Solar thermal prices: collectors versus complete installation
Sources checked
The price of a collector is not the cost of a completed solar water-heating installation. Mounting, pipework, a suitable tank, hydraulic components, controls and labour are also needed. Public offers cover different scopes and cannot be compared by headline price alone.
Define the same supply scope
Ask for collector models and area, tank specification, pipe length and insulation, pumps and controls, mounting, safety components, fluid, transport and commissioning. State VAT treatment and any support separately.
A seller's package may assume a short route, a particular roof or an existing compatible tank. A site survey is needed to price the actual building rather than extrapolating from a product listing.
Compare operating value as well as purchase cost
Use the household's useful hot-water demand and the energy actually replaced. Include service, fluid checks or replacement and auxiliary electricity as appropriate to the exact system.
Do not treat an older dated shop observation as a current quote or a national average. Compare complete thermal installation with a similarly complete PV water-heating or other alternative under the same assumptions.