"Peter Parry" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 20:59:43 +0000 (UTC), "Graham Harrison"
wrote:

Has anyone here had domestic solar water heating installed?

My parents house had it (self install - DIY cost about GBP500 in
total using some very expensive glass vacuum collectors found in a
scrap yard - it was finding the collectors which caused the thing to
be built!) and a neighbour later had a commercial one fitted. Over
20 years neither broke even or got remotely near doing so. Both
houses had virtually ideal south facing roofs of appropriate pitch.

Two reports worth looking at are


http://www.broadband.gov.uk/energy/r...s/sp300275r.pd
f

and


http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewables/pub...pdf?pubpdfdloa
d=01%2F1292

These do at least put some figures on the likely effects of these
units (something the manufacturers studiously avoid doing).

As energy has taken a price hype, the figures may be rather out of date.
These 20 year old systems may start to pay for themselves big-time.