From an F to a B?

Rolandtheroadie

Was planning on solar panels, then read about the Green Deal and possible interest free loans to assist with paying for the system (based in Scotland). By the time I'd read all about that, I'd realised I need to do a bit more work before I get to the point of installing solar.

Firstly, the loans stop 31st March and I'll have to wait till 1st April to see if they're avaliable in the new financial year.

So anyways, I'd been going to go ahead with solar, then got the Green Deal assessor out . 38 on an F, with the potential for 81 and a B. Enviromentally we're 33F with a 74 C possible.

First step is to get up to D so I can get the upper FIT payments for a solar install, the Green Deal (in Scotland) needs loft and wall insulation before consideration for loan.

I've a company coming out in a couple of days to see about cavity wall insulation (any that was in there has disintegrated through time) and increasing loft insulation to 270mm (currently 100mm).

That should get my rating up to E53 for energy, and E45 for the environment.

Floor insulations out due to concrete floors, I've ordered a second water jacket and 6 x TRV's from Screwfix (total cost £60, should be installed by me) and installing those should get me to the magical D55.

I had an Energy Saving Trust advisor out today as well, who will send a report out in around 10 days with his recommendations.

The solar install will go ahead after I get to a D, but I'll be putting my own ideas together, and asking a couple of companies to quote and advise on the system I'm after rather than what they can supply.

tunnel

I don't know how the green deal works, ie..getting to a D for help with funds. What I do know is that if you are having solar and your home is say an F, you can install solar and have the EPC done retrospectively, the solar installed should bring the rating down(best check how much with an assessor) and thus qualify you for the higher FiT.
My parents were an F, installed solar and qualified for the higher FiT by achieving a D.


HTH

Rolandtheroadie

The solar seems to gain 10 points, which would take me to 48 and still an E, 7 away from the D (the way I interpretate the EPC).

I was happily going to put the solar in initially, but think I'm better looking at the whole picture now and planning a strategy to get where I want to be.

That includes me getting the D, then asking installers about 13 or 14 BenQ 285's (£300 more all in than the Canadian Black's I was considering) a decent inverter (10 year guarantee preferrably), 2 strings, in case 3-5 of the panels might have early morning/late afternoon shading issues, and a monitoring system. I've bought an immersion spanner as well, and will fit one to my water tank for an Iboost as well.

For Green Deal funding (although in Scotland I believe it's just an interest free loan) you need the loft and cavity wall insulated first.

zeupater

Hi

It's probably best to just look at the easy things first ... they'll cost the least and have the greatest effect .... loft insulation at >270mm along with cavity insulation and draught proofing for starters, low energy lights, condensing GCH boiler, thermostatic valves on at least the upstairs radiators, programmable thermostatic control and decent insulation on the DHW cylinder should really raise the EPC to a pretty high rating - it's only then that you should consider investing in expensive improvements such as pv...

I really don't like the EPC or green deal assessments at all ... they're okay to get a rough idea of how you should broadly compare efficiencies, but are in no way accurate ... we're towards the top end of the 'B' band according to the assessment methodology and the certificate we have ... however, some numpty at the BRE forgot to allow for anything more than their recommendations (plus a little bit) on insulation so the estimate for our annual heat requirements are well out, probably by a factor of 2 or more! ... as for the GDAR, well one of the recommendations (floor insulation) would take hundreds of years to pay back (and we have it anyway, but the assessor wouldn't test for EPC) and another (biomass boiler) would cost a real shedload and do nothing but increase our energy usage/costs, which just about sums the system up ...

HTH
Z