Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
Reply |
|
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating
suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex |
#2
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Michael Shergold" wrote in message ... Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex Have a look at http://www.navitron.org.uk/ - I had a system installed by one of their recommended installers a few months back and the quality of the product and installation are both excellent. The system has delivered a surprising amount of energy, (better than I was expecting) and even on cold days like we're getting now pre-heats the HW cylinder so the boiler has less to do. I went with a data-logger option on the solar controller so have been able to keep a close eye on what the system does etc! Regards, Alan. ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#3
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On 8 Dec, 00:12, "Alan" wrote:
"Michael Shergold" wrote in message ... Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex Have a look athttp://www.navitron.org.uk/- I had a system installed by one of their recommended installers a few months back and the quality of the product and installation are both excellent. The system has delivered a surprising amount of energy, (better than I was expecting) and even on cold days like we're getting now pre-heats the HW cylinder so the boiler has less to do. I went with a data-logger option on the solar controller so have been able to keep a close eye on what the system does etc! This am got tobe a SPAM setup SPAM SPAM |
#4
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
In message
, Chas writes On 8 Dec, 00:12, "Alan" wrote: "Michael Shergold" wrote in message ... Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex Have a look athttp://www.navitron.org.uk/- I had a system installed by one of their recommended installers a few months back and the quality of the product and installation are both excellent. The system has delivered a surprising amount of energy, (better than I was expecting) and even on cold days like we're getting now pre-heats the HW cylinder so the boiler has less to do. I went with a data-logger option on the solar controller so have been able to keep a close eye on what the system does etc! This am got tobe a SPAM setup SPAM SPAM Yeah, don't forget kiddies, every time you buy from a spammer, an ickle fluffy kitten dies They must think we're ****ing stupid or something -- geoff |
#5
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:55:36 +0000, geoff wrote:
In message , Chas writes On 8 Dec, 00:12, "Alan" wrote: "Michael Shergold" wrote in message ... Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex Have a look athttp://www.navitron.org.uk/- I had a system installed by one of their recommended installers a few months back and the quality of the product and installation are both excellent. The system has delivered a surprising amount of energy, (better than I was expecting) and even on cold days like we're getting now pre-heats the HW cylinder so the boiler has less to do. I went with a data-logger option on the solar controller so have been able to keep a close eye on what the system does etc! This am got tobe a SPAM setup SPAM SPAM Yeah, don't forget kiddies, every time you buy from a spammer, an ickle fluffy kitten dies They must think we're ****ing stupid or something quite. The one thing he does NOT mention is the price. It's probably worth investigating if the total installed price is under £1000, but I better the data logger option cost more than that. -- Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter. The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html |
#6
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Ed Sirett" wrote in message ... On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:55:36 +0000, geoff wrote: In message , Chas writes On 8 Dec, 00:12, "Alan" wrote: "Michael Shergold" wrote in message ... Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex Have a look athttp://www.navitron.org.uk/- I had a system installed by one of their recommended installers a few months back and the quality of the product and installation are both excellent. The system has delivered a surprising amount of energy, (better than I was expecting) and even on cold days like we're getting now pre-heats the HW cylinder so the boiler has less to do. I went with a data-logger option on the solar controller so have been able to keep a close eye on what the system does etc! This am got tobe a SPAM setup SPAM SPAM Yeah, don't forget kiddies, every time you buy from a spammer, an ickle fluffy kitten dies They must think we're ****ing stupid or something quite. The one thing he does NOT mention is the price. It's probably worth investigating if the total installed price is under £1000, but I better the data logger option cost more than that. Data logger is the Resol DL1, which cost about £150. It's just a data connecton to the solar controller, and has 2mb memory on board. Enough for about 3 months of readings, taken every 5 minutes, of 18 variables such as temperatures, pump speeds, heat transferred etc. Entire system with 30 evacuated tube panel, controller, datalogger, pump, pipework and installation was under £2900. If I had time to do it myself cost would have been about half that. Alan. Alan. ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#7
