Connected to the sun by solar hot water

The sensor has failed in our flat plate solar panels. This event has made me realise the effect on me of having solar panels to generate our hot water. I have become attuned to how they work, almost subconsciously noting what the sun is doing when and whether there's any need to boost the hot water using the gas boiler.

It's not a case of keeping a record, using data or even feeling the pipe connecting the panels and the tank. It's not a technical process, it's an awareness of the outdoor environment.

I hadn't realised it had happened until the panels weren't working. Even though I knew the panels weren't working I got caught out and found there was really cold water in the morning. I had based my decisions on use of the boiler on the amount of sun, completely forgetting the link had broken. Normally, with solar panels, there would still be hot water from the effect of yesterday's sun. However, without solar panels you have to use your boiler every day to get hot water, so it's in use throughout the summer when your space heating is turned off.

I am really looking forward to the new sensor being fitted so that I can get back into my solar cycle again. It's about more than the savings on our gas bills, which incidentally are noticeable following installation of the panels. Payback on the capital outlay may take time, but our bills now and into the future are lower, so worth doing.