solar energy

cazrobinson

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/solar-panels-take-100-years-to-pay-back-installation-costs-917202.html

very interesting as we often debate this on here!

Sledge_2

It's funny, people always talk about 'pay-back' times of energy efficiency measures; I've just spent £2500 on a new boiler and £1200 on oil to hopefully run it for a year or two, what's the pay-back time on that?

I wish people would stop thinking in terms of payback and just start thinking in a holistic sense, I could easily spend £1000 on a TV that will use upwards of 500W to run, this mean that at a nominal 10p/kWh, it'll cost me 20p a day to watch for 4 hours a day, or at least £73 per year.

But no doubt, it'll need replaceing in 5-10 years, same as the boiler for £2500 and the car, and the rubbish mis-sold double glazing.

As an example, there's an advert on TV at the moment talking about a pub somewhere that is having it's glazing replaced after twenty years, only this time the pub is having very inefficient flat plate solar collector installed too. We're supposed to fit double glazing, and the pay-back time for it is upto three times as long as it's lifetime.

Rant over

mech_2

Sledge wrote: »

But no doubt, it'll need replaceing in 5-10 years, same as the coiler for £2500 and the car, and the rubbish mis-sold double glazing.

I don't believe there is a payback time for double glazing. My gas consumption went up after I had it fitted. I really wish I'd kept my wooden windows now.

Dave2112

I've calculated that I pay about £100 a year to heat my water (based on extrapolating summer figures where no heating is on). Assuming I get 80% of my hot water from solar that means I "save" £80 a year excluding maintenance and loss of interest etc. Factor everything in and not even sure there would be a pay back period for me !!!!!

Agree with double glazing - I'll never have that white upvc fitted to a house again.