Solar Power at Home

[Night Train]

Why a west facing wall NT? Would have thought facing east for early morning sun, especially during early sunrises in summer would have been better. And how big an influence is latitude on operation? Just thinking as northen Jockland and southern England have slightly different sunrise / sunset times. Just curious, like.

This only applies to the UK in general.
An east facing panel will get a couple or three hours of low sun following an over night cooling. The heat gain the tank in the morning will then gradually be lost by the time it is needed, usually in the evening.
A west facing panel will already be warmer by the time it gets direct sun. the tank water is then warmed ready for evening use.
Also the majority of the sun is in a SSW direction and so there is more sun in the evening on a west facing wall then there is in the morning on an east facing wall.

 

[dellzeqq]

I hate bloody Agas. I had to suffer one all through my childhood

I hate them too. But they are brilliant for keeping the kitchen really warm in high summer.

 

[Night Train]

I hate them too. But they are brilliant for keeping the kitchen really warm in high summer.

I love the look of an Aga but would prefer a Chinese cooker complete with wok burners powered by ex Saturn V rocket engines.

 

[CopperBrompton]

A friend did the sums fairly carefully (he's an accountant ...), and the payback period for his house was 12.something years.

 

[Globalti]

Agas do make great cakes though, thanks to the intense dry heat.