Today I am making a start to see if I can attract enough interest through my social media outlets (twitter and face Book) to secure confirmed orders from home owners or plumbing heating installers to reach a minimum of 50 sets of 30 tubes with standard roof frames

I am looking at 2 designs from a company in Haining, China, I have visited 2-3 times over the many years I have spent in China doing business.

Jason is the manager I have stayed in Contact with, who I have asked to update me with any changes to his last price list update

The landed cost per collector will depend on the shipping rates, the clearance costs and the VAT charged up front of release by the shipping company.

I also have a British born person named James, who works and lives in Shanghai for a Shipping company, who will handle everything from the arrival of container from Haining to Shanghai port, but from offloading at Felixstowe or Sth Hampton to where the final uploading will be.

Mark, the owner of Newark cylinders who produced my Thermal Stores, had already offered me space in his warehouse when I met with him in 2021, just need to see if that offer still okay.

The manufacture is SUNTASK, who have maintained a high quality of production and have cut out many collector designs since the start of Covid and a general fall in both local sales and exports.

The choice of heat pipe collectors and insulation I am seeking to order

1. The 14mm condenser as shown, which has a shut off valve at 85-95c, which allows an over sizing of the collectors to the under sizing of the thermal store, to boast winter heat input, but not stagnate or over heat during hot summer months

2. The 2nd option is 24mm condenser with a higher efficiency without a shut off valve, meaning not recommended to over size, unless you use a towel radiator as a heat dump, or size the thermal store larger.

This will still allow a temperature of 85c, before pump shuts down as set in the Sorel controller

Over the next few days and weeks, I will be providing the breakdown of everything, so anybody looking to save money on the purchase of a solar thermal collector that I am experienced in sourcing out of China and everything related to delivery, will be listed on these pages along with the extra component parts that makes up my SYSTEM and not that of what the industry has sold thousands of home owners which have failed due to being a closed loop system with glycol and heating only a HW cylinder unvented. 

This proposal I am posting through my Twitter account for now and later through my E bay Thermal Store marketing, will only be for those who are able to also replace their current cylinder with a Thermal Store. 

If you want to plumb the Sun task collector into a Unvented twin Coil cylinder, that’s up to you, but outside the sale of the collector and roof frame, the rest is down to you.

Above are some of the heat pipe evacuated tube images, provided to me by the sales manager (Jason) I have known for over 15 yrs, and have visited the factory 2 times, to check out the manufacturing process.

They offer 2 designs, but I will be selecting the design which meets my own material standards, not about lowest price.

Jason today has sent me a revised price list for two types, the one which does not have a limiter in the condensor or without. I am going to start to calulate the FOB Shanghai price, then a landed cost into a UK warehouse.

I will write up the specifications as I progress with this in the days to come

The good news is the shipping costs have come down from $9,500 to $4,000, but the dollar$ exchange with the £ has increased the prices since my last calulation at $1.30 to £1.

Component items required once you have committed and paid in advance for your personal order are as follows

1. A Thermal Store of a minimum volume of 250L and open vented (so need to check with me first

2. A pair of roof flashings for the flow and returns of insulated stainless steel pipe

3. Stainless steel DN16 tube with insulation purchased separate (will explain reason for this later)

4. Sorel controller and 3 sensors

5. Circulating pump and valves 

The rest is related to the plumbing in of the thermal store prior to filling up