Heating from the desert

They could well be called sun specialists, and they come from the desert: Magen Eco-Energy, a company with headquarters in the Negev desert in southern Israel, specialises in solar heating for swimming pools, solar heating systems for domestic use, natural salt chlorinators, industrial and agricultural heat exchangers, and pre-heating systems. Magen has developed a Heat Kit that is targeted at the DIY market: a complete compact and easy to install solar heating system for small above-ground pools as well as outdoor spas and Jacuzzis. The idea behind the product is explained by Dina Bernstein, who is responsible for marketing: “Swimming pools may be very popular, but people hardly use them.” The summer can be both short-lived and rain-soaked in temperate latitudes – and then the water is too cold for a swimming party in the garden. “If you invest a bit more you will get more out of your pool,” says Bernstein – warmer water extends the length of time it can be used. The standard Heat Kit box is designed for relatively small pools. It contains two 60 cm x 120 cm panels, which are sufficient for a pool two metres in diameter (2.8 m³). The system can be simply connected to the water intake, and can also be expanded by the addition of more panels. The supplier identifies the system’s key advantages as easy handling (also when buying or storing it), lightness of weight and the rigid structure of the product, which allows an optimal positioning facing the sun. The idea as such in not new, which Magen is well aware of. As the company stresses, the innovation lies in its design, for each panel is encased in polymeric glazing to create an internal greenhouse effect and so enhance the performance of the solar collectors. This is where the company’s core expertise comes into play: it was founded in 1973 as Plastic Magen, specialists in over-moulding injection technology, which makes it possible to manufacture seamless, leak-proof, integrally-moulded thermoplastic units and heat exchangers. In the meantime the company now has subsidiaries in the USA, Germany and Israel. The group employs a workforce of close to 200, ten per cent of whom are highly qualified engineers. Magen’s origins in the desert have a historical basis, since the company is owned by a kibbutz that was founded in the Negev desert in 1949. At that time the original pioneers made use of sophisticated irrigation technology in order to cause the proverbial blooming of the desert. The basic ecological…