Solar water heating, how much??

kate2510

moonrakerz wrote: »

I would rather buy mine from British Gas at 10p/kWh and reduce my electricity useage in more substantive ways..

These would be?

However, schemes such as the tumble drier one, just will not work ! Apart from which .....................surely a tumble drier is an eco no-no ? what's wrong with a clothes line - £3.99 from Wilko.

Well now, this is a finer point - I line dry some articles but I do use my T/Dryer and rarely use my iron - maybe 1 hour a month if that. This also improves my temper!

tr3mor

kate2510 wrote: »

These would be?

moonrakerz wrote: »

Lag your loft, get low energy lamps, sell the Range Rover and get a diesel Fiesta, grow your own veg, have a compost heap; please don't get conned !

:rolleyes:

Cardew

kate2510 wrote: »

Instead of telling us where we can't smoke the Gov. should be supplying more info and regulating the cost and suppliers of alternative energy technology until the costs are reduced by market forces .

(non-smoker)

You are absolutely right about the Government needing to get involved. The information is all available; they sponsored the DTi trial(see report above) but it is meaningless to anyone without a technical background.

As you mention Smoking, perhaps the Government should insist on that manufacturers put a sign on their packaging:

WARNING: PURCHASING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SYSTEMS CAN DAMAGE YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH!

I know that if I did the Lottery and had even a modest win this is something I would do with the money. Cost effective or not.
If the great-granny flat we are contemplating/costing at the moment does come to fruition we'll do our utmost to have some solar powered water heating.

As long as you, and any others, take that action knowing the full financial implications, who would criticise that decision? We are all free to spend our money as we wish.

harryhound

tr3mor wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Don't forget the reed bed ! Round here the stuff flushed down the drain went about 5 miles away where it was fermented (and the CH4 flared off into the atmosphere, what a waste). The remains was left to settle and the liquor run off. Finally the remaining solids were put in giant tea bags and these were crushed to get the remaining water out. The resulting solid was then dumped in the North Sea or a landfill site, as the toxic heavy metal content was so high it was unfit for use on farmland.
I say was, as I learned all this on an open day 20 odd years ago, when we were being encouraged to help privatise the operation. Now only the workers get inside the barbed wire and only the smells get out. It is all a bit sensitive as there are plans to build a massive high tech incinerator next door. It looks like most of the heat (and the dioxins ?) and the resulting CO2 will all end up in the atmosphere. Handy way of getting rid of the sludge now North Sea dumping has been outlawed and London does not know what to do with its garbage, other than pile it up in hills along the Thames estuary.

Must install a roof panel, that will really make a difference.:rolleyes:

moonrakerz

kate2510 wrote: »

Well now, this is a finer point - I line dry some articles but I do use my T/Dryer and rarely use my iron - maybe 1 hour a month if that. This also improves my temper!

I lied about my final post on this subject, apologies !

Tumble drier 2 to 3 kW per hour, iron 1 to 1.5kW - and you ask how I would save electricity !!!!!!! Ye gods !!!

kate2510

moonrakerz wrote: »

I lied about my final post on this subject, apologies !
Tumble drier 2 to 3 kW per hour, iron 1 to 1.5kW - and you ask how I would save electricity !!!!!!! Ye gods !!!

Calm down dear -no need to get personal - remember the Moderator!
And no - I didn't ask how you would save electricity, did I?
Just wanted to check that I was doing all the 'substantive green' things to which you referred.
And, any non-GOF, what exactly is a sun cooker?
Information please - not insults!

Ken68

What's a GOF...a sun cooker, Kate, in my case is an old 'copper', lined with cooking foil in which is placed a black painted pot holding 8 litres of water. It get very hot or hot or warm according to the sun. On top is a piece of glass and the whole thing is insulated at night. It DOES work some info here and picture to follow.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2006-43,GGLD:en&q=sun+cooker.

Ken68

Tis the big box, and excludes the BBQ which is another project.

kate2510

Thank you Ken - I've had a quick look and later on I'll follow it up. Does this stay on the ground ? I have 3 large GSDs - 2 of them male so you can see why I ask!

GOF = Grumpy Old Folks

Ken68

Sigh.....GSD !!!., grandsons and daughters..... Mine is on a garden bench,facing south, tho being c ircular inside the box, gets the sun East and West too.
Regards GOF.