue production cost effectively.
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| | O | Warranty / Guarantee | What sort of warranty/guarantee does SolarVenti UK Ltd. provide?
All SolarVenti models are supplied with a warranty covering equipment failure. This provides cover for two years. Providing the installation requirements have been met correctly, any SolarVenti unit that fails or suffers component failure will have the components replaced or repaired at minimal cost (collection and delivery only) to the purchaser during this period.
Failures are quite a rare event.
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| | O | Mildew, & Mould | Almost all buildings, boats and caravans left unattended without adequate ventilation will ultimately suffer from damp problems. One of the major consequences of damp conditions is that dampness provides an ideal breeding ground for numerous types of moulds and mildews.
We have all seen the visual consequences, the little black spots and stains and walls, and detected that characteristic strange musty smell, but just what are the health consequences of living or working in an environment like that?
Unfortunately there are lots of types of moulds; black moulds, toxic moulds, allergenic moulds to select just a few, and they come in tens of thousands of species. (Some scientists believe that there are probably millions of species of moulds that we have yet to identify). In most cases, and in normal background concentrations, these moulds do us little or no harm at all. However, as mould levels increase, they can have an increasing affect on people, especially those that are prone to allergies, those that suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma, and anyone who suffers from a suppressed immune system.
Even healthy people suffer when mould concentrations get too high. Moulds can not only exacerbate respiratory or allergenic problems, they can also cause irritation (skin, eyes etc.), can in some species actually be infectious, and even toxic to the human body. There is even some scientific evidence that living in an environment where moulds are present can double the chances of a child developing asthma. See US Newswise report. So getting rid of mould and mildew and its underlying causes is important for your health.
Moulds spread via airborne spores, so when a spore lands on something that can provide it with food (something organic) and water, it will develop and grow. For some people, even the airborne spores are sufficient to produce a bad allergenic reaction. However, as the mould digests its food source, the chemistry involved means that a classification of chemicals known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) are produced. These VOC's come in a huge range of classes and type and whilst many of them are only irritants to humans (inducing runny eyes, a streaming nose etc.) some can be very harmful. It is the VOC's that produce the characteristic musty decaying smell we all notice in somewhere with ideal damp conditions (for moulds!).
Many species of mould can also produce compounds known as mycotoxins which are toxic to other species, including human beings. Some of these chemicals are considered to be highly dangerous to people, but there is little research to back up the information. What is known is that symptoms from contact with these toxins can include flu-like symptoms, fatigue, respiratory problems, and even depression. Some of the toxins are known to be carcinogenic (cancer causing).
Mildews, wet rot (several species) and dry rot (one species) are some of the most common moulds that we humans encounter. All are associated with high humidity and damp sources but almost all can be also controlled and in many cases eradicated with dry air ventilation using Solarventi.
More detailed information can be found at the Californian Environmental Health Investigations Branch, see EHIB and type in mold [USA spelling] in the search box, or see the Environment Safety and Health Online site topics on
moulds.
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| | O | Condensation |
HUMIDITY & CONDENSATION
Humidity and Condensation go hand in hand. Wherever there is humid air and a cold surface moisture will condense out of the air forming a mist or beads of water. High levels of condensation are generally a sign of a significant humidity problem. High levels of condensation mean that you are inviting mould and mildew growth into your home and the potential for health issues that often follows from living in such conditions.
Humidity is the bane of many home owners. It causes discomfort and by encouraging the growth of moulds and mildew it can cause ill health. Living with fungal smells is unpleasant and costly in terms of replacing soft furnishings. Condensation is often the first sign of excessive humidity in your home. However mould and mildew will not be far behind when the conditions are right.
HUMIDITY & the 'COMFORT ZONE'
What is an acceptable level of humidity in a house or dwelling? It is certainly advisable to keep humidity in the range 30% to 70% if at all possible. But living and normal activity often make this difficult.
Breathing produces 1/4 cup of water in an hour.
Cooking by gas for 3 hours produces 3 pints of moisture.