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 10:33:01 +0000 (UTC), Ed Sirett wrote:
It's probably worth investigating if the total installed price is under £1000, but I better the data logger option cost more than that. Look at the (retail) price list on the Navitron site. DL1 data logger £150... Though I don't know how many "extras" are required. -- Cheers Dave. pam is missing e-mail |
#8
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 16:38:06 -0800 (PST), Chas
wrote: On 8 Dec, 00:12, "Alan" wrote: "Michael Shergold" wrote in message ... Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex Have a look athttp://www.navitron.org.uk/- I had a system installed by one of their recommended installers a few months back and the quality of the product and installation are both excellent. The system has delivered a surprising amount of energy, (better than I was expecting) and even on cold days like we're getting now pre-heats the HW cylinder so the boiler has less to do. I went with a data-logger option on the solar controller so have been able to keep a close eye on what the system does etc! This am got tobe a SPAM setup SPAM SPAM Why? The navitron site is a useful one. It's certainly a very good place to start if you're looking at renewable energies. Or would you recommend B&Q? -- http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk Or get it delivered for free |
#9
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
In message , Mogga
writes On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 16:38:06 -0800 (PST), Chas wrote: On 8 Dec, 00:12, "Alan" wrote: "Michael Shergold" wrote in message ... Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex Have a look athttp://www.navitron.org.uk/- I had a system installed by one of their recommended installers a few months back and the quality of the product and installation are both excellent. The system has delivered a surprising amount of energy, (better than I was expecting) and even on cold days like we're getting now pre-heats the HW cylinder so the boiler has less to do. I went with a data-logger option on the solar controller so have been able to keep a close eye on what the system does etc! This am got tobe a SPAM setup SPAM SPAM Why? The navitron site is a useful one. It's certainly a very good place to start if you're looking at renewable energies. Or would you recommend B&Q? Just look at the wording of the reply to the OP -- geoff |
#10
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Mogga" wrote in message ... On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 16:38:06 -0800 (PST), Chas wrote: On 8 Dec, 00:12, "Alan" wrote: "Michael Shergold" wrote in message ... Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. Any recommendations or people I should avoid?. -- Michael in sunny Sussex Have a look athttp://www.navitron.org.uk/- I had a system installed by one of their recommended installers a few months back and the quality of the product and installation are both excellent. The system has delivered a surprising amount of energy, (better than I was expecting) and even on cold days like we're getting now pre-heats the HW cylinder so the boiler has less to do. I went with a data-logger option on the solar controller so have been able to keep a close eye on what the system does etc! This am got tobe a SPAM setup SPAM SPAM Why? The navitron site is a useful one. It's certainly a very good place to start if you're looking at renewable energies. Or would you recommend B&Q? -- http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk Or get it delivered for free I've never been branded a spammer before! If you search through google groups you'll find I've been posting here on and off for about 8 years, and in that time probably only one other post was in connection to my solar system, and I think that was asking for advise on dual coil HW cylinder suppliers. I'm just a happy customer of Navitron who didn't have time to DIY the solar system hence used an installer. If anyone is interested in seeing the data recorded by the data logger to see for themselves what energy the system has delivered just let me know. I agree with the others that the pay-back time will be considerable, but I knew that from the beginning and plan to stay in this house long enough for it to be worthwhile. Alan. ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#11
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 10:31:31 -0000, "Alan" wrote:
I agree with the others that the pay-back time will be considerable, but I knew that from the beginning and plan to stay in this house long enough for it to be worthwhile. So _you_ are the one with the secret of immortality? Is it wise to allow this to be known? |
#12
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000, "Michael Shergold"
wrote: Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. It depends upon why you want Solar Water Heating,. If its to look green then almost any supplier will do. If it's to save money then none will as no commercial installation will pay back its installation cost in its lifetime. Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. |
