Solar water heating, how much??

kate2510

tr3mor wrote: »

I think this is the whole point.

Some "green" things are cheaper and good for the environment - compact fluorescent bulbs, buying veg from a local market, getting a smaller car, not eating ready meals, insulating your loft, etc.

The problem with these ideas is that other people think you are poor, rather than green.

Now we have to keep up with the ecological Joneses, people want to spend huge amounts of money on flashy things - solar panels, wind turbines, Priuses. Basically, anything marketed as green without looking at the real facts.

The way to be green is to buy less of everything. Not to buy some solar panels, whilst driving around in a big car and going on three holidays a year. :mad:

Yes I see the logic in all these points BUT for me there's something other than saving money/the planet/being green. I love (oh yes lurve) the idea that I might be keeping just a tiny bit of indepenence - not relying entirely
on Scottish Power (we don't have mains gas) and we have a cess pit for our cottage not mains drainage - a reed bed would be even better but I haven't the cash to seek planning permission at present. So I'd love solar panels (DIY ? even better) or a mini wind turbine - no-one to offend visually and plenty of strong winds. I'm researching a composting loo just now - fantastic!

Cardew

kate2510 wrote: »

[
Yes I see the logic in all these points BUT for me there's something other than saving money/the planet/being green. I love (oh yes lurve) the idea that I might be keeping just a tiny bit of indepenence - not relying entirely
on Scottish Power (we don't have mains gas) and we have a cess pit for our cottage not mains drainage - a reed bed would be even better but I haven't the cash to seek planning permission at present. So I'd love solar panels (DIY ? even better) or a mini wind turbine - no-one to offend visually and plenty of strong winds. I'm researching a composting loo just now - fantastic!

I don't think anyone would disagree with you.

There are of course many reasons for spending on alternative energy besides money-saving.

However most people base those decisions on affordability. So you should have some idea of the cost of those systems.

So many people, particularly those who have 'invested' in solar/wind, make such outrageous claims about their savings that people are misled about costs.

tr3mor

kate2510 wrote: »

Yes I see the logic in all these points BUT for me there's something other than saving money/the planet/being green. I love (oh yes lurve) the idea that I might be keeping just a tiny bit of indepenence - not relying entirely
on Scottish Power (we don't have mains gas) and we have a cess pit for our cottage not mains drainage - a reed bed would be even better but I haven't the cash to seek planning permission at present. So I'd love solar panels (DIY ? even better) or a mini wind turbine - no-one to offend visually and plenty of strong winds. I'm researching a composting loo just now - fantastic!

Well, that's good for you. I'm sure you're well up on green issues, and have done the majority of the simple things, before embarking upon any big projects.

What bothers me are the myths perpetuated by the media. Apparently you can be green by buying a Prius, installing solar panels and turning your TV off standby. :rolleyes:

Ken68

A solar panel on the roof might help to sell a house as would central heating and double glazing.
None of these have a decent payback time.

jessielet

Could Cardew tell me if he is using solar evacuated tubes or solar flat panels for heating hot water? Thanks

jessielet

Could Cardew please tell me if he/she uses solar evacuated tubes or solar flat panels to heat the water. Thanks

Ken68

The price mentioned on last night's It's Not Easy Being Green was £800 for 30 Evacuated tube setup. The economics are getting better.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2006-43,GGLD:en&q=china+evacuated+tubes

kisk

Tubes from China – I wonder what the embedded CO2 is?

You could always make your own::D

http://www.anotherurl.com/therm/Self_Build_Solar/

The DTi carried out side by side tests see below:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file16826.pdf

kisk

Cardew

jessielet wrote: »

Could Cardew tell me if he is using solar evacuated tubes or solar flat panels for heating hot water? Thanks

I don't have any form of solar heating! Surely you have gathered that from my posts?

I have been looking at the feasibility of solar for many years, firstly for a large outside swimming pool in a house I owned. It didn't then, and it doesn't now, make any economic sense.

Cardew

kisk wrote: »

Tubes from China – I wonder what the embedded CO2 is?

You could always make your own::D

http://www.anotherurl.com/therm/Self_Build_Solar/

The DTi carried out side by side tests see below:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file16826.pdf

kisk

That DTI link is really interesting.

It is very technical but basically the DTI tested 8 systems (flat planel and Evacuated tube) side by side for a year situated in Southern England(Kew -Surrey)

They drew off 150 litres, in one go, each day on one test and in 3 smaller amounts in another.

I have converted the annual output to kWh.

The lowest annual output was 955kWh the highest was 1,350kWh.

So if you have gas, depending on the efficiency of your boiler, your cost per kWh is approx 2.5 pence.

So you are looking at annual savings of £24 to £34.

However the annual electrical consumption running the pump varied from zero on one system(solar twin) to 108kWh. So from those savings you could deduct up to £10.

So from Government tests it demonstrates that annual savings from solar Hot Water would range from about £15 a year to £27 if you have gas. and possibly as high as £45 for other fuels(if you live in Southern England)

That is of course leaving out any maintenance that might be required.

P.S.
The Solar Twin installation that annscullamus has bought produced 1,006kWh in the year, with no cost for electricity.