Electric Boiler Comparison

macman

You'd need a very large dormer to fit a solar panel on it, even assuming your dormers are angled correctly SW to SE.

Croft12

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Well that's clearly indisputable but I don't see how the response is even relevant to this thread or aimed at me? I was sent some pictures by PM to look at. The available roof space is less than my roof holding a 4kW system, so there is not a chance of the Op having anything as big, let alone 4 or 5 times the size.

I am pleased you have friends.

Its was a direct response to your categorical it will be more expensive as ought to have been obvious - perhaps you were too busy being terse to notice. As I had no basis to know what the free/available roof space was I couldn't be sure what the potential was...

Andy_WSM

Croft12 wrote: »

Its was a direct response to your categorical it will be more expensive as ought to have been obvious - perhaps you were too busy being terse to notice. As I had no basis to know what the free/available roof space was I couldn't be sure what the potential was...

Looking at my figures for December, for example, even if the Op had a spare field on which to place 20kW of Solar panels you would not produce enough electricity in an average December to heat a house. So it WILL be more expensive to heat a house with Electricity that it will with Gas. In nearly all circumstances that is the case. Additionally if you had followed the discussion you would have noted that the capital outlay of installing a second gas supply is a concern - do you think the capital outlay of fitting 20kW of PV is cheaper?

Cardew

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Looking at my figures for December, for example, even if the Op had a spare field on which to place 20kW of Solar panels you would not produce enough electricity in an average December to heat a house. So it WILL be more expensive to heat a house with Electricity that it will with Gas. In nearly all circumstances that is the case. Additionally if you had followed the discussion you would have noted that the capital outlay of installing a second gas supply is a concern - do you think the capital outlay of fitting 20kW of PV is cheaper?

Even if you a big enough field for 100kWp electric panels, is it not relevant that solar doesn't generate at night - which is about 4pm in late winter.


Or perhaps the OP can 'invest' many thousands of pounds on batteries and a building in which to store them!

lstar337

Cardew wrote: »

Even if you a big enough field for 100kWp electric panels, is it not relevant that solar doesn't generate at night - which is about 4pm in late winter.


Or perhaps the OP can 'invest' many thousands of pounds on batteries and a building in which to store them!

Not to disprove your argument which is 100% correct, but the energy could be stored in a Dimplex quantum system which will store renewable energy in its storage heaters and water tank. The system is designed to do this.

Still a dumb idea though.

Cardew

lstar337 wrote: »

Not to disprove your argument which is 100% correct, but the energy could be stored in a Dimplex quantum system which will store renewable energy in its storage heaters and water tank. The system is designed to do this.

Still a dumb idea though.

So with the really big PV display we would now need Storage heaters wired so they would accept daytime electricity via a device(like immersun) and wiring capable of handling up to 100kW and diverting a few kW to storage heaters/immersion;)

lstar337

Cardew wrote: »

So with the really big PV display we would now need Storage heaters wired so they would accept daytime electricity via a device(like immersun) and wiring capable of handling up to 100kW and diverting a few kW to storage heaters/immersion;)

Actually I think they have a way of natively accepting input from renewables, so an immersun wouldn't be required.

Still a dumb idea though!

Smiley_Dan

It is not a dumb idea. Thermal stores are "a thing", even interseasonal thermal stores (of which GSHPs are essentially one of, but not the only, type). Heating a house using solar, whether PV or thermal, is possible. It is far from common-or-garden though and needs properly designing.

Ultimately, the energy generated has to cover the requirement, given losses. It just depends what each of those three numbers are.

The simple answer to all of these questions is that if high levels of insulation and air tightness are achieved the whole question becomes more and more moot. It just depends on what you want to spend, for how long a benefit. Furthermore, in a landlord style situation it's unlikely a landlord would necessarily want to invest when the cost of heating is not theirs to bear and knowledge of heating system expectations by prospective tenants is so low.

zaax

bluestreak56 wrote: »

Indeed.. Trying to compare the overall costs going from scratch if that makes sense.

Thinking about it like this.

There is no existing gas line although it can be plummed in
There are no existing tennants
There are no existing heaters
etc etc

Putting a new gas meter in not cheap National Grid has the monopoly

matelodave

I'd guess that if the OP is baulking at the cost of installing a gas system then the last thing on his mind would be solar, heat-pumps, thermal stores or anything else that costs lots and takes a long time to get your money back - especially if he's not going to benefit from the lower energy costs afforded by such systems.
All he wants is something cheap & cheerful so he can minimise his outlay and let the tenant worry about how much it costs to use.