Showering for 5 minutes releases about 1/2 pint of water into the air.
Having a hot bath releases up to 2 pints of airborne moisture.
Drying clothes produces up to 10 pints of airborne moisture (6lbs of spun washing in an unvented tumble dryer).
Adding between four - six pints of water to the air raises relative humidity for an initially dry house with an area of 1,000 square foot from ~15 to ~60 percent, assuming a constant temperature. It is not surprising that just a few days normal living raises humidity levels to the point where windows can start acting as a dehumidifier with rivulets of condensation running down them. Possessing all round double glazing means that the moisture will just seek out other cold surfaces to condense on or remain airborne.
Sources www.braintree.gov.uk
CLOTHES DRYING
Clothes drying in winter can add as much airborne damp as all the other sources of humidity put together and in a modern sealed house that is a guaranteed recipe for unhealthy living, the presence of flecks of mould and a life plagued by coughs and colds, particularly among children.
Why do many modern homes suffer from excessive humidity?
The answer lies in the way that modern building materials turn our homes into sealed boxes. Modern doors and windows are often surprisingly air tight. Home owners often seal over, or fill in, air brick style ventilation, and many often seal up window trickle vents. The result can be your house being turned into a trap for stale and increasingly humid air.
GETTING RID of CONDENSATION
This is not easy if you are continually releasing large volumes of moisture into the house. The best way is to regularly and completely replace the air in the house with fresh air but only to do this on a dry day. However most people are reluctant to let out the heat energy that they have paid so much for particularly in winter. SolarVenti only operates when conditions are right and it can do good for your house. It automatically switches on when the sun shines and goes off when it is cloudy. It also warms the air by between 15 and 40 degrees Centigrade (dependent on the size of SolarVenti unit) which dramatically increases the drying capacity of the air.
Ineffective Conventional Dehumidifiers?
The average small Domestic electrically powered dehumidifiers are often surprisingly ineffective but if you think about how they work it is not that surprising. Many dehumidifiers are small machines that blow the stale air in your house past the equivalent of an ice cube or 2 or more ice cubes (as they get larger). Some of the moisture that comes into contact with the surface of the cooling device then condenses out into the water bucket.
By way of contrast SolarVenti dehumidifiers draw in fresh dry external air only on days when the air is dry (as regulated by the sun) and then warms this by varying degrees so that it has the power to dry out a house. This warmed fresh dry air is of sufficient volume to displace the moist air in your house through cracks, keyholes, chimneys, door jambs and trickle vents in modern windows.
One way to think of SolarVenti is as a "21st Century air brick". SolarVenti only pushes fresh air into your house on days when it is dry. I.e. when the sun is shining. It first warms the air so that it is not a source of cold draughts. Instead it is a source of pre-warmed healthy fresh air that is doing you and your energy bills a power of good. Dry air is much cheaper and quicker to heat than moist air. Other SolarVenti users have reported being able to reduce the settings on their heating systems after installing a SolarVenti
Bob Hickmott of Stone, Staffordshire was the first park home user to install a SolarVenti. He had a persistent high humidity problem in his park home. He acquired a humidity meter and it measured over 80% in his bedroom. This is a high and quite unhealthy level. He often had to throw clothing and sometimes bedding away as it became fungal and mildewed after such conditions.
Bob had previously purchased a conventional electrical dehumidifier but this was unable to get the humidity below 70%. He then purchased a Solarventi SV3, one of our smallest models, and astonishingly this reduced the humidity in his park home to 38% after only a few days. As Bob says his home is now properly dried out for the first time in years. It also costs him nothing to keep it dry run as the sun provides the power of the SolarVenti for free.
Narrowboat owners have had similar experiences and they too are astonished by the results of having just the smallest SolarVenti unit. See the letters on our customer references page.
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| | O | Mould, Damp and Asthma | Asthma - A growing problem
Asthma has become one of modern life's major health problems with more than 5 million people in the UK now having asthma. Asthma incidence has increased almost three-fold over the last 20 years alone in the UK.