#13
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Peter Parry" wrote in message ... On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000, "Michael Shergold" snipped Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. Can you recommend a DIY solar water heater site for information? I can envisage using a large single panel steel radiator painted black and mounted in a well insulated double glazed frame. I think that the Max incoming solar energy is about 3 quarters of a Kw per sq M, and reduced by, say approx 50% efficiency, is that reasonable ball park figures to start with. I also think that winter solar gain is only approx 10% of Max. Does any one have any info or figures to add to the debate? Don |
#14
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Donwill" popple @diddle .dot wrote in message ... "Peter Parry" wrote in message ... On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000, "Michael Shergold" snipped Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. Can you recommend a DIY solar water heater site for information? Solartwin. It's what we have, I've just switched on our boiler to heat water for washing up. It wouldn't have been necessary except that I had a deep bath this morning. We're in Yorkshire. Mary |
#15
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
In message , Mary Fisher
writes "Donwill" popple @diddle .dot wrote in message . .. "Peter Parry" wrote in message ... On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000, "Michael Shergold" snipped Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. Can you recommend a DIY solar water heater site for information? Solartwin. It's what we have, I've just switched on our boiler to heat water for washing up. It wouldn't have been necessary except that I had a deep bath this morning. We're in Yorkshire. Will it ever pay back those installation costs? -- Si |
#16
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Si" $3o&m wrote in message ... In message , Mary Fisher writes "Donwill" popple @diddle .dot wrote in message .. . "Peter Parry" wrote in message ... On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000, "Michael Shergold" snipped Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. Can you recommend a DIY solar water heater site for information? Solartwin. It's what we have, I've just switched on our boiler to heat water for washing up. It wouldn't have been necessary except that I had a deep bath this morning. We're in Yorkshire. Will it ever pay back those installation costs? Oh yes, it's well on the way. But as I keep saying, there's more to buying anything than payback time. It's not something we considered. What's the payback time on a pair of shoes? A holiday? A bar of chocolate? Mary -- Si |
#17
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 20:14:07 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote: How many kWh worth of energy in total did you gain from your solar heating installation today Mary? It was less than 3C (Got a constant frost warning in the car) and gloomier than The Wreck of the Hesperus at 1-00 pm in Leeds, and dark by soon after 3-00 pm. OTOH The temperature of the water in our rising main was 7C, it would be very easy to make a net heat loss from a solar water heating system under these circumstances. How many were you washing up for? What kind of boiler/system and how big? DG |
#18
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Derek Geldard" wrote in message ... On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 20:14:07 -0000, "Mary Fisher" wrote: How many kWh worth of energy in total did you gain from your solar heating installation today Mary? Not measured. It was less than 3C (Got a constant frost warning in the car) and gloomier than The Wreck of the Hesperus at 1-00 pm in Leeds, and dark by soon after 3-00 pm. It wasn't dark until after 4 in our part of Leeds and it wasn't cold enough for the CH to come on I assume you had the heating on in your car ... :-). We haven't bothered measuring since the first few days after connection. That day it was 4C in the shade and at the end of the day we ended up with a large tank full of water at over 30C. OTOH The temperature of the water in our rising main was 7C, it would be very easy to make a net heat loss from a solar water heating system under these circumstances. It hasn't happened to us. How many were you washing up for? Three - why? What kind of boiler/system and how big? Irrelevant. The sun provides the majority of our domestic hot water, the boiler provides the heating for the radiators - which are hardly ever been on. Why on Earth are people so antagonistic towards something of which they have no personal experience? |
#19
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:13:36 +0000 someone who may be Derek Geldard
