Solar heating - good or bad?

Bruce_GT3

Just about to renew/replace the central heating system on our new place. It's currently LPG-fired but I was looking into alternatives or supplemental heating systems such as ASHP and solar.

I've had quotes from several local firms, and one has caught my eye because I thought solar heating sytems were much more expensive than his quote... (ASHP still too £££ for me at the mo' :eek:)

FYI all have quoted for a condensing boiler feeding an unvented "megaflo" cylinder. However, one has quoted for an ASHP system and also for a solar heating system which is then backed up by a conventioanl boiler.

Is solar a good idea these days? Is it "financially viable"?

TIA,
Bruce

dekh

I don't think you ever reach break even on solar. (At current prices).

Take what I say with a pinch of salt though because I really do think solar is a con.

Cardew

Solar hot water heating is just a joke in money saving terms.

It only heats hot water(and then very little in winter) not heating for the house.

albyota

Bruce_GT3 wrote: »

Just about to renew/replace the central heating system on our new place. It's currently LPG-fired but I was looking into alternatives or supplemental heating systems such as ASHP and solar.

I've had quotes from several local firms, and one has caught my eye because I thought solar heating sytems were much more expensive than his quote... (ASHP still too £££ for me at the mo' :eek:)

FYI all have quoted for a condensing boiler feeding an unvented "megaflo" cylinder. However, one has quoted for an ASHP system and also for a solar heating system which is then backed up by a conventioanl boiler.

Is solar a good idea these days? Is it "financially viable"?

TIA,
Bruce

Bruce, depending on the size of your house, I can't see why you would need to supplement with anything else, take a look at Sanyo CO2 ECO, Daikin Altherma, and Mitsubishi Ecodan systems, as with any ASHP if it is sized correctly and the correct heat loss calculations carried out then you would be able to acheive the heating and hot water requirements for most size and age of property, read up on some of the case studies, call people and ask if they are personally satisfied with their installation, this is my job, and as a customer I would want to know exactly what it can do, on the coldest day of the year, and how much its going to cost me to run it, and what will it cost to install, also, is the company still going to be trading in 2 or 3 years time if I have a problem with it. This is definitely the way to go with heating systems, DO NOT BOTHER with solar hot water, unless you also knit your own yoghurts, waste of money, apart from an occasional 60 pence worth of 'free hot water from the Sun' (in this country!) my job in the company I work for is to save people like you from being ripped off by those who have jumped on the band wagon and do not calculate the systems properly, hence you being advised to go with ASHP, Solar!! and backup condensing boiler!!! please, please shop around. good luck
Albyota

Bruce_GT3

Cardew wrote: »

Solar hot water heating is just a joke in money saving terms.

It only heats hot water(and then very little in winter) not heating for the house.

albyota wrote: »

Bruce, depending on the size of your house, I can't see why you would need to supplement with anything else, take a look at Sanyo CO2 ECO, Daikin Altherma, and Mitsubishi Ecodan systems, as with any ASHP if it is sized correctly and the correct heat loss calculations carried out then you would be able to acheive the heating and hot water requirements for most size and age of property, read up on some of the case studies, call people and ask if they are personally satisfied with their installation, this is my job, and as a customer I would want to know exactly what it can do, on the coldest day of the year, and how much its going to cost me to run it, and what will it cost to install, also, is the company still going to be trading in 2 or 3 years time if I have a problem with it. This is definitely the way to go with heating systems, DO NOT BOTHER with solar hot water, unless you also knit your own yoghurts, waste of money, apart from an occasional 60 pence worth of 'free hot water from the Sun' (in this country!) my job in the company I work for is to save people like you from being ripped off by those who have jumped on the band wagon and do not calculate the systems properly, hence you being advised to go with ASHP, Solar!! and backup condensing boiler!!! please, please shop around. good luck
Albyota

Thanks for the input - I'll take that as a "NO" then?

Re: Cardew's reply, have you seen the Torrent RE Solar from Gledhill? It is can be configured for solar to heat the water used for heating as well as DHW. Just a thought....