40 years ago, asthma was present in the population at relatively low levels, now it seems to be becoming endemic. In the 1960's in a school of say 1,000 pupils, you might find three or four children with asthma, now it seems that something like a tenth of all pupils seem to suffer from asthma to some degree or another. Although there is no clear single identifiable cause for this rapid increase in the incidence of asthma, there are multiple and often conflicting theories and many implicate damp and mould somewhere. For a discussion of some possible causes please see our page on ventilation, house dust mites and asthma.
There are hundreds of websites with information, theories and advice on asthma, its incidence and causes, as well as help. Arguably the best as a start point for this information is the Asthmapods website, which has well researched links to over 200 other useful sites on Asthma.
Household mould encouraged by damp may cause people with asthma to develop severe forms of the disease.
New studies appear to link the severity of asthma with poor ventilation and damp atmospheres which encourage the development of mould spores.
See a summary of this research on the following BBC news site page - severe asthma.
'Damp homes could cause asthma'
Finnish researchers are now suggesting that childhood asthma could be a direct consequence of living in damp and mould infested properties. Although not totally conclusive, the implications are very worrying for anybody with children living in damp houses where moulds tend to proliferate. Dr Juha Pekkanen, from the National Public Health Institute in Kuopio, said "Damp in the home does more than merely exacerbate existing asthma - it can contribute to the onset of persistent asthma." See details of the research on the BBC website here - Damp Homes & Asthma.
So How Can SolarVenti Help?
SolarVenti dehumidifier units push warmed dry air into any property providing ventilation, supplementary warmth and a powerful dehumidifying action which resolves damp issues and reduces the internal humidity dramatically. The increased ventilation and decreased humidity removes damp from your house and makes conditions intolerable for moulds and mildews.
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| | O | Ventilation, House Dust Mites and Asthma | Is inadequate house ventilation giving us asthma and encouraging allergies?
Compared to our recent ancestors, as 21st century human beings we spend a considerable part of our lives indoors whilst at home and, for most of us, indoors whilst we work. Some suggest that as humans we now spend as much as 80% of our time indoors. The air we breathe whilst at work is subject to many controls and regulations, yet prior to the 2006 Building Regulations, relatively few such regulations existed for our own homes. Maintaining the quality of the air in our homes is almost certainly as important as the quality of the air we breathe at work. In fact, it is probably of more importance for some family members such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and anybody suffering from respiratory diseases such as asthma.
Inadequate ventilation is a big issue in newer houses, flats and some older houses that have been sealed with replacement doors and windows. In many older homes (say early 1960's and before) the level of indoor air pollution is quite low because the original construction of buildings was not subject to tight insulation and air-tightness regulations. Fresh air infiltrates through poorly fitted doors and windows as well as the chimneys, and pollutants can leak out via the same. Admittedly, some of the more poorly designed houses have their own problems, such as damp due to the lack of a DPC, but the majority were much more ventilated than they are now. Although much of our older housing stock has already been 'improved' to minimise heat loss by the addition of double glazing, cavity wall and roof insulation, the addition of tightly fittings doors etc., it is likely that it still naturally ventilates more than new build properties.
Later and new build housing has been, and is, subject to much more stringent insulation and air-tightness regulation. However, despite there also being regulations around how much air change should be designed into them, relatively few have integral chimneys and many have now turned into almost hermetically sealed units. Severely lacking in ventilation, air change has become minimal and the atmosphere often contains far more CO2 and water vapour than is healthy for us (some suggest that inside air contains more than 10 times the pollution of outside air). The downside of this is that increased humidity provides an ideal breeding ground for unwanted (and commonly unseen) visitors such as moulds and mildews, and house dust mites (as per the scary image above). In fact, a temperature range of ~21C to 24C and a relative humidity range of ~60% to 80%, a surprisingly common set of conditions in modern houses, provide almost perfect conditions for the common house dust mite to survive and proliferate giving rise to allergies and allergic reactions. The higher humidity also provides excellent conditions for moulds and mildews in rooms that are less often utilised, and perhaps not heated quite as much.