wrote this:- It was less than 3C (Got a constant frost warning in the car) and gloomier than The Wreck of the Hesperus at 1-00 pm in Leeds, and dark by soon after 3-00 pm. What does the external air temperature have to do with a properly designed solar heating system? As it says at http://www.navitron.org.uk/solar_collector_panel.htm "The vacuum tube solar panel has been around for over 10years, and has proved to be reliable and dependable. The vacuum tubes consist of a double wall glass tube (made from strong borosilicate glass ie pyrex) with a space in the centre which contains the heat pipe. The sun's radiation is absorbed by the selective coating on the inner glass surface, but prevented from re-radiating by the silvered innermost lining. This is in effect like a one-way mirror which has been optimised for infra-red radiation. In fact it is very efficient, of the sun light's energy hitting the tube's surface, 93% is absorbed, whereas only 7% is lost through reflection and re-emission. The presence of the vacuum wall prevents any losses by conduction or convection - just like a thermos flask. Because of this, the system will work even in very low temperatures, unlike traditional flat plate collectors. This is why our system can be used to heat up water at the South Pole Antarctic Science Base - where ambient air temperatures can drop below -40°C" Or, as it says at http://www.solartwin.com/technical_faq.php "Q: During the winter months when most of the hot water will be generated by the boiler, what happens if there is enough sun to set the pump in action. At which time there is not enough thermal energy to heat up the water sufficiently so that when it is returned to the hot water tank it reduces the temperature there? "A: The pump runs only on solar energy in the form of electricity. It has no temperature sensor, only a high pressure bypass in case the panel or its pipes are frozen. In response to your question: First - best not to have the hot water system on all day since this is wasteful anyway and does not allow for optimum solar performance. Most boilers have separate timers for this, but not all. Ideally time the boiler to add heat to the domestic hot water after 4pm. Second, even in winter some hot water is made by Solartwin, not all by the boiler as you say. Third - the panel is well insulated and so will still raise the temperature of water going into it since it collects heat from the sun and not the air. Fourth - at 100% sun and a water input temperature of 50C and air temperature of freezing our mathematical model (based on extensive tests at Napier University) suggests that the water will still leave the panel at least 10C hotter than when it went in. Fifth - if they really want to put cold water in under these circumstances they can connect a second cylinder behind the first and draw water off it! This will also allow for more summer hot storage and is a neat solution for people with AGAs and Rayburns." -- David Hansen, Edinburgh I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54 |
#20
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 17:43:12 -0000, "Donwill" popple @diddle .dot
wrote: "Peter Parry" wrote Can you recommend a DIY solar water heater site for information? For a start, very few of the commercial ones as they almost all, to put it mildly, overstate the effectiveness of solar water heating. You will also find a lot a vague claims but few actual figures. There are also inflated claims for the life of the systems. "Life" in the solar industry seems to mean how long before it has to be completely dismantled. Claims of 20-25 years are common but in that time you would expect to replace the pump (perhaps several times), the panel front plastic and other items. The cost of this can easily exceed the purchase price. I can envisage using a large single panel steel radiator painted black and mounted in a well insulated double glazed frame. Well the Solartwin panel Mary enthusiases about is simply two sheets of thin aluminium riveted together in a few places with a length of silicon rubber pipe run between them three times lengthways so it is slightly squashed by the aluminium. This is in an aluminium case with a foam back insulation and twinwall polycarbonate front. It's a cheap construction with a relatively poor collection efficiency but produces quite good overall efficiency by using a solar powered pump. (When you are not collecting much energy in the first place a 25W pump matters!) The Solartwin by the way, although mildly interesting, has a slight problem in that it is allergic to hard water so you either need to factor in the cost of an ion exchange water softener or live in a soft water area). I think that the Max incoming solar energy is about 3 quarters of a Kw per sq M, and reduced by, say approx 50% efficiency, is that reasonable ball park figures to start with. I also think that winter solar gain is only approx 10% of Max. Does any one have any info or figures to add to the debate? Figures, as I have mentioned, are disliked by green proponents, they think they create the wrong impression. They prefer things like "Wow - lots of hot water in November" and "You won't believe how hot my tank is". Some sources of interest are the Energy Savings Trusts "Potential for Microgeneration Study and Analysis, Final Report 14th November 2005" www.berr.gov.uk/files/file27558.pdf Of solar water heating they conclude "Current status and potential - Currently the largest microgeneration industry, installing 2000 units annually. Generally, solar water heating is not cost effective at present The technology is most effective if replacing electric heating systems. However, while capital costs are projected to reduce, the learning rate appears low and it is not likely that solar water heating will provide cost effective water heating over the timescales of the study [up to 2050] without substantial grant support." http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file16826.pdf and http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file16544.pdf are two DTI test reports on solar panels which give much of the information you are looking for. If you are heating your water by mains gas a single panel will save you about £40 per year. |
