-
• #2
So solar panels are useless but if your dead set on installing them have them installed so they heat your unvented cylinder. The money you get from the grid is almost laughable and they also dont work all the time. Another thing to think about is that its not just a fit and forget some of the stuff last about 10 years and needs replaced ie the invertors and they wont be cheap to replace.
Electric combis cost a fortune to run, I think they are false economy.
Air source, they work but they are expensive to install and if you haven't super insulated your house you'll need to to get the best from them also you need to install usually big radiators so you get a decent room temp.
Overall I get what your trying to do but even with the grants you'll still be spending massive compared to what a gas setup would be also they will be cheaper to run but if your willing to spend the money on the above batter in.
-
• #3
Ours is a late 60s detached house. Our ASHP arrived on Friday. Plumbers here today (they have been here a lot already) and sparky on site later in the week. We are getting close to getting this in.
The big expense for us though has been insulating the whole house. All external walls have been insulated internally. Luckily we have space to make the rooms a little smaller.
We have also installed triple glazed windows throughout as well as new insulation in roof spaces.
We haven't gone for massive rads and are reusing some existing ones. Have moved rads in larger rooms to take care of heating some of the smaller ones.
It was a nice day when Cadent came and cut off our gas supply a few weeks ago.
Happy to share anything more specific dude. And good luck
-
• #4
Calling @Nahguavkire
-
• #5
If you are doing heavy works on the place then I'd go nuts with the insulation whilst you've got the window of opportunity to do (similar to Jonny, above). You won't want to come back to revisit that in the short-mid term as it's so disruptive.
As you are mid terrace, your job here would be slightly easier.
Then fit whatever works for you regarding heating; gas / elect / ASHP etc.
If the house itself is pissing heat / energy away nothing is a 'green' solution so you might as well fit gas, make your life easy and yolo. You can then revisit in five - ten years time.
-
• #6
Currently looking at our options to improve the efficiency of our home, we have a converted granite steading in Aberdeenshire, it was converted in 1994 and the attention spent on insulation and thermal bridges is laughable, with that in mind we are looking at getting someone in to recommend areas we can improve the efficiency of our home before changing the method of heating (storage heaters). Getting an assessor who is versed in EnerPHit (https://passipedia.org/certification/enerphit) to come and have a look and pass on recommendations.
-
• #7
I live in Lambeth, where they're currently running a scheme for residents to register interest in having solar panels installed and they've gone to auction based on the indicative level of interest. Looking at the projected cost, it will take between 10 and 15 years to see a return - so it will the person who buys the house off the person who buys the house off me who benefits. I won't be going ahead.
-
• #8
Good to hear about how it's going. Hope to visit again before too long.
-
• #9
I've just had the same thing at mine. 'Solar Together', in Charlton.
Standard draughty 3 bed South London semi.
Waiting on the quote, will post if people are interested when it arrives. -
• #10
I find these Solar Together things a bit suspect TBH. I get the principle but I suspect someone will get rich from it and it won't be me.
-
• #11
I had a quote of £8.6k for 5.46kW PV (14 x 390w) & 8.2kW battery (GivEnergy) or £5.3k without the battery.
Estimated production 5300kWh per year. (pinch of salt) 5300 x 0.28 = £1484.00
Assume 60% of the above is met, payback with battery would be circa 10 years, less if energy prices rise etc.
-
• #12
I live next to a river and have been thinking about some hydro power, any tips where to start?
-
• #13
@konastab01 - any technical (or other!) information as to why Solar is useless? I'm not looking to try and profit from the grid, rather rely less on it. The aim is not off-grid living, more off-gas, and a little less reliant on bolstering some CEO's bonus.
The house is (I hope) going to be home for @ 20 years, we have mid and long term plans to extend out a little at the back, reinstate a second front door and convert the loft, as it stands though we have finite time and budget to get central heating, a kitchen and bathroom in, and do some other cosmetic things so it's livable for the small boy and nesh girlfriend. It is currently small, and not quite the room we need, which will be addressed - losing more floor space to insulation is not ideal, but I get that its also a waste to not do it.
I had sacked ASHP off as I'm just not sure we'll be able to do everything we want in terms of conversion/extension soon enough to make it worthwhile, and it felt like a waste to insulate a wall when that wall might go, same for upgraded windows (currently bad plastic but double glazed). The house is currently E on the EPC (with potential to be B apparently) so some loft insulation was probably going to be the limit of the heat saving work at this point. I know an electric boiler is more expensive to run than gas, but it feels wrong to just stick a gas boiler in when we are happy to make the compromise over bill price to not have a gas connection, though the solar plan is obviously an effort to offset that a little in the future.
Also in Lambeth so will have a look into that, though the sheer pain of working with a council run effort will surely negate any cost saving that might arrive.
-
• #14
I'm waiting on the "formal" quote too, but there was a calculator using the size and orientation of roof. Based on my current energy consumption (kids have largely moved out) and the fact that I'm triple-glazed, end of terrace, relatively modern town house, I'm pretty sure that it's a non-starter, unless I plan to see out my days in the place.
-
• #15
always welcome dude. the place will have finally changed a bit from when you were last here.
-
• #16
Contact the local office of the Environment Agency.
-
• #17
Anyone have experience of MVHR systems? Seems like a relatively cheap way of saving energy. Stick it in the loft above the bathroom = profit
-
• #18
Interesting chat.. so is it possible to have an off grid house energy-wise in the UK?
Not talking about some massive new eco bungalow with huge amount of PV panels, but a normal suburban home. -
• #19
I don't see why not, you would have to pay a fair whack up front for enough technology/insulation to make it happen though, especially while it is in no one's best interest to develop this stuff rapidly/subsidise it.
- you know.
- you know.
-
• #20
I was kinda assuming solar panels ( with storage) and ground source heat pump, would do the trick.
Who knows? My mate had a heat exchange on the roof which only worked in the summer, and annual service cost made that unviable to utilise. Which is disappointing.
Something needs to change with gas costs as they are. -
• #21
Slightly off topic but from a new build point of view not a lot has changed...
I bought this place 3 years ago for the large garden and was surrounded by fields. Now have new builds on 4 sides at about half a million quid each house. In Cumbria these are big fuck off houses. The builds on 3 sides have gas heating, no PV, no air or ground source heating and no electric car charging points . The othe build I think is gas and wood fired.
Developers / builders have made a wadge of cash though...
-
• #22
We have ground source heat pump and solar panels. The ground source heat pump is good but you either need UFH or large radiators as the temperature it gets the water up to isn’t as high. Our solar panels have never delivered the energy promised so are a bit of a waste of time, the feed in tariff rate is not great and the panels in no way cover the cost of our heating bills. But gshp is more efficient than ashp is you have the location to do it.
The solar panels produce next to fuck all on cloudy days. But when we do produce a surplus we have a device that uses that energy to power an immersion heater for our hot water. On those days the hot water is needs a lot more cold added at the tap when showering or bathing.
In future I hope solar panels become cheaper and better and we can it in a bigger array and a house battery.
-
• #23
Just had the EPC from the seller and interestingly it notes that the loft (rated good) and cavity walls (rated average) are already insulated, and 'the assessor did not find any opportunities to save energy by installing insulation in this property'. The windows are double glazed and will be replaced at some point, the floor downstairs is 'assumed' to not be insulated (which we will do'. It's poor performance on the EPC is down to the fact there is no heating installed, and they have some recommendations to boost it (attached - not sure there is a right lot of point in the solar water heating at 108 years to repay itself at the lowest estimate!).
I'm not naive enough to think that this is super accurate, but its better than I thought! I guess getting a professional in may be the way to go, but then I worry they justify their existence/cost by trying to flog you things that aren't strictly necessary.
The section of roof we'd ideally use for PV panels is South, South East facing and we'd add batteries, just need to look at what our energy needs are/might be before I can figure out if we should take the leap.
I'm still worried the ASHP won't be viable without huge radiators, we will heat the kitchen with underfloor but it doesn't look like we'll have the budget/time to do everywhere and I would rather not have mega-radiators everywhere. Hard to get the balance right I guess.
Anyone have solar panels and doesn't think its shit?
1 Attachment
-
• #24
This is depressing to read. I’m sure most of us would like to have an eco solution, even if paying a bit upfront for it, but this just doesn’t sound viable even now.
Do you regret going the eco route?
-
• #25
In reality to get ASHP insulation right you need to build the walls out and insulate with celotex/kingsman. Cavity wall isn’t good enough.
Someone else covered a point to why they are shit and I would avoid them. I think in reality a combi right now is the only option that works without spending next level money.
It’s also at a point where they are chatting all this shit but the viable options are 5 x the price of the gas equivalent and not great rn
We have a house project waiting to go through that requires heating, a full rewire and pretty much everything else. As we are starting at zero I'd like to fit something eco so hoped to avoid any reliance on gas, I know the air source heat pump is the most efficient option, but the house is not currently well insulated, I'm unsure of the technology and I heard it is necessary to absolutely max out the radiator sizes which I'm not keen on. Option A) currently is electric combi boiler (green tariff), with the aim of fitting solar panels on the south facing part of the roof in the next couple of years. We will insulate the loft from the outset, and the windows will be replaced at some point short term-ish too.
Anyone have any experience here, or any advice as to what will be the best combo of eco, warmth and cost?
It's a brick built 60s mid terrace btw.