We are told that every house has resident dust mites to some degree, they live in our carpets, our bedding and any other soft furnishings, but they are tiny, almost microscopic things that can't do us any harm, can they? Well, unfortunately, although they may be almost microscopic, they are actually quite harmful to humans in some circumstances. Anyone who has asthma, or is prone to allergies, can have a major problem. Dust mite faeces, their skin casts, and bits of their dead skeletons contain substances that are thought to trigger asthma attacks, inflammation in the nose, and even eczema in sensitive people.
There is no proven direct correlation between the indoors air that we now breathe and the incidence of asthma, allergies etc. However, there are some interesting facts that seem to closely correspond with the 21st century mode of living.
* Almost a third of the U.K. population will develop an allergy at some time in their lives.
* Almost 1 in 8 children has asthma and 85% of these are allergic to house dust mites.
* More than 5 million people in the UK now have asthma.
* About 6 million people in the UK have eczema.
* Asthma, eczema and rhinitis have increased almost three-fold over the last 20 years.
* Allergies appear to increase at about 5% per year and almost half of those affected are children.
Abstracted from various publications by: National Asthma Campaign, Allergy UK and the R.C.P. [Royal College of Physicians].
No one knows exactly what has caused the asthma epidemic; there are multiple and conflicting theories but according to Professor Duncan Geddes of the National Asthma Campaign, "It's also something to do with the way we're living in modern housing - little ventilation, damp housing, more carpets and more dust make asthma more common."
A 2003 research report concluded that, "This trial, when taken in conjunction with the growing body of scientific literature, supports the view that ..... changes to the design and use patterns of our dwellings are highly likely to be the most significant single driver producing the current asthma pandemic in Britain. If the levels of allergenic protein found in the dust reservoirs sampled in this trial are typical ..... a significant proportion (80%) of the current asthma pandemic is due to HDM (House Dust Mite) allergen exposure."
See Ref 1 below.
There are other hypothesized causes for this 21st century epidemic like the materials we use in our homes, the chemicals we use to clean them and the materials we have used to construct them; all of which may give off potentially dangerous pollutants known as VOCs [Volatile Organic Compounds]. Yet, although commonly used in our housing, with improved ventilation they should not exist in sufficient quantities to do us any harm.
Perhaps improving the quality of the air and the amount of ventilation in our houses could therefore be seen as a major stepping stone towards minimizing asthma and allergies. We cannot be absolutely certain, but increasing the amount of fresh dry air blown through our hermetically sealed boxes has got to be beneficial to the way that we now live. We would certainly makes the conditions for dust mites and moulds significantly less tolerable, and blow out some of the potential VOCs.
Maybe our Grandparents were right all along, they understood the need for ventilation; 'You should always sleep with your window open, even when its freezing outside; and you should air your bedding at least once a week'.
SolarVenti can't put your bedding out to air for you, but it will dramatically improve the quality of the air in your property and reduce the dampness in your house making the environment intolerable for moulds and tough for unwanted parasites such as house dust mites.
Ref 1: SG Howieson, A Lawson et al: Building Services Engineering Research and Technology 24,3 (2003)
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| | O | How SolarVenti Improves Air Quality | Now I understand all about the dangers of moulds and mildews, house dust mites, VOCs and poor ventilation, how can SolarVenti help?
All of the available evidence suggests that reducing humidity levels, providing warmth and increasing ventilation are beneficial to human health in terms of reducing indoor pollution and minimising moulds and house dust mite populations. SolarVenti units are designed to perform three functions at zero running cost:-
1. Produce additional fresh air ventilation.
2. Provide a significant dehumidifying effect.
3. Provide supplementary warmth.
Rather than extolling the virtues of SolarVenti ourselves, here is a translation of an independent article taken from a German magazine. The author makes a very clear link between moulds and human health, and a clear recommendation that SolarVenti units actually do just what is required.
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Translation from an original German publication.