#21
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:36:33 +0000, Peter Parry
wrote: Claims of 20-25 years are common "25 years" Seems to have the status of a "Golden Number" in the vocabulary of those promoting green technology, for whatever motive. You know something along the lines of the "7 Seas", "7Deadly Sins" and "7 Wonders of the World". Curiously CFL's have been claimed to last 25 years, but we had one fail yesterday, the third within a week. :-( but in that time you would expect to replace the pump (perhaps several times), the panel front plastic and other items. The cost of this can easily exceed the purchase price. (snip) DG |
#22
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On 2007-12-09 02:15:59 +0000, Derek Geldard said:
On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:36:33 +0000, Peter Parry wrote: Claims of 20-25 years are common "25 years" Seems to have the status of a "Golden Number" in the vocabulary of those promoting green technology, for whatever motive. You know something along the lines of the "7 Seas", "7Deadly Sins" and "7 Wonders of the World". Curiously CFL's have been claimed to last 25 years, but we had one fail yesterday, the third within a week. :-( It's like those wineboxes. It says on the box that once open they last for 3 months, but they don't..... |
#23
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007, Peter Parry wrote:
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 17:43:12 -0000, "Donwill" popple @diddle .dot wrote: Can you recommend a DIY solar water heater site for information? For a start, very few of the commercial ones as they almost all, to put it mildly, overstate the effectiveness of solar water heating. You will also find a lot a vague claims but few actual figures. Can I just add my own experiences here. While a student in Crete in the early nineties, I stayed in a flat with solar water heating. It worked well, but not in the winter (had to use immersion heater from Dec to Feb, from memory, and I don't do baths). What they call winter in Crete is an overcast June day in Scotland. I agree, we are talking 15-20 years when the technology may have matured, but Scotland has not moved any more south in the period :-) I followed this thread with interest and I am not convinced there is a case. YMMV. Kostas |
#24
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 09:48:09 +0000 someone who may be Kostas
Kavoussanakis wrote this:- What they call winter in Crete is an overcast June day in Scotland. I agree, we are talking 15-20 years when the technology may have matured, but Scotland has not moved any more south in the period :-) That's good. If it were to be moved south it would not have the long summer days which are ideal for solar water heating. Obviously this comes at a price in that the winter days are short, but that is still enough for a solar panel to provide some useful heat. -- David Hansen, Edinburgh I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54 |
#25
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Peter Parry" wrote in message ... snip stuff If you are heating your water by mains gas a single panel will save you about £40 per year. Ours has saved us far more than that. Far more. And it;'s not just the little woman who enthuses about our system, I didn't even make the initial decision. Your assumptive dismissals discredit everything else you say - although some of it might be true it's hard to pick out the good bits. |
#26
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 11:59:42 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote: Ours has saved us far more than that. Far more. Last October you did mention you would post the savings you made after one year. You may already have done so and I could have missed it but I would be interested in knowing the figure if its available. |
#27
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 11:59:42 -0000 someone who may be "Mary Fisher"
wrote this:- If you are heating your water by mains gas a single panel will save you about £40 per year. Ours has saved us far more than that. Far more. The post at http://navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1387.0 gives some figures from another system, which included a few extras. A 23% saving in gas. Most interesting. -- David Hansen, Edinburgh I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54 |
#28
