PAGE IN DEVELOPMENT
Saturday 27 June 2026
This one-day course runs from 10am to 5pm at Earthship Brighton, Stanmer Park, Brighton.
PHOTOS
Learn the basics of installing solar panels to heat hot water at home
Solar hot water (solar thermal) panels use sunlight to directly heat water, while Photovoltaic (PV) panels convert sunlight into electricity.
Solar thermal panels are up to four times more effective at collecting the sun’s energy than PV. A panel the size of a double mattress is often all that is needed for a tank of hot water, so they are particularly useful to maximise the energy you collect from a smaller space such as the roof of most houses.
However PV has the advantage of producing electricity which is more versatile. Both types of panel might be what you need for a small roof, or if you have more space and want to maximise the renewable electricity you export for others to use. If you have plenty of room, PV panels can generate all the electricity you need for hot water and other uses. It’s all about which are the appropriate technologies for your location.
We also run a course: Integrated solar battery systems for the home
What will the course cover?
We will build ourselves a live working Solar Thermal water heater, monitoring its progress through the day.
The course will cover:
- What is Solar Thermal?
- Solar Thermal vs PV, which is right for your situation? It could be both
- Drain-back vs Pressurised systems
- System design
- Controls
- Apparatus needed and where best to source materials
- Case studies
- Practical workshop
- We will look at the different types of Solar Thermal systems and see how best to match them for the application you wish to use them for
- We will also discuss legal and safety requirements and best practice both in design and installation.
You will leave this course with a good understanding of how the systems work and what is involved to set one up.
The tutors have over 20 years of experience in the field and wish to share what we have learnt with you.
Who is the course for?
The course is open to anyone over the age of 16, and no prior knowledge is necessary. It is relevant to anyone who wants to simply create their own system for their own use or to work in the industry.
The practical activities will be outdoors so you will need to be prepared for sun and rain.
Where possible we aim to make our courses accessible to people with physical and learning issues. Please contact us before booking if you think something might affect your ability to take part in this course.
Course tutors
The courses will be led by Daniel Holloway who designs and installs renewable heating systems and related technologies. Ilya Schippers works with Daniel and will be assisting him with the course.
Venue
Earthship Brighton
Stanmer Park (near University of Sussex)
Brighton
Sussex
South East England
Get directions to our meeting point in Stanmer Park.
If you intend to book accommodation, please check availability before booking a place, as accommodation in Brighton can be hard to find, especially over the summer months.
Get details on local accommodation and Brighton Permaculture Trust supporters who can provide accommodation in their homes.
Fees
Fees include tuition, refreshments access to notes/resources after the course.
- Standard 1-day course rate? [under review]
* Concessionary places are limited. If places are not available check back two weeks before the course/event as more may be available then.
We endeavour to make our courses and events affordable to all. Unfortunately, we do not receive any external funding for most of these and rely on large amounts of voluntary input.
See the cancellations and refunds policy.
Booking your place
Booking is essential, as most of our courses/events are fully booked weeks in advance. However, if places are still available, then bookings can be made until midday the day before the course/event. A place is not secured until we have received the requested payment.
If you have completed the booking process but you haven’t received a confirmation email from us please contact us to check your booking has gone through.
If you are booking within two weeks of the event, or the event is nearly full, you will not have the option to pay by BACS. Instead, you will need to pay immediately using a credit/debit card or PayPal.