Clive wrote:

Hi,

I hope to buy a late-Victorian end-of-terrace house sometime in the
new year.

The house is in sound condition - well so it appears and so the
survey says. However, over the next couple of years it will need new
boiler, new bathroom etc. and I am trying to think how to extend into
the loft without it looking like a spaceship has landed on the house.

Now, while I am having work done (by "professionals" (hopefully))
for CH and loft I would like to incorporate as many energy-saving /
energy-generation mechanisms as possible.

I will check all the obvious like quality of insulation and
eliminating damp. However, I would like to find which other "eco"
techniques are effective and have a pay-back of say 10 years or less. I
have thought of the obvious such as some kind of solar panel to
pre-heat water, ground heat collection, water butts, wind generator.
Are there any good Web sites that give "long-term" analyses of these
techniques such as cost of installation and maintenance, effectiveness,
usefulness in SE UK (e.g the amount of "collectible" power form the
wind), reliability etc. etc. ?

Thanks

Clive

You ask an important but difficult question. Why? Because there are
endless designs around, and very detail impacts the ROI.
News:alt.solar.thermal is one place to ask.

Warm air solar heating is going to give much more payback and cost less
to install than solar HW ever will. One example:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects...rn_project.htm

Re damp I'd recommend getting advice from
http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpB...wforum.php?f=1
before doing anything.


NT