Heating: heat pump? solar thermal? summat else?

slopemaster

We live in a village with no mains gas, and I'm trying to work out the best form of heating.

We currently have a wood-burning stove, which works well and we like the dry, radiant heat it gives, but it's getting hard unloading and splitting the wood, and it would be good to have another option on cold mornings.

I was thinking of looking into an air-source heat pump – especially as it is hot here in summer, so sometimes it would be good to have cooling too.
But then I wondered whether you can use solar thermal to heat water for radiators as well as for hot water? (With maybe electric to boost it?) Does that make sense? It is often sunny here but the roof is rather small. Can anyone point me at resources to work out how big the roof would need to be in different climates?

I'd be very glad of any advice about those or other alternatives. Running costs are important, but so are capital costs upfront.

lstar337

Solar thermal for heat?

You mostly want heat in the winter when there is hardly any sun, so I think solar thermal is a no-go.

ASHP's are good though, probably your best bet to be honest. The best bit is that they can be used in reverse in the summer.

Furts

If you have the roof area, this faces between east and west and you can accept the appearance, the answer would be solar pv panels.

These would produce electricity with you deciding whether to use this to supplement your heating or to produce hot water- or both.

You will be paid according to how much electricity you generate.

Solar thermal panels are used to pre heat water for washing - not normally for heating.

zaax

Is you woodburner multifuel, if it is how about about coal?

Woodchips are £2000 a pallet

slopemaster

Stove won't burn coal but we're looking into "logs" made from woodchip waste - sounds good as it's less work