Heating system dilemma

emv

We own a big old house with very few radiators. There are about 20 powered by a 70kw oil boiler but we need to install around 40 more radiators. (There are 59 rooms).


We'd hoped to install a biomass boiler & make the oil boiler defunct but as a start up business we're unlikely to get the financing we'd need. Although the government RHI payments would fund all of the biomass fuel, we'd have about £5k a year left over (payable for 20 years but finance repayments would be at least 4 times that). Then we have the cost of radiators (£2.5k) + fitting.


We need some heating in some of the rooms to be able to operate as a business and we have about £15-20k of cash which we had hoped to put towards PV panels, radiators, etc. (PV panels will generate income of around £1.5k per annum).


So our options, I think, if biomass isn't an option initially, are:
Install a second oil boiler (probably 100kw) which would cost around £3k and set this up to power the new radiators. I think oil will cost us around £5k per annum though I hope that after a year we may be in a better position to secure finance. (So we'd be spending £8k on this option).


Or we look at high efficiency electric panel heaters in the rooms we need them in initially (15 rooms) and power these via the PV panels/mains electricity. These seem to cost around £200 each so would cost £3k in total + electricity though I believe we may receive export tariff even if we use the electricity we thought we'd export (5Kw of 10Kw system) as apparently our electricity provider doesn't measure export & we would receive a further 4.77pence on 50% of the total annual generation, or around £247 per year. So possibly there are no energy costs associated with this (it's late at night, I may have got this wrong). This option wouldn't involve having the radiators in place that we'd need for the biomass, but would cost less potentially in year one.


Are there any other options and does the above make sense as an analysis? Any (polite) comments gratefully received.


Em

tberry6686

Don't know about other options but you should re-think electric panel heaters. in 15 rooms they will eat all your solar generated power and then some. (all electric heaters are 100% efficient, with very few exceptions).

Possible that heat pumps may be worth looking at ?

System

emv wrote: »

Or we look at high efficiency electric panel heaters in the rooms we need them in initially (15 rooms) and power these via the PV panels/mains electricity. These seem to cost around £200 each so would cost £3k in total + electricity though I believe we may receive export tariff even if we use the electricity we thought we'd export (5Kw of 10Kw system) as apparently our electricity provider doesn't measure export & we would receive a further 4.77pence on 50% of the total annual generation, or around £247 per year. So possibly there are no energy costs associated with this (it's late at night, I may have got this wrong). This option wouldn't involve having the radiators in place that we'd need for the biomass, but would cost less potentially in year one.


Are there any other options and does the above make sense as an analysis? Any (polite) comments gratefully received.


Em

The problem with PV Solar is that the output is at its lowest when the demand is at its highest; i.e., low PV output in winter when you need the heat.

matelodave

As said, solar PV only works when the sun shines and works best when it's bright and the days are long, that's usually April to about September.

You generally need to heat the place when it's cold damp, dark and the days are short which is October to March when the sun is at it weakest (when it actually comes out), the days are at their shortest and the weather is at it's coldest. Solar PV is a very poor match to electrical heating of any sort.

I'd suggest that you'd need a proper energy survey to establish the optimum heating solution for your establishment rather than relying on the collective wisdom of this forum or just bunging some stuff in and hoping that it works.

macman

And no heat at night except on expensive single rate electricity supplied by the grid....
Your 'high efficiency' panel heaters are a scam, they are no more or less efficient than a £20 model of the same kWh rating from Argos. All electric heaters are exactly the same efficiency: 100%.

teabelly

Have you looked into using waste oil instead of fresh oil? There are add ons you can get for standard boilers to make sure the viscosity is correct.

Using reclaimed oil may attract some kind of subsidy too.

Ground source heat pump is another option to consider. You may be able to pre heat the water then use the oil boiler to top it up in the colder weather.

emv

As we only need a solution for the rest of this year, I'd rather not install something new like a heat pump as the biomass will supercede whatever we install anyway. Argos don't offer 2500W heaters, they have 400W for £50 which makes 2500W for £200 a better option. We've had several surveys but all have recommended biomass + PV, and haven't factored in the affordability of biomass (which they wouldn't, that's not their remit).


I think a second hand oil boiler + radiators may be our most pragmatic option at the moment.

Smiley_Dan

Fix the problem properly: insulate, air tighten and venilate right.

emv

The problem is having no heating in the rooms, Smiley Dan, insulation & ventilation all sorted!

Smiley_Dan

That doesn't make much sense. If you'd sorted them you'd need so little heating that electrical heaters would work the very few days you needed them on.

Nada666

Leave it as is with the current boiler and radiators.

If you receive complaints, point out the adjectives "traditional" and "authentic" strategically littered throughout your marketing materials.