Author: Dr Maike Claussen, Department Head of Microbiology
Mould fungi characteristics and musty smells in infrequently occupied rooms; risks, causes and prevention
Mould fungi can cause allergic reactions in human beings, which, depending on the constitution of the affected person, may occur immediately or after several exposures. Those affected develop various symptoms with differing characteristics (reddening of the skin, sniffles, cough, and shortness of breath).
Mould infestation of a room can clearly be seen by looking for mould stains or the presence of moulds on walls and furniture. A hidden case of mould infestation can be detected through measurement of spore load suspended in the air. In part, an infestation can be detected just by the musty smell that is noticed as one enters a room. This smell is generally caused by the formation of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) by bacteria or moulds. MVOC is a metabolite that bacteria or moulds disseminate into the surrounding air.
Dampness (of air or materials) is crucial for the growth of moulds. Problems of dampness in inner rooms originate from building deficiencies (defective insulation, etc.) and insufficient ventilation.
Regular air flow together with heat serves to get rid of damp and deprives moulds of important nutrients. In infrequently used rooms this is difficult to set up.
Devices that aerate and warm inner rooms can be used to prevent the establishment of moulds even in infrequently used rooms. A device such as SolarVenti, that simultaneously delivers and warms outside air into living space provides such a solution.
Environmental solutions
Moulds: a solar processor provides the solution
Every summerhouse or weekend house owner is confronted with the problem that in his/her absence, and especially in winter, unpleasant damp mildew can appear and sometimes smell musty.
25 years ago, I gave high school seminars on renewable energy sources and environmental topics and was interested in solar devices. However, until recently I had no inkling that I could and even must equip my summerhouse with a solar device to avoid health problems.
Fungi: a serious danger to health
Did you know that moulds and bacteria in poorly ventilated rooms present a serious risk to health? And, indeed, not just living fungi and bacteria, but also dead micro-organisms? And that it is not enough just to dispose of visible moulds on surfaces and leave to dry? Naturally no fungicides can be used as these present dangers to human and animal health, just vinegar and water or a vinegar-based cleaner! And anyway, this is not prevention but treatment of symptoms.
The health consequences of mould exposure in the community is increasing, according to the insurance companies of Schleswig-Holstein and the Institute for Experimental Toxicology. They include chronic respiratory illnesses, such as allergic asthma, and of the neck, nose, ear tract, which lead to inflammation of nasal membranes, headaches and even chronic exhaustion. Also MVOCs are produced by hidden moulds or bacteria.
Triggers for allergies and other illnesses
Fungal spores and germs in the air can trigger mycosa (fungal illnesses). Mycose due to moulds were, until recently, only reported by those with weak immune systems or the elderly. Specific proteins can cause allergic reactions such as rhinitis (runny nose), asthma (bronchiole or alveoli) (diseases of the lung). Mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin and anthraxtrachinone are suspected of causing health problems, such as head and limb aches, inflammation of the mucosa and increased susceptibility to infection. MVOCs are the causes of the mould smells and poor room climate.
Frequent ventilation is an obligation
Moulds are the cause of musty smells. Their spores and metabolites fly through the air as a fine dust. Spore numbers are constantly increasing. The environmental lab in Hamburg recommends frequent ventilation and damp-free conditions as therapy. In the short-term aeration can be used to remove spores from the air, but in the long-term dry, fresh air and warmth are the solution.
Air water content should not go above 60%. What is feasible in lived-in accommodation is impracticable in weekend houses or summerhouses. One notices this in the spring when one is greeted by a musty smell on entering the summerhouse or weekend house. This smell is always a sign of fungal contamination and when we smell it we have already inhaled the molecules! The mould-out-patients department has, under the leadership of Peter Boge and together with specialist doctors, determined that moulds hidden in the floorboards, walls and ceilings create the greatest risk of environmental ill-health. Pollutants from old worn-out lino or PVC get into the air even when they are covered with carpets.
Problem recognized: what's the solution?
