Energy Saving Trust Q&A Centre

zeupater

philknight100 wrote: »

As I'm not planning on replacing the oil CH system I guess I'm talking about a standard log burner. I don't really understand the difference either.

You have made me think though as we need a new hot water tank and the current one is electric immersion heater only so there might be an opportunity to use a wood burning system to provide hot water as well?

Phil

Hi

It's not quite as simple as that :- From DECC RHI ...

"Are wood-burning stoves included?

[FONT=Calibri,Calibri][FONT=Calibri,Calibri]No. We propose excluding wood burning stoves as well as air heaters, open fires and similar applications, from the RHI. These present practical difficulties as it is extremely difficult to monitor how much they are used (they are usually a secondary source of heat the use of which will be optional), and to what extent they are used with renewable fuel rather than, for instance, coal. The administrative cost of including these appliances in the RHI in a fair way would likely be very high. We do, however, propose to support biomass boilers. Unfortunately when the RHI consultation was launched, the Daily Mail reported that the Government had proposed to include wood-burning stoves in the scheme – this was incorrect and we have notified them of their error. [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri,Calibri][FONT=Calibri,Calibri]Would wood burning stoves fitted with a back boiler be eligible for RHI support? [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri,Calibri][FONT=Calibri,Calibri]The RHI tariff for small-scale biomass has been calculated for dedicated biomass boilers only. For the reasons described on page 31 of the RHI consultation document, we do not propose to include wood burning stoves in the RHI." [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri,Calibri][/FONT][FONT=Calibri,Calibri][FONT=Calibri,Calibri](http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/consultations/rhi/1_20100329163438_e_@@_rhifaqs.pdf)[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri,Calibri].... Doesn't stop you getting a log burner though, it'll be much cheaper than using oil ... [/FONT]


HTH
Z

John_Pierpoint

Opening up or building a new chimney and installing a log burner actually reduces the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of your property. I think the logic of this is that you have created a new hole in the envelope (ie external surface) of your property, there is no guarantee that you will use it and when you do it might not be wood you burn (especially when you find the difficulties/expense of obtaining dry "seasoned" hard wood and your neighbours complain about the smell.)
"Sealed" log burners are available and when you find a comprehensive site reviewing this option please post a link.

The EST would hope that you install a central heating boiler, burning wood pellets. It would operate annually with little extra work when compared with oil. However the low energy storage properties of wood mean that you will need a dry fuel store about the size of a single prefabricated garage for a season's supply and access for the large lorry involved.

A suitable chimney and getting it brought up to standard for certification by a competent installer, is likely to be an extra expense to factor in. (we are not allowed to risk gassing ourselves by going the DIY route any more - a bit like the electricity wiring regulations.)

emmar513

Hi
We have cavity wall insulation in our house and are struggling to keep it cool in the summer, are we meant to open the windows or keep them closed to keep it cool, we're struggling to get it below 20 degrees and prefer it cooler to sleep in.
Many thanks, Emma

zeupater

emmar513 wrote: »

Hi
We have cavity wall insulation in our house and are struggling to keep it cool in the summer, are we meant to open the windows or keep them closed to keep it cool, we're struggling to get it below 20 degrees and prefer it cooler to sleep in.
Many thanks, Emma

Hi

The trick is to keep the heat out during the day by keeping the windows (& possibly some southerly curtains) closed and then let the cool in during the evening (& early night) when it's cooler outside than in .... if you don't do this & you have a decent amount of insulation you'll just end up being really uncomfortable during a period of bright & warm summer days.

We have much more insulation than current building regulations and high internal thermal mass which stabilises the house temperature for a number of days, but if it's really warm for a period, we tend to create a 'chimney effect' draught through the house in the evenings by opening one of the furthest windows from the staircase downstairs & a couple of windows upstairs (opposite sides of house) as soon as the outside temperature is lower than inside .... as it cools outside you can really feel the air rushing through the building. Opening too many windows tends to wreck the extraction effect - changing the open window combinations should be better.

Of course, don't leave the downstairs windows open overnight, but do look at creating an upstairs airflow between opposite sides of the house if security allows, and remember to close everything as soon as the outside temperature rises.

... then again, when it's really warm, some of the excess solar pv generation gets diverted to a small air-conditioning unit during the day ...

HTH
Z