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On 9 Dec, 11:59, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Peter Parry" wrote in message ... snip stuff If you are heating your water by mains gas a single panel will save you about £40 per year. Ours has saved us far more than that. Far more. And it;'s not just the little woman who enthuses about our system, I didn't even make the initial decision. Your assumptive dismissals discredit everything else you say - although some of it might be true it's hard to pick out the good bits. It is not physically possible for a 2.5m2 panel to save you more than 40pounds compared to gas. Solartwin only claim 1MWh, and if you read the technical Q+A on their website they suggest only 25pounds per annum payback. So, I think you are fooling yourself if you believe yours "has saved far more than [40 quid per year]" T |
#29
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 17:43:12 -0000 someone who may be "Donwill"
popple @diddle .dot wrote this:- Can you recommend a DIY solar water heater site for information? People have been pointed to www.navitron.org.uk more than once in this thread. What is missing from their site? -- David Hansen, Edinburgh I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54 |
#30
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On 8 Dec, 17:43, "Donwill" popple @diddle .dot wrote:
"Peter Parry" wrote in message ... On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000, "Michael Shergold" snipped Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. Can you recommend a DIY solar water heater site for information? I can envisage using a large single panel steel radiator painted black and mounted in a well insulated double glazed frame. I think that the Max incoming solar energy is about 3 quarters of a Kw per sq M, and reduced by, say approx 50% efficiency, is that reasonable ball park figures to start with. I also think that winter solar gain is only approx 10% of Max. Does any one have any info or figures to add to the debate? Don As far as I recall, average insolation in Birmingham is about 100W/m2. The June average is about twice that, in December, less than a 1/5th. T |
#31
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Peter Parry" wrote in message ... On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000, "Michael Shergold" wrote: Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. It depends upon why you want Solar Water Heating,. The OP didn't specify water heating, which is why I didn't reply. If its to look green then almost any supplier will do. If it's to save money then none will as no commercial installation will pay back its installation cost in its lifetime. You're wrong. But there are other reasons than 'looking green' or recouping capital outlay for wanting to use solar power. Mary |
#32
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
In message , Mary Fisher
writes "Peter Parry" wrote in message .. . On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000, "Michael Shergold" wrote: Does anyone have good or bad experiences with any UK Solar Heating suppliers/installers.. This is not really a DIY project but the total house energy project is really DIY with, and often without, the help of professionals. It depends upon why you want Solar Water Heating,. The OP didn't specify water heating, which is why I didn't reply. If its to look green then almost any supplier will do. If it's to save money then none will as no commercial installation will pay back its installation cost in its lifetime. You're wrong. But there are other reasons than 'looking green' or recouping capital outlay for wanting to use solar power. ? ... -- Si |
#33
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 22:17:13 +0000 someone who may be Si
$3o&m wrote this:- But there are other reasons than 'looking green' or recouping capital outlay for wanting to use solar power. ? ... They should be fairly easy to work out. One might be reducing one's carbon footprint. -- David Hansen, Edinburgh I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54 |
#34
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On 2007-12-10 08:09:49 +0000, David Hansen
said: On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 22:17:13 +0000 someone who may be Si $3o&m wrote this:- But there are other reasons than 'looking green' or recouping capital outlay for wanting to use solar power. ? ... They should be fairly easy to work out. One might be reducing one's carbon footprint. It might be, but that would be even more naive. I wonder how many of the components are manufactured in China and how many more coal fired power stations they opened to do the manufacturing. |
#35
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 20:12:38 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote: "Peter Parry" wrote It depends upon why you want Solar Water Heating,. The OP didn't specify water heating, which is why I didn't reply. There isn't much scope for adding solar space heating to an existing house in the UK. If its to look green then almost any supplier will do. If it's to save money then none will as no commercial installation will pay back its installation cost in its lifetime. You're wrong. No, I'm absolutely right and even organisations like the Energy Saving Trust agree. In the UK no commercial solar water installation makes economic sense. But there are other reasons than 'looking green' or recouping capital outlay for wanting to use solar power. Hence the reason for asking why he wanted to do it