Until now the only way to install solar water heating into tall buildings was to link individual panels down to each flat, or to give over valuable real estate to a plant room for a communal heating system. Each of the two options has significant drawbacks for the developer of residential blocks.

Viridian has developed an innovative new system that combines the best of each approach, and eliminates their shortcomings - the Cirrus solar heating system.

Cirrus reduces the number of solar panels needed to achieve compliance with energy targets, eliminates the need for a plant room, simplifies plumbing works, reduces overall heat loss from pipes, and allows each unit to have its own heating system.

One of the first projects to benefit from Cirrus was Northpoint, a six storey commercial development of residential flats in Islington by Inspace Homes. (Read Case Study 006 here). A renewable energy target of 10% was met with a communal array of Clearline solar water heating panels on the roof, linked to a Cirrus communal heating system.

If you thought your project was too tall for solar water heating, think again...