Solar Power at Home

[yello]

We had a study done on our place (basically a stone walled 2 up 2 down) and were advised the best 'bang for buck' spend would be on insulation and double glazing. That didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was that the recommended power solution was electricity! Because there is only 2 of us, our power usage is low. Most of France's power comes from nuclear so is, depending on your environmental attitude, green.

Btw, we had an open fire which we've since swapped for an insert (blogging a sodding great hole in the wall is an amazing way to keep the heat in!). The insert (i.e. wood burner) provides an excellent heat source in winter months so any additional heating requirement is purely top-up, or first thing in the morning.

The moral of the story for me was 'horses for courses'. Don't assume new green solutions are necessarily the best ones for you.

 

[User482]

My manager has one fitted - enough hot water for 2 people from April - October, without any other heating. In terms of payback, insulation is almost always better but you will be very constrained in terms of what you're allowed to do by listed building regulations.


Have you looked at a wood burning stove with backboiler? It could provide nearly all of your hot water and heating requirement in the winter months.

 

[User482]

User482, a good one works even in the winter, and even with diffuse light rather than bright sunlight. You usually also have a decent sized, well insulated storage tank. If he's not getting any hot water in the winter it must be a crappy one, or be mounted in the wrong place.

It still works in winter, but usually needs the heat topping up with the immersion element.

 

[mr Mag00]

we have solar, evacuated tubes, at work. a few square metres mmind you. they supply enough hot water for 20 people to shower everyday most days when it is sunny

 

[Bad Company]

My manager has one fitted - enough hot water for 2 people from April - October, without any other heating. In terms of payback, insulation is almost always better but you will be very constrained in terms of what you're allowed to do by listed building regulations.


Have you looked at a wood burning stove with backboiler? It could provide nearly all of your hot water and heating requirement in the winter months.

We have already spoken with the listed buildings inspector. That seems ok. We are also increasing the insultation as well as considering the solar option.

The worst part of our consumption is a gas burning AGA that sits in the kitchen and stays on 24/7. The previous owners also had an electric oven so the aga could be turned off in summer but when the kitchen was done up mrs BC was having none of it so in summer the aga stays on - with a back door open to lose some of the excess heat. My next project is to see if we can change it for a modern aga which can be easily turned off and on.

 

[Globalti]

Ah, yes... the gas Aga. We also have one and we also swelter in summer with huge, south-facing windows and the good old Aga belting out heat. Mrs RR also only switches it off under extreme duress. It's not THAT difficult to switch off and relight!

An electric Aga also stays hot 24/7, that's the whole principle of Agas.

 

[punkypossum]

My parents got solar panels fitted - they do all the hot water in the house (even in winter) and it's proper hot, not tepid!

 

[User482]

We have already spoken with the listed buildings inspector. That seems ok. We are also increasing the insultation as well as considering the solar option.

The worst part of our consumption is a gas burning AGA that sits in the kitchen and stays on 24/7. The previous owners also had an electric oven so the aga could be turned off in summer but when the kitchen was done up mrs BC was having none of it so in summer the aga stays on - with a back door open to lose some of the excess heat. My next project is to see if we can change it for a modern aga which can be easily turned off and on.

Frankly, nothing you could do on energy efficiency would compare to the improvement you would get from getting rid of the Aga. If you must have that style of cooker, look at a Rayburn (same parent company). They're more efficient, and some can be connected with a solar thermal panel. See here: http://www.rayburn-web.co.uk/index_278.htm

 

[Keith Oates]

The apartment I lived in for three years in Jiangyin in China had solar power for the hot water. I lived alone most of the time but even in the winter with minus temps outside I had enough hot water for my shower each evening in all but the very cloudy days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sheddy]

This stuff must be available to do on a DIY basis by now. (Wanders off to try the infobahn....mmm, big hailstones might be a problem)

 

[Bad Company]

Frankly, nothing you could do on energy efficiency would compare to the improvement you would get from getting rid of the Aga. If you must have that style of cooker, look at a Rayburn (same parent company). They're more efficient, and some can be connected with a solar thermal panel. See here: http://www.rayburn-web.co.uk/index_278.htm

I know your right User482 - I just have to try to convince Mrs BC.

 

[Arch]

I've been wondering about rigging up some black bottles or containers of some sort in my south facing windows, reckon it would warm up some water for the evening meal washing up. Trouble is, I already heat the evening meal washing up water on the residual heat from the electric hob while I eat, so it wouldn't help much...

Here's a laugh (and a digression). York Council have an eco business centre - on the edge of town, where only keen folk would cycle to, next to the big retail park. And on an industrial estate where all the roads are named after models of 'plane, or famous aviators! Still, it'll extend my one day a week commute by about 50% and it does at least have bike racks, even if the ride out there is a bit trafficcy.

 

[Night Train]

The other thing with Solar thermal is that you do need to make sure that you top up the heat in the storage tank to above 60deg C to kill off any nasty bugs that can harm you. Legionnaires is one in particular that enjoys the warmth and then spreads via the aerosol action of running a shower with tepid water.

This is more important if you don't use much of the warm water in summer and never top up the temperature. The tepid water that stays in the tank can be a breading ground. A well designed control system will prevent this being a problem.

 

[Piemaster]

It can also be effective when placed vertically on an east or west facing wall to collect early or late sun. It is better to face a vertical panel west as the panel will already be warmed by the day before it gets heated.

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.

 

[marinyork]

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.

Some bits of southern England have later or the same sunrise times as Scotland.