I have discussed the problem of summerhouse moulds with several owners and their awareness of the problem was exactly nil! Electrical heating throughout the building during the winter would be horrendously expensive. Heat from wood is often forbidden because of the risk of fire. Many told me that, after the winter, they find moulds on sofa covers or on the walls.
Solar devices provide the remedy
There are firms that have spent years thinking about this problem and they have developed solar devices that are easy to install even with unpractised hands. The solar devices consist of an air collector, a solar module, and a ventilator. The air collector should be mounted on the roof or an outer wall. As soon as the sun shines, the solar module gets into action and fresh air is sucked into the air collector. This is pre-warmed and blown into the room through an impellor; stale, damp air is pushed outside through leaks in the house. With adjustable inflow ventilation the needs are met. Once installed, the solar device is robust and as soon as the sun shines even slightly has a ventilation effect that is very affordable. The device comes in different sizes for property footprints of 25-140 square metres.
Other advantages
A solar device is effective and cost-effective: The solar cell gets the warm-air collector running and at the same time generates a little electricity, even when the sky is slightly overcast or in winter. When the sun shines the system works at full blast. The summerhouse/weekend house will be permanently ventilated. Even at outside temperatures of -15 degrees C, that occurred last year in south Germany, there is a convincing drying effect because the dry air can take out the damp air excellently.
A huge advantage of the solar device in a summerhouse/gardenhouse: one can now over-winter various plants (geraniums, dahlias, etc.). These plants survive -5 degrees C but not lower. With a solar device the inside temperature seldom goes below freezing and the air stays dry.
Once you have invested in the solar device there are no follow-up costs. You can even save money with this system: into the bargain a battery charger could theoretically be charged with the electricity and use to power12-volt apparatuses e.g. radio, mobile phone, etc. There are also 12-volt lamps that can be operated in this way. With sufficient sunlight, devices can be operated for more than 1 hour. That is an additional aspect for a gardener who wants to save electricity or who has no electrical sockets in the summerhouse.
Farmers, caravaners, firms and boat owners can also benefit from this solar system.
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| | O | Humidity | If you're having trouble understanding "dew point" and "relative humidity," you are not alone! so do most people. The text below should help you.
First, the warmer air is, the more water vapor it can "hold." As you heat the air its relative
Dew point is a measure of how much water vapor is actually in the air.
Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of water in the air compared with the amount of water the air can hold at the temperature it happens to be when you measure it.
Below is the amount of water vapor air can hold at various temperatures:
30 C: 30 grams per cubic meter of air
20 C: 17 grams per cubic meter of air
10 C: 9 grams per cubic meter of air
These numbers, which apply to air at sea level pressure, are based both on measurements over the years, and theory. They are basic scientific facts.
Now, let's see how dew point and relative humidity work.
Imagine, that at 3 p.m. you measure the air's temperature at 30 degrees and you measure its humidity at 9 grams per cubic meter of air. What would happen if this air cooled to 10 degrees with no water vapor being added or taken away?
As it cools to 10 degrees the air becomes saturated; that is, it can't hold any more water vapor than 9 grams per cubic meter. Cool the air even a tiny bit more and its water vapor will begin condensing to form clouds, fog or dew - depending on whether the air is high above the ground, just above the ground, or right at the ground.
Back at 3 p.m., when we made the measurements, we could say that the air's dew point is 10 degrees C. That is, if this particular air were cooled to 10 degrees at ground level, its humidity would begin condensing to form dew.
How about relative humidity? At 3 p.m. the air has 9 grams of water vapor per cubic meter of air. We divide 9 by 30 and multiply by 100 to get a relative humidity of 30%
In other words, the air actually has 30% of the water vapor it could hold at its current temperature.
Cool the air to 20 degrees. Now we divide 9, the vapor actually in the air, by 17, the vapor it could hold at its new temperature, and multiply by 100 to get a relative humidity of 53% (rounded off).
Finally, when the air cools to 10 degrees, we divide 9 by 9 and multiply by 100 to get a relative humidity of 100% - the air now has all the vapor it can hold at its new temperature.
Amount of water in a 3 bedroomed house at 22 degrees centigrade
1 room is say: 4 x 3.5 x 3 = 42
six rooms of that size = 252 cu m
20 grams per cu metre at 100% RH
total weight of water in air in above house = 5.040 kilos of water
at 75% humidity = 3.78 kilos
at 35% humidity = 1.26
SolarVenti saves you having to pay to heat about 2.5 kilos of water just in the air
we estimate you can double that to 5 kilos because of what is absorbed in the fabric of an air tight damp house
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| | O | Mould in tenanted properties | If you rent your property, whether privately, through a letting agent, or through a housing association, your landlord has a legal obligation to do something to eradicate mould and any persistent damp issues.
Since 2004, mould has been reclassified as a class one hazard (in the same class as asbestos!) under the Health and Safety Hazards Rating System (HHSRS). This legislation requires landlords of any type to ensure that their properties are free from damp and mould. If a rented property is shown to suffer from black mould (Aspergillus Niger), and your landlord does nothing to eliminate it, they could be in line for a serious fine if it can be proven that the class one health hazard is down to mismanagement of the property (which doing nothing about a notified problem actually is).
For serious outbreaks of mould, you really do need to treat it properly, by getting in a specialist. If your property has less serious but still noticeable mould issues, then increasing the ventilation and reducing the internal humidity by fitting a SolarVenti will almost certainly eliminate the problem and could save a landlord from a large fine.
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| | O | Contact | Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like further information.
Telephone
Dave Goodwin (Solar Air Technologies & Ashley Solar) on 07936 392994 .
Write to:
Ashley Solar
16 Birch Rise
Ashley Heath
Market Drayton
Shropshire
TF9 4QA
Email:
info(at)solarventi.co.uk or
dave(at)ashleysolar.co.uk
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| | O | Climate change - a reality? | Is climate change a real threat?
We'll leave you to judge that for yourselves, but the evidence does seem almost irrefutable.
Ice core analyses show that CO2 concentrations on our planet had been stable for millennia, never rising or falling more than 10 ppm, and fluctuating between 275 and 285 ppm. Now, CO2 concentration globally has exceeded 380 ppm, and are rising at an eyebrow raising rate year on year. (391 ppm as of Sept 2012)
We know that the Arctic polar ice cap is shrinking rapidly [by ~9% per decade] and that the planet will lose the protection that the ice cap affords in terms of reflecting excess solar energy - see NRDC article.
Artic ice extent september 2012 shattered the previous record low (2007)- see. NSIDC Report
The Stern report published at the end of Oct 2005 makes for chilling reading - here is a link to the section on how climate change is predicted to affect people around the world. See Stern Report Part II Ch. 3.
The 2007 IPCC report appears to mark the end of the debate as to whether global warming is caused by humans. The conclusion is that it is 90% certain to be so.
Here are just a few things that politicians and leading scientists are saying.
"We have a very brief window of opportunity to deal with climate change ... no longer than a decade, at the most".
Jim Hansen, Leading climatologist, Goddard Institute for Space Studies. [Sept. 2006]
"The 1990s was the warmest decade, and 1998 the warmest year on global record."
"The Earth is warming faster than at any time in the past 10,000 years."
"The burning of coal, oil and gas has increased the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by 30% over natural levels."
Quotes from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, [IPCC]
"Climate change is a far greater threat to the world than international terrorism"
Sir David King, UK Government's chief scientific adviser.
"We have to accept that cutting domestic emissions is not a responsibility for Government alone. Government can give a lead. We can and will encourage changes in behaviour. In the end, though, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change will be a responsibility for every one of us in our daily lives."
Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister.
"If it were only a few degrees, that would be serious, but we could adapt to it. But the danger is the warming process might be unstable and run away. We could end up like Venus, covered in clouds and with the surface temperature of 400 degrees. It could be too late if we wait until the bad effects of warming become obvious. We need action now to reduce emission of carbon dioxide"
Prof. Stephen Hawking, Physicist.
"Climate change is faster and nastier than we thought ... An abyss is opening up between the speed at which the climate is changing and the speed at which governments are responding."
