It's supposed to be eco-friendly, but no-one gives a toss about that, all they want is to save money.
I give a toss. We don't buy a fridge or a comfortable bed to save or generate money. There are other reasons to invest in home infrastructure other than saving money.
If your main cost is gas, is there any way to change some of your usage to electricity?
The vast majority of the usage is for heating - which is why I mentioned the 'electric boiler' option. It sounds like you didn't have much of a reasonable option re solar.
I give a toss. We don't buy a fridge or a comfortable bed to save or generate money. There are other reasons to invest in home infrastructure other than saving money.
Then why are you asking? Get it done.
🙄
We are a discussion forum. We discuss things. Why are you here?
I give a toss. We don't buy a fridge or a comfortable bed to save or generate money. There are other reasons to invest in home infrastructure other than saving money.
Then why are you asking? Get it done.
🙄
We are a discussion forum. We discuss things. Why are you here?
Do you have solid walls? Have a look at interior solid wall insulation. It's relatively expensive but a terraced house will lose over a third of the heat your generating through the walls (grants maybe available?). You'll also get your money back quicker...and save considerable CO2 if that's something that's important to you. Solid wall insulation needs an experienced installer because of potential water vapour and damp issues (your damp proofing needs to good shape before insulating the walls). It also benefits from quite up to date technology. Solar panel design is still developing and there's a chance by the time you've recouped your investment that in terms of efficiency, they'll be all but obsolete. I'd venture to suggest wall insulation will also be a better selling point when you decide to move on.
The efficiencies and output of solar panels have increased a lot. A fairly standard panel now has about twice the output of one 8 or 10 years ago and costs less than half as much to buy. This was the objective of the FIT programme and it worked - the greatly increased take-up moved the market a long way in a short time.
If you can get a system with micro-inverters, it increases the output and reliability still further.
If you have a flat roof, a south facing array with panels spaced apart enough to not shade themselves will have a higher peak out at noon in summer but a lower annual output than an east west 'concertina' array with the panels all close together. You can fit more panels and they generate earlier and later in the day so the kWh accumulate. On a pitched roof, they don't have to be spaced apart. Two arrays, one east facing and one west facing, can still produce more than a single south facing one, but will probably cost more because you need more wiring and probably more panels.
We need solar power in our energy mix and if we don't put it on our roofs, they'll end up going in fields, potentially displacing food production, so all roofs - houses and businesses - should have as much as is possible, allowing some are too overshaded for it to be worthwhile. They can contribute most to the overall grid if the energy they produce is used directly - reducing demand rather than increasing supply. Getting self-consumption up as high as you can reduces your energy bills by the greatest amount. Without trying, you might only use a third of what you generate. But if you have a solar diverter to an immersion heater and/or an EV charger and you make an effort to put high consumption appliances on when you have oversupply - washing machine, dishwasher, cookers - you can get it up to 60% or more, even in Summer.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Do you have solid walls? Have a look at interior solid wall insulation. It's relatively expensive but a terraced house will lose over a third of the heat your generating through the walls (grants maybe available?).
Internal wall insulation is very disruptive and the risk of getting it wrong and ending up with damp is quite high. External wall insulation is easier, safer and more effective. But you need to deal with planners and if you have no roof overhangs, it can be tricky.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I am planning on getting solar panels soon. Had thought about getting them in a couple of years or so but energy prices have pushed that forward. Have an appointment for 1st February 2023 to get someone to check the house etc as the company has been inundated with enquiries! We have a south facing roof with no shadow so should be OK. Currently have gas for water and central heating but the (very efficient) gas boiler is now 20 years old so having to think about what to do when that goes as all new gas boilers are not suitable for where the old one is I do have a hot water tank with an electric immersion heater as a backup but this is only for hot water and not for the central heating. So lots of (expensive) decisions to be made around the whole energy thing!
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
The vast majority of the usage is for heating - which is why I mentioned the 'electric boiler' option. It sounds like you didn't have much of a reasonable option re solar.
It wasn't exactly a clear choice for us; it did cost more to put in the solar panels and wood stove than connecting to the grid but the advantage was not relying on the power companies and future savings. Oil heating is the norm round here but we didn't want that, no matter how the numbers stacked up.
I suggest looking into an air con-heater if considering solar panels, as it will reduce use of radiators. The one we have is from Mitsubishi MHI. It heats up a space relatively quickly as it blows out warm air so we don't need to have the heating on all the time or before we get up in the morning. If we are to have hotter summers, the air con might also be needed more often.
The halogen heater is also a useful booster if you spend most of your time in just 1 or 2 rooms.
Thanks for the info @raisingirl - that is kind what I had heard. The main reason I didn't do it in this house ten years ago, is that I never wanted to stay in London. That's the clinching issue. Not now, perhaps, a solar deal breaker, as the question is important to me.
I wonder if it "adds value" to the house. If you convert a house lock, stock and barrel, to work from solar (heating, water etc), what are the odds that future owners will a) want to keep it going b) give a toss c) want to pay the maintenance. Is such a conversion a "valve decision" so that there is really no going back for future owners [kind of thing].
I do actively feel bad that I have not converted the resources in the house that I can to create a low footprint. It's a waste.
Posts
The vast majority of the usage is for heating - which is why I mentioned the 'electric boiler' option. It sounds like you didn't have much of a reasonable option re solar.
🙄
Have a look at interior solid wall insulation. It's relatively expensive but a terraced house will lose over a third of the heat your generating through the walls (grants maybe available?).
You'll also get your money back quicker...and save considerable CO2 if that's something that's important to you.
Solid wall insulation needs an experienced installer because of potential water vapour and damp issues (your damp proofing needs to good shape before insulating the walls).
It also benefits from quite up to date technology. Solar panel design is still developing and there's a chance by the time you've recouped your investment that in terms of efficiency, they'll be all but obsolete.
I'd venture to suggest wall insulation will also be a better selling point when you decide to move on.
If you can get a system with micro-inverters, it increases the output and reliability still further.
If you have a flat roof, a south facing array with panels spaced apart enough to not shade themselves will have a higher peak out at noon in summer but a lower annual output than an east west 'concertina' array with the panels all close together. You can fit more panels and they generate earlier and later in the day so the kWh accumulate. On a pitched roof, they don't have to be spaced apart. Two arrays, one east facing and one west facing, can still produce more than a single south facing one, but will probably cost more because you need more wiring and probably more panels.
We need solar power in our energy mix and if we don't put it on our roofs, they'll end up going in fields, potentially displacing food production, so all roofs - houses and businesses - should have as much as is possible, allowing some are too overshaded for it to be worthwhile. They can contribute most to the overall grid if the energy they produce is used directly - reducing demand rather than increasing supply. Getting self-consumption up as high as you can reduces your energy bills by the greatest amount. Without trying, you might only use a third of what you generate. But if you have a solar diverter to an immersion heater and/or an EV charger and you make an effort to put high consumption appliances on when you have oversupply - washing machine, dishwasher, cookers - you can get it up to 60% or more, even in Summer.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Had thought about getting them in a couple of years or so but energy prices have pushed that forward.
Have an appointment for 1st February 2023 to get someone to check the house etc as the company has been inundated with enquiries!
We have a south facing roof with no shadow so should be OK.
Currently have gas for water and central heating but the (very efficient) gas boiler is now 20 years old so having to think about what to do when that goes as all new gas boilers are not suitable for where the old one is
I do have a hot water tank with an electric immersion heater as a backup but this is only for hot water and not for the central heating.
So lots of (expensive) decisions to be made around the whole energy thing!
I suggest looking into an air con-heater if considering solar panels, as it will reduce use of radiators. The one we have is from Mitsubishi MHI. It heats up a space relatively quickly as it blows out warm air so we don't need to have the heating on all the time or before we get up in the morning. If we are to have hotter summers, the air con might also be needed more often.
The halogen heater is also a useful booster if you spend most of your time in just 1 or 2 rooms.