Solar Collectors

Switch and Apricus Switch is proud to be the exclusive New Zealand supplier of the technically advanced Apricus solar hot water system. Apricus combines simplicity of design with high quality materials and construction, to bring efficiency and reliability at affordable prices. Its design is well suited to New Zealand's extreme weather conditions, offering unrivalled performance, full frost protection and Apricus' solid 10-year warranty.

How the innovative Apricus evacuated tubes work

At the heart of the Apricus system is the patented and extremely effective evacuated tube collector. These provide a consistently high output and work well even in windy, cold conditions.

The Apricus thermal collector is a very strong borosilicate glass tube with a copper heat pipe inside. A vacuum inside the glass tube provides a high level of insulation between the heat pipe and the outside air, ensuring virtually none of the heat collected is lost.

Solar rays pass through the glass tube to heat a copper heat pipe. Inside the heat pipe a non-toxic liquid carries the heat to the top of the collector unit where it is transferred through a manifold to your water heating system.

The round tube configuration maximises the solar collection area, whilst minimising reflection, from sunup to sundown.

Apricus is reliable and maintenance free Once installed an Apricus evacuated tube solar collector system should last as long as the roof it's on. And it's frost protected - the water manifold is wrapped in 50mm of glass wool and there is no water in the tubes to freeze. There is no need for complicated anti-freeze heat exchange systems. Once we've installed your system you should never need to touch it again. The round shape of the tubes means that wind and rain will actually keep the unit clean and functioning optimally. Clever design eliminates the need for reflectors under the tubes, which can often collect debris and tarnish over time. Should any of the tubes fail, the rest of the system will continue working and the replacement tube can be fitted whilst the system is still running; and without the need for plumbing skills.

Apricus is environmentally friendly

Apricus evacuated tube solar collectors not only stop you being so reliant on electricity and gas; they also look after the environment by being primarily constructed of recyclable materials. Even the packaging is recycled cardboard.

The savings Apricus brings On average, water heating accounts for 40% of a household's energy bills. An Apricus solar hot water system can more than halve that cost. An Apricus system can be retrofitted to your existing home, or included in the plans of your new one. And, whether it's a new home or an existing home, you can rest assured your new Apricus will always look as good as it performs. Financial Assistance For information on the various grants and schemes available in New Zealand please click here.

What will suit you

Apricus is available as a 20 or 30 tube collector system. As a general rule of thumb our Apricus 20 Collector is perfect for a 180 litre cylinder and a household of 1 to 3 people, while the Apricus 30 suits the medium to larger sized family with a cylinder around 270 litres. Large families and commercial users can operate with larger cylinders and multiple sets of collectors.

An Apricus system will operate with low, medium and high pressure water systems.

Stainless Steel mounting frames and optional adjustable A frames are available for flat or gently sloping roofs. The tubular shape dramatically reduces the risk of damage in high wind areas.

Apricus 20 Apricus 30 Overall length 1980mm 1980mm Overall width (excl. inlet/outlet pipe) 1496mm 2196mm Overall height (inc. frame) 160mm 160mm Manifold height 130mm 130mm Gross area 2.7m2 4.07m2 Absorber area 1.6m2* 2.4m2* Std pressure rating 6 bar (85psi) 6 bar (85psi) Fluid capacity 0.55 L 0.83 L Recom. fluid flow rate 2-3L/min 2-3L/min Collector efficiency 73% 73%

(results based on AP 20 model as tested by SPF Switzerland , C632LPEN, 22 March 2004)

*Tubes are round and therefore absorption can occur from the sides as well as from directly above so a conservative calculation method is used: 1.72m x 47mm x number of tubes.