Tom Burke, visiting Professor, Imperial College, London.
"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children." Kenyan Proverb.
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| | O | Climate change - what can I do? | So what can I do?
Participate in debate and discussion at lots of sites all over the internet; as a start point you could join the discussions on the BBC website at Climate Change or join the UK's leading climate chaos campaign - see Stop Climate Chaos.
You can also use your computer's spare capacity to help in running the biggest climate modelling experiment ever undertaken. (Download the required software from the BBC link above.)
Every household can cut its electricity and water consumption with little effort and little cost. Buy the more energy efficient devices, fit long life, low power usage light bulbs. Make sure your insulation is up to standard in your loft space. Compost your kitchen waste. Recycle all your newspapers, glass etc. to cut down on landfill. Don't just throw stuff away - there may be something useful you can do with it or someone else just might want it. See Junkk.com for loads of ideas.
Scare yourself by working out exactly where your electricity costs are high to identify where you might make consumption savings. See Running costs.
Check out how much CO2 emission equivalent your current appliances are contributing in terms of the electricity or gas they are using, or just what your car and holiday flight costs are in terms of CO2 emissions. See the National Energy Foundation's CO2 calculator.
Buy solar powered devices such as SolarVenti which use zero mains power and are carbon neutral. A very useful site for businesses offering all things green is the Green Directory.
You need more detailed advice?
A very useful site, full of detailed energy information and details of where grants may be available can be found at the Energy Saving Trust which is part government and part private sector funded.
Want to create your own renewable power?
For free advice and guidance on whether grants might be available for renewable energy from home microgeneration check out the UK Government's own information website at The Low Carbon Buildings Program.
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| | O | Links | Information On Climate Change
The Stern report published at the end of october 2006 makes for chilling reading - here is a link to the section on how climate change is predicted to affect people around the world. See Stern Report Part II Ch. 3
Participate in debate and discussion on climate change at the BBC website at Climate Change or join the UK's leading climate chaos campaign - see Stop Climate Chaos.
You can also use your computer's spare capacity to help in running the biggest climate modelling experiment ever undertaken. (Download the required software from the BBC link above.)
Want to know just which countries are emitting the most CO2? Check out the frightening planetary simulation at BreathingEarth.
What can I do?
Don't just throw stuff away - there may be something useful you can do with it or someone else just might want it. See Junkk.com for loads of ideas.
Work out exactly where your electricity costs are high to identify where you might make consumption savings. See Running costs.
Where can I find out about and/or buy sustainable and/or eco-friendly products?
A very useful site for businesses offering all things green is the Green Directory.
For green, ethical and environmental gifts and presents, vist The Green Directory Shop.
There is a load of eco-friendly product information at the Living Ethically site.
Lots of very useful links on just about all sustainable categories are available on The House Planner site.
Government sites
A very useful site, full of detailed energy information and details of where grants may be available can be found at the Energy Saving Trust which is part government and part private sector funded.
If you want to create your own renewable power you can get free advice and guidance about home microgeneration on the UK Government's own information website at The Low Carbon Buildings Program.
So you want to help?
For jobs, courses, or even if you just want to volunteer some of your time, visit Environment Jobs.
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| Contact us |
Telephone:
Dave Goodwin on 07936 392994
Fax:
Please call and request number
eMail:
info(at)solarventi.co.uk
or
dave(at)ashleysolar.co.uk
Our correspondence address is:
Ashley Solar
16 Birch Rise
Ashley Heath
Market Drayton
Shropshire
TF9 4QA
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| Products
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There are six products in the SolarVenti range. Under ideal sunny conditions the smallest unit, the SV2 has a minimum airflow of 20m³/Hour whilst the largest, the SV30 unit has a minimum airflow of 120m³/Hour.
The most recent product is the SV30AWX, a hybrid version of the SV30 which additionally provides Solar Water Heating.
Coming in early 2013 will be the SV20: a product designed to fill in the gap between the SV14 and SV30 models. |
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