Solar panels powering electric boiler?

oldskoo1

I know boilers use large quantities of energy but can they drive an electric boiler?

I have been thinking about solar panels recently, as we will be in this house for the foreseeable future, we are bang on south facing with an unobstructed roof. Perhaps the ideal positioning for panels.

Our hot water and electricity bills are tiny but our heating bill is huge in comparison, 10-20x that of hot water when the heating goes on.

Would be good if panels could power an electric boiler to keep a fairly constant and perhaps low heat flowing through the radiators.

Of course you get very little sunlight through the winter months so it's kind of a silly idea but i just wondered if any panels could indeed run your central heating at all? I just have no idea how solar panels work and what is technically possible.

HappyMJ

oldskoo1 wrote: »

I know boilers use large quantities of energy but can they drive an electric boiler?

I have been thinking about solar panels recently, as we will be in this house for the foreseeable future, we are bang on south facing with an unobstructed roof. Perhaps the ideal positioning for panels.

Our hot water and electricity bills are tiny but our heating bill is huge in comparison, 10-20x that of hot water when the heating goes on.

Would be good if panels could power an electric boiler to keep a fairly constant and perhaps low heat flowing through the radiators.

Of course you get very little sunlight through the winter months so it's kind of a silly idea but i just wondered if any panels could indeed run your central heating at all? I just have no idea how solar panels work and what is technically possible.

They can run a 3kW immersion heater (if you have enough panels) to heat the water during the middle of summer for a few hours in the middle of the day and very little electricity will be imported from the grid....winter...forget it. Not enough electricity is generated.

oldskoo1

i thought as much without digging into the numbers.

It's a shame but at the same time a magic bullet really (if it worked it would be free heat). Sounds too good to be true really.

Even wit ha South facing roof, i just think panels are too expensive when our summer hot water gas bills are coming in at £15 per month including standing charge. That is 20+ years to repay the cost of install. Seems pointless. (Although haven't accounted for feed in paybacks).

macman

How did you think that solar PV panels would power your heating in the evenings and early mornings before it's light? Those are the times of highest heating demand.
I think that you may be confusing solar PV with solar hot water.

HappyMJ

oldskoo1 wrote: »

i thought as much without digging into the numbers.

It's a shame but at the same time a magic bullet really (if it worked it would be free heat). Sounds too good to be true really.

Even wit ha South facing roof, i just think panels are too expensive when our summer hot water gas bills are coming in at £15 per month including standing charge. That is 20+ years to repay the cost of install. Seems pointless. (Although haven't accounted for feed in paybacks).

If you have a hot water cylinder install an immersion element into the cylinder and a timer to have the hot water heated between midday and 3pm during summer and turn the gas off completely. If you have economy 7 you can also have the immersion element heating during the 7 hours charged at a low rate and you might never need to use any gas in summer. It should give you enough hot water for baths in the morning and evening.

superflyguy1971

if you get an immersun or iboost this will do exactly what you want. still get the FiT paid @ 50% (unless you have a smart meter) all electricity you're not using will be diverted to the immersion. I'm getting an immersun as part of my pv install this month I'm told they're better than the iboost but that's probably all sales talk.

My mistake - misread the original thought it was for the immersion not heating.

PollySouthend

No they can't.

victor2

superflyguy1971 wrote: »

if you get an immersun or iboost this will do exactly what you want. still get the FiT paid @ 50% (unless you have a smart meter) all electricity you're not using will be diverted to the immersion. I'm getting an immersun as part of my pv install this month I'm told they're better than the iboost but that's prbably all sales talk

You're either sadly deluded, or have not read the original post.
The OP was talking about heating, which solar panels will not make any significant contribution to when you need it.

Diver_John

I have had solar panels installed and the immersun to run the immersion heater. With the current FIT the payback looks like being 7 years which is still a better investment than money in the bank, ISA or many other forms of investment. (but not what the sales pitch claimed) Even in November we are getting enough hot water for over 1/2 our needs. It wont do anything for the central heating in a normal system as the radiators are fed through a separate system.