Put the region's 1900 kWh/m² of annual sunshine — among the best irradiance in Europe — to work heating your hot water, with a payback of 4 to 7 years. Bosch systems, installed in 2-3 days, in an occupied home.
It depends on the type of collector (flat plate or evacuated tube), the cylinder capacity, how many people live in the house and how complex the roof is. Rather than publish tables that rarely match the house of the person reading them, we carry out a site visit and give you a detailed quote free of charge, with an answer within 24 working hours. On a well-sized system in the Algarve, the return on investment typically lands between 5 and 8 years, on a system that lasts 20 to 25.
The Algarve has one of the highest levels of solar irradiance in mainland Portugal — around 1900 kWh/m² per year. A well-sized solar thermal system can therefore cover 70 to 80% of a family's annual domestic hot water demand at no running cost.
For a three or four-bedroom villa with 3-4 people, that means a significant cut in the cost of heating water, depending on your current energy source. Payback on a well-sized system typically lands between 5 and 8 years, and the system lasts 20-25 years.
Every house has a different roof, a different orientation and a different hot water demand — so we quote case by case, after seeing the job. The site visit and the quote are free.
Two or three-bedroom villa, 2-3 people, 200L cylinder mounted above the collector. The most economical and reliable option where there is good south-facing roof.
Three or four-bedroom villa, 3-4 people, 250L cylinder, forced circulation or thermosiphon. Good annual hot water coverage (~75%).
Evacuated tubes, 300L cylinder, integrated heat pump backup, advanced control unit. Hot water coverage ~85% plus heating support.
Cylinder sits above the collector, on the roof. No electric pump. Simpler, cheaper, more reliable. Ideal for a detached villa with a good roof.
Cylinder inside the house (utility room, plant room), with an electric pump moving the fluid. More flexible on siting. Necessary in apartments.
Flat plate collectors are cheaper and more robust — a good choice for southern Portugal. Evacuated tubes perform better in winter but cost more and are more fragile.
Solar plus a heat pump covers 95-100% of demand. Ideal if you want to drop gas altogether and keep the electricity bill very low.
Tell us how many people live in the house and what you heat the water with today, and we will tell you which makes sense — as part of the free site visit.
Request a free quote →We know building work is disruptive. So we follow a clear process to keep the impact down:
There are two ways to bring the final cost down:
We supply all the technical documentation an application needs: detailed quote, equipment efficiency certificate, itemised invoice and installation report.
From first contact to final handover, with no surprises. Site visit and quote are free.
We come to your house and look at the roof, solar exposure, space for the cylinder and existing connections. 45-60 minutes.
5 working days. Written, itemised, with 2-3 options (thermosiphon, forced, with or without backup). Valid for 30 days.
50% deposit. We order the materials (Bosch hold local stock). We book the date — typically 2-3 weeks out.
2-3 working days. A team of 2 technicians. We agree the hours with you up front.
Commissioning, testing and a walkthrough of how it works. Remaining 50% at the end. Full documentation.
The price comes down to four things: the type of collector (flat plate or evacuated tube), the cylinder capacity, how many people live in the house, and how complex the roof installation is. That is why we do not publish price tables: we carry out a site visit and give you a detailed quote free of charge, with an answer within 24 working hours. We provide an itemised invoice for PRR / Environmental Fund grant applications and for the income tax deduction on renewable energy equipment.
It is worth it if you have a roof with good solar exposure (the Algarve gets 1900 kWh/m² a year — among the highest in Europe). For hot water alone, solar thermal pays back faster (4-7 years) than a heat pump (7-10 years). Combining the two — solar as the primary source with a heat pump as backup — is often the ideal technical solution. We will tell you which fits your house at the site visit.
Typically 2 to 3 working days: day 1 mounting the collectors and fixings; day 2 installing the cylinder and connections; day 3 filling, commissioning and testing. We always work in occupied homes — hot water is only unavailable for a few hours on the second day.
A thermosiphon (cylinder above the collector) is simpler and cheaper, and works well on typical Algarve villas. Forced circulation (cylinder inside the house, electric pump) is better when the cylinder sits in an internal plant room or in apartments. We recommend the right one for your house at the site visit.
For a detached house, most councils exempt the installation from licensing (prior notification regime). In apartments, the owners association normally has to approve it. We handle the necessary paperwork.
Bosch — European manufacturers with guaranteed spare parts. Collectors certified to EN 12975 and EN 12977. We do not work with low-cost Asian brands because their maintenance record is problematic.
iStarTec warranty: 1 year on installation workmanship and 2 years on materials. Manufacturers add to that: Bosch 5-10 years on the collector (depending on model) and 2 years on the cylinder and fittings. Everything in writing when the job is finished.
Yes. The PRR / Environmental Fund programme has support lines for energy efficiency and renewables in residential buildings. There is also an income tax deduction for renewable energy equipment. We supply all the technical documentation the application needs.
Solar thermal across the Algarve, with a logistical preference for the western stretch (Portimão–Loulé).
Free site visit and quote. Answered within 24 working hours.