Solar thermal - Glow-worm

Glenp

Hi All

I'm fairly new to the forum so be nice!

I have a Glowworm boiler which we'ev had for about a year now, no problems.

Its a three bed semi in Edinburgh, fairly run of the mill.

I'ev been looking at renewable options and, since buying a boiler from them, Glow-worm have sent me details about their solar product Clearly solar.

Does anyone have any experience of CS? Is this the right thread?

Not sure if this is the right option as we're in Edinburgh and sunshine is limited!!

Thanks for now. Glen.

elecguy

Hi,
Which model Glow-worm boiler do you have?

elecguy

macman

Do you have an unshaded south east to south west facing roof?

Pincher

I wish somebody would report one day that they found a solar thermal salesman starved to death in Scotland, thus proving the pointlessness of Scottish solar thermal.

Cardew

Most people completely overestimate the savings of solar thermal(hot water) - ask any trading standards office!!

There are several threads on this in the 'green' section of MSE.

The government commissioned a trial of 8 systems(link in 'Green' forum.) both types. This was in southern England and in ideal conditions. The report is very technical(output in Joules etc) however the bottom line is the average annual saving for the system was approx 1,000kWh. So if you have gas it saves around £40 a year, off peak electricity a little more. Most of these savings are in the summer.

You also have to consider that out of those savings you have to pay for a pump and the power for the electronics at daytime electricity rates.

Isn't it strange that the solar salesmen don't refer to that report very often - in fact never!!!

albyota

Glenp wrote: »

Hi All

I'm fairly new to the forum so be nice!

I have a Glowworm boiler which we'ev had for about a year now, no problems.

Its a three bed semi in Edinburgh, fairly run of the mill.

I'ev been looking at renewable options and, since buying a boiler from them, Glow-worm have sent me details about their solar product Clearly solar.

Does anyone have any experience of CS? Is this the right thread?

Not sure if this is the right option as we're in Edinburgh and sunshine is limited!!

Thanks for now. Glen.

Hi welcome to the forum,

Save your money!!

I have just removed 4 M2 of 'Genysis' flat plate Solar thermal from my roof, (to make room for PV) 3 years ago I fitted it myself (paid for by my Dad), whilst it did occaisionally provide hot water when it was sunny, it probably only produced about £30 to £60 a year worth of hot water, think about it, on a warm sunny day in summer, you are not likely to much hot water, (cooler showers etc.) and although a decent foam insulated hot water cylinder can retain its heat for a good 24 to 30 hours (untouched), if there is no sun, it is reliant on heating by another means, and controlling both inputs when our weather patterns are so unpredictable, can be difficult to optimise.

A rough calculation I made for my system was £60 per year saving for an outlay of £2,800 was a payback of 46 years........
I'll sell you mine if your that keen (£900.......Mmmm Edinburgh :eek:... you come and fetch them.;)

Cardew

albyota wrote: »

A rough calculation I made for my system was £60 per year saving for an outlay of £2,800 was a payback of 46 years........

If you had invested that £2,800 in a long term savings account you would have got over £100 in interest - so each year you were losing £40 and payback would be never!!!!

Also the solar salesmen will want a lot more than £2,800!

albyota

I know, but it was my Dads money, what would the £100 interest actually be worth today though....with inflation?, what do people really save money for? a house deposit? retirement? a new car? rainy day???