Does anyone have comments of comparison between Israeli made ones (Medallion) and US made ones (Techno Solis). The former are tubes, the latter are flat panels.
Types of solar heating panels
- Thread starter dollard
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Can not find much information. One of the pictures I found make the Medallion panels look EXTREMELY similar to the Heliocol brand panels including the mounting methods. This is what I have. They require fewer roof penetrations because the wind will pass through the panels, but there is a slight loss of heat transfer for the same reason.
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Please add your location (City, State or City, Country) to your profile and pool details to your signature as described HERE as it will help us help you.
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Please add your location (City, State or City, Country) to your profile and pool details to your signature as described HERE as it will help us help you.
I added my location but not my pool details. I have my own private pool and our development has a much larger public pool so I may ask about either pool.
Well, all the references I saw for Medallion were on MX websites, seeing your location helps know where the question is coming from 
So I am willing to bet they are the same as the Heliocol panels which are sold in the states. Try search for that and you will find more information on the forum.
So I am willing to bet they are the same as the Heliocol panels which are sold in the states. Try search for that and you will find more information on the forum.You can look up ratings at the Florida Solar Energy Center. The Magen Plastic Medallion MD-30, MD-40, and MD-50 are unglazed flat plate panels (basically plastic tubes) with 83.7% efficiency and a 3.250 (and 4.959) efficiency loss from temperature difference (in IP units). The Techno Solis C20ts20-2, C20ts16, C20ts15, C20ts14, C15ts16, C15ts15, C15ts14, C15ts12, C15ts10, C15ts08, C20ts12, C20ts08C20ts10 for most are 82.2% efficiency and a 2.880 (and 1.053) efficiency loss from temperature difference. The most efficient panels of this type are Fafco Revolution have 86.2% efficiency with a 2.608 efficiency loss from temperature difference. The Techno Solis TS-40, TS-32 are glazed flat plate with 70.4% efficiency but only a 0.610 (and 1.570) efficiency loss from temperature difference.
So if comparing the unglazed flat plate panels, then the Magen Plastic Medallion are a little more efficient but not by much. If you are looking at the glazed TS-40 or TS-32, then that is completely different. While glazed panels are less efficient when there is no wind and no temperature difference between the water and the air, they don't lose efficiency very much from wind nor from a larger temperature difference. Usually glazed panels are used for domestic hot water heating, but they can be used for pools if you tend to keep your pool water warmer than the air temperature or you are in an area with a lot of wind and at least some temperature difference between water and air (with air cooler than the water). See the thread Solar Panel Technology Comparisons for more details about different types of panels.
So if comparing the unglazed flat plate panels, then the Magen Plastic Medallion are a little more efficient but not by much. If you are looking at the glazed TS-40 or TS-32, then that is completely different. While glazed panels are less efficient when there is no wind and no temperature difference between the water and the air, they don't lose efficiency very much from wind nor from a larger temperature difference. Usually glazed panels are used for domestic hot water heating, but they can be used for pools if you tend to keep your pool water warmer than the air temperature or you are in an area with a lot of wind and at least some temperature difference between water and air (with air cooler than the water). See the thread Solar Panel Technology Comparisons for more details about different types of panels.
Thanks for all the information. It will help me today at our communal pool committee meeting today. They want to purchase Medallion panels but I don't see anything wrong with Techno Solis ones. The latter are about $70 US cheaper-we need about 100 of them.
Wait ... what100 panels !?!? How big is this pool?
The pool has a volume of 467 cubic meters and a surface area of 360 square meters. A basic rule of thumb is to have an area of solar panels that equal the surface area of the pool. Each Techno Solis panel is 3.72 square meters so you would need 97 panels.
Another estimating method I've seen is to multiple the surface area of the pool by 1.23. This would mean 115 panels.
Those rules of thumb are higher than we are told here. Usually I heard 50-100% coverage, depending on exposure to the sun. I would think you would have more intense sun and could get by with less than 100%. Not that it would hurt anything beside the wallet of whoever is paying
