Solar Heating - grant aid and advice?

Iffy_Wallet

Thanks, I'll have a read., especially:
http://www.est.org.uk/housingbuildings/funding/lowcarbonbuildings/faq/

However, being forced to use an accredited installer, would hint at being made to pay VAT on the project. And the grant would barely cover the VAT if you were lucky.

paul_h

Iffy_Wallet wrote:

However, being forced to use an accredited installer, would hint at being made to pay VAT on the project. And the grant would barely cover the VAT if you were lucky.

Wasn't it the same for the Clear-Skies grants?

Don't forget that VAT on installed heat pump systems is only 5%.

Skiduck

paul_h wrote:

Wasn't it the same for the Clear-Skies grants?

Don't forget that VAT on installed heat pump systems is only 5%.

also, any thermostatic rad valves, energy efficient controls etc also carry 5% VAT, make your installer aware of this.

thyme_2

IMHO I think it is a sad state of affairs that most new builds do not have solar panels fitted as a norm. The government should be encouraging their use with grants and any excess solar energy, especially where several homes are being built, can be sold on to the National Grid!
Another point being made is that at present it is too expensive - well I know when electricity, the telephone and oh yes the internet/computers were new they were also felt to be too expensive. Oh and don't start me off on the cost of the motor car! They might only cost 11,000 to buy but look at the cost to the environment and health and safety. What use alternative fuels?? Perish the thought of a three mile island!

Cardew

thyme wrote:

IMHO I think it is a sad state of affairs that most new builds do not have solar panels fitted as a norm. The government should be encouraging their use with grants and any excess solar energy, especially where several homes are being built, can be sold on to the National Grid!
Another point being made is that at present it is too expensive - well I know when electricity, the telephone and oh yes the internet/computers were new they were also felt to be too expensive. Oh and don't start me off on the cost of the motor car! They might only cost 11,000 to buy but look at the cost to the environment and health and safety. What use alternative fuels?? Perish the thought of a three mile island!

I agree about the new build - it must be much cheaper to install say heat pumps.

Not certain your analogy about "electricity, the telephone and oh yes the internet/computers were new they were also felt to be too expensive." hold up. Sure they were expensive but the only decision to be made was were they too expensive to afford; as there was no alternative.

All alternative energy does(as the name suggests) is to provide an alternative to the conventional means of getting that energy. The problem being that the conventional means for domestic users is much cheaper, and unless the Government provides sizeable subsidies, it is likely to remain more expensive for the for a long while to come.

tabath

I was considering installation of a hot water solar system but fr4om readin through this thread it seems its never going to make financial sense. Also the environmental cost of producing the parts for systems probably outweigh any saving?

paul_h

tabath wrote:

I was considering installation of a hot water solar system but fr4om readin through this thread it seems its never going to make financial sense. Also the environmental cost of producing the parts for systems probably outweigh any saving?

I would say that if you could manufacture the collectors yourself, it may be possible to install a system which could repay the original cost before it fails through age, but this is by no means guaranteed.

As for environmental cost, the main issue is with photovoltaic cells - there are environmentally damaging chemicals used during the manufacturing process, in addition to a considerable amount of energy - this contributes to the high initial costs.

Skiduck

I have just come back from a meeting with a manufacturer of various sustainable energy products.

Their air source heat pumps look very interesting, also for people with swimming pools, they produce a very simple black plastic "radiator" which you install to your existing pool pump circulation - could be very easily be done from recycled matrerial you have lying about too.

jimbob_3

having read this thread i'm not sure that i am much clearer than before...

i am in a situation where both my hot water tank and boiler have both developed faults and according to the plumber it will cost about £650 to replace like with like, and about £1200 to put in a new combi boiler including taking out the tank etc

i wondered about having solar panels etc but now i am not sure whether they will be financially viable especially as i dont plan to be in the house more than about more than 5 years or so

can anybody, in very simple terms show me a comparison between what i have now, the cost and saving of a new combi boiler and the cost and saving of putting in some kind of solar panels etc

..... or would that be pretty impossible without working out how much i spent on gas and electric before the boiler broke?

also ... if there are any plumbers& / or solar specialists near southend (essex) that people could recommend i would be grateful

thanks

yakky58

I have just had solar panels for hot water and PV electric installed. I spent a little extra to capture output.

As part of the install I replaced the hot water tank to double the capacity.

Hot Water. I installed 2.5sq meters of schott evacuated tubes on the roof using Gylcol to heat the water. I have sensors that monitor the heat in the Gylcol. On cloudy days this runs at about 50-55 deg C and preheats the water thus I use less gas. To double check I attached an 'hour meter' to the pump to tell me how often the pump for hot water turns on. I have changed my shower habits to take a shower during the day when the tubes are at optimum heating capacity. I have found that Gas consumption is now 30% of what it was for heating water. In fact on sunny days the gas never turns on at all. It takes about 30 minutes to replace the hot water on sunny days, cloudy days the gas does come on to bring the temperature upto to the tank heat of 60 deg C. Overall I am well pleased. Schott tubes are German manufacture and top quality. Cost was £3,000 with £400 back from Clear Skies. Bear in mind my old hot water tank was 25 years old and 1/3 full of scale that costs a lot to heat! I also invested in a electrical device to reduce scale....the jury is out on that as to its effectiveness.

Solar Electrical: I installed 2.05kwh Sanyo HDI panels multicrystaline that are 20% efficient, about the best you can get. I signed up with Southern ELectric who installed an export meter so I can export excess back to the grid at the same pay rate as I import. The figures for April as I can read generation from the inverter and see export on meter.

Meter says I drew 235 kwh
Meter says I exported 93 back. 39% of total used!
Inverter says I generated 201khw in April alone. Best day was 13kwh generation.

Was expensive and remember it works when the sun is up.

Next is a Swift wind turbine .... its not all about cost but environmental issues and as prices increase I save a little more each time. With wind i will generate when not using so I am getting money back. I could invest in batteries and charge these and draw when I need power.

All components I have installed and guaranteed for 20 years.

Not totally convinced on all money issues. But as I installed lots myself the return on investment will be quicker...