I'm looking to improve (reduce) my electric and gas costs. Has anyone had/got solar water heating panels? What do you think of it - is it worth the expense of fitting etc?
I just wish it was fitted as standard in new houses. Either electricity panels or hot water panels.
As far as I am aware, ground source heat pumps are far better. However they are also much more expensive. Google them if you are unsure what they are.
At the moment, as I understand it, the "return on investment is out at about 15 years as they are both very expensive to fit. I think I saw an advert for everest windows who now do solar panels. (This is not a recommendation, just a comment)
If you have money for a capital investment that you don't need, and you are prepared to wait the payback period, then either system will help with the monthly out goings.
If your reasoning is to have a very immediate effect on your monthly outgoings then I would look elsewhere for a saving.
If anyone knows of better info I would gladly accept it & be proven incorrect/out dated.
Martin
Is it a new build? If so dont bother as it will be 'A' Rated efficient anyway. Best way to keep cost down when fitting solar panels is to fit them yourselves, Get them secure in place and remove a tile from roof for pipes to come off ( If looking for hot water heating instead of gas), then drain your system and t-into the flow and return on the cylinder, then this will heat your water, and if your hot waters programmed to come on, and the waters hot from the sun..it wont because the cylinder stat will close the diverter valve. Dead simple really. Shoule be able to source some panels cheap of net with delivery and could have it done one saturday! Or just spend the money what you would save over 5 years on a holiday instead and sod the panel problem
Solar power panels are a ridiculous waste of resources.
May I suggest loft and wallinsulation if you have capital to invest.
Loft and wall insulation are essential in any building now, with the price of natural resources. Theres goverment grants available for them and usually can have your whole house done for under $ , Professionally too, Just remember though if you do have it done if it is not a new build, you wills till have to use gas to heat the property, where as the panels will do this for free...
You can get, at a reasonable price, AIR source heat pumps. They work down to air temps of -15C. They're just like (in fact they are) reverse air conditioning systems.
There are several things you can do, you can make your own solar water heater for small scale water heating (like washing up etc) with a length of hose, a large area, flattish box with the inside painted black and a couple of sheets of clear plastic and clear plastic corrugated sheet.
Or you could sign up to a sustainable energy supplier like ecotricty
Foxy, take a looksee here:
loads of info on the forums on cutting bills :thumbup:
We've got it and we reckon it was worth it for us on our farm.
Checkout the Northern Tool Co catalogue for details of solar and wind/water power to see if it is worth it for you.
Check out the following for all things environmental
Solar panels and photovoltaics are becoming impressive now
Solar cells are expensive, and fragile. They take a long time to recoup the initial cost. Look at the power output and do a calculation. An 11 watt array will cost about +. In 10 hours it will generate 110 watts. Hardly impressive when applied to a houses needs.
A realistic array to generate a useful 500 watts/hour would cost correspondingly more. You then need the accumulators and the inverter to make any use from the solar array. the outlay for a useful system would be about and that would handle the standby needs for a house during the day (summer) and part of the evening. Then back to the mains. The air/ground sourced heat pump system would provide heat for water and heating through the day (24hour), winter and summer. a system with an OUTPUT of 6 KW would use about 1.5/2.0 KW of electricity to run.
I sat in the sun once and warmed-up a treat.
it's a green process too, asmust of my skin was recycled in no time.
lp
Solar phase change water heating panels or vacuum heating panels have too long a payback on larger builds. In houses of 3/4 beds it is recommended that if you fit them you change your tank for a more efficient thermal store and also you change your boiler to a high efficiency rated one or the payback is too long
PV cells have a horrendous payback period and are only useful in large commercial buildings as of present until their efficiency is improved.
Agreed ground source is more efficient but you need the thermal mass to make it work for a decent payback period.
Heat pumps have come on leaps and bounds and the new pumped CO2 versions are ideal in a small domestic situation - they can provide up to a 60 degree temperature in normal use and cost less than ground source to run.
The weak point of all systems is the controls - without accurate digital controls programmed to suit the dwelling type and purpose you may as well not spend the money on anything but a holiday and a V12.
Keep in mind - no one solution is perfect.
:jagsatwork:
I have a home in UK and a home in the sun, I am just an ordinary Derbyshire lad who has had a bit of luck but I have tried solar energy panels at both houses and I can tell you that the ones in Florida work well and heat my pool just about every day throughout the year. On the other hand I have tried panels in UK just to heat the water up to high enough temerature for a shower and have had no success.
When I built my present UK home I was approached by a German firm to install Volatic Tiles on my roof, but with the then deal from the UK government to purchase excess electricity from the individual it would have taken 35 years to have recovered my investment ( I was 54 at the time so time was not on my side). The scheme offered by the German Government gave a payback time of 5 years, are we in the same Europe????
A friend of mine has a air sourced heat pump for his swimming pool here in UK and gets bills of around £500 for electricity to heat his pool for just 6 months, which is about a third of his old gas fired boiler bills, so that would appear to work.
Should you be considering a new central heaing system I can recommend warm water underfloor heating powered from a condenser boiler, with a mains pressure hot water tank, and a heat recovery system for the air circulation. I use all these to live comfortably in a 3400 sq ft house with annual utility bills of £1000 ish (There are 2 of us in the house)which are very reasonable. Insulation is all important so take advantage of the government grant scheme.
My next project will be water recycling and I intend to harvest the water from the surface drains to water my garden.
Good luck to all energy conservationists remember that a Pound saved is earned.
Nobby
take advice
i hope "filthy" has abreveated the proccess because done his way you will pump hot water from your boiler around the panes and loose heat as they will work in reverse and try and heat the sky. they must be a sealed system with a heat exchanger they also need anti freeze to stop them bursting in winter.
i think you will find theres not enough sun in the uk to get a sensible return on your outlay
if your looking at the green angle anything helps
but as with most green things cost is high.
:D:D:D:D:D:D Or have lots of meets at people's houses and use their hot water :D:D:D:D:D:D 
