Leap in technology with SOLAERA: Complete house heating for the first time with only one system even in complete darkness

Consolar launches a new technology in the solar heat sector onto the market: After comprehensive field tests, the patented SOLAERA solar heating system which makes it possible to meet the complete heating requirements of a house for the first time, will be produced in series from July of the year. In contrast to traditional heat pump systems, SOLAERA not only captures heat during the day but also during the night and on overcast days. SOLAERA is already available to owners, architects and planning engineers. The first pre-series installations are already being implemented.

SOLAERA is an innovative solar heating system combining a solar installation with a heat pump. SOLAERA covers the total heat requirements of a single or multi-family house in accordance with the EnEV standard (German regulation for energy saving in buildings and building systems) – with environment-friendly technology and completely independent of oil and gas. This is unique in the market. Thanks to the solar heating system from Consolar, households can save between 50 to more than 70 per cent of the annual CO₂ emission. “SOLAERA is a technological milestone in the supply of solar energy. Since we presented SOLAERA, the solar heating system has met with an extremely positive response as it facilitates a complete solution for supplying heat in a house with a high degree of efficiency – even in the complete dark and in all weathers. We are now pleased to make this pioneering development available to all those interested”, says Managing Director, Marketing and Sales, Andreas Siegemund from Consolar. 

SOLAERA: Numerous benefits for users and the environment

SOLAERA combines hybrid collectors, a heat pump, a latent heat storage tank on a water-ice basis and a combined thermal store in one system. Whereas with current technology, only 20 to 40 per cent of the house heating supply can be covered by the additional solar installation – even with the most powerful tube collector solar systems – complete supply with only one system is now possible with SOLAERA for the first time. With this system, about 85 per cent of the useful heat required for heating and hot water are generated exclusively from solar energy. Only some 15 per cent electricity are necessary to operate the heat pump of the system. The solar share of the SOLAERA system thus reaches a level unprecedented in the market so far. Therefore ground probes or other heat sources are no longer necessary. SOLAERA also leads the way in CO₂ emission reduction: If the owner of the house also decides in favour of regenerative energies for the supply of electricity, the vision of a virtually emission-free house becomes reality as CO₂ emission drops to zero.

Leading-edge technology

Thanks to the newly developed hybrid collectors from Consolar, it is now possible to win solar energy also during the night and under cloudy conditions for the first time. They do not only use direct solar irradiation but also the heat in the ambient air and thus even produce the required heat when it is dark. These innovative hybrid collectors have been developed, thoroughly tested and patented in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE, Freiburg).

When the sun is shining, the hybrid collector works as a solar collector which heats up the solar fluid and transfers it to the combined or latent heat storage tank that ensures hot water and heating. On overcast days, ambient air is circulated through the hybrid collector by a fan. This air transfers its heat to the solar fluid which is transported into the latent heat storage tank. When additional heat is required, the heat pump switches on, extracts low-temperature heat from the latent heat storage tank and raises it to a higher temperature level. In this way, heat supply is ensured day and night.

The first field test systems of SOLAERA have been in operation since 2007, the solution which was awarded the OTTI Innovation Prize by the International Symposium on Thermal Solar Energy will be produced in series from July of this year; it offers these convincing benefits:

• More than 50 percent primary energy and CO₂ savings compared to oil/gas heating and water heat pumps and more than 70 per cent CO₂ saving compared to air heat pumps.
• Heat is recovered at any weather thanks to the new hybrid collectors.
• A high annual system coefficient of performance at 5 to 7 – double that of air heat pumps.
• No ground probes are required, SOLAERA exclusively operates with solar irradiation and the heat in the ambient air.
• Storage of the heat at low temperatures (latent store) ensures virtually loss-free energy storage for efficient operation during cold nights, for example.
• The power consumption compared to powerful brine/water heat pumps is 20 to 35 per cent lower.

SOLAERA is suitable for single or multi-family houses according to EnEV standard; thus it is the ideal solution for new buildings. Heat is recovered in a minimum of space: The latent heat storage tank corresponds to the capacity of a 2500 litre water heat storage tank but can be accommodated in an area of only 0.65 m². The heat pump and the hot water and heating control system are accommodated in the same housing, the combined solar storage tank for hot water and heating is installed near by. No additional space is required nor are any construction measures for tanks, chimneys or ground probes necessary.

Owing to its future-oriented and sustainable energy supply, SOLAERA is subsidised by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) with EUR 3,300 to 4,000.

About Consolar:
Consolar Solare Energiesysteme GmbH is a leading supplier of highly efficient solar heating systems for detached houses and multiple dwellings. The owner-operated business, established in 1994, develops and produces high-performance solar systems for water heating and heating support, as well as solar heating. The company’s range of products extends from small warm water systems to large multi-purpose systems, from complete systems which use biomass energy to solar heat pumps for low energy heating. With these environmentally friendly solutions, a building can be completely heated using renewable energies, free from CO2 emissions. Since its establishment, a focus of the company has been the high level of investment in research and development, alongside its ethical work practices. This is reflected in over 30,000 systems which have been installed with Consolar technology, as well as numerous awards and prizes for innovation. Consolar is represented in ten European countries with its head office in Frankfurt and its own development and production facility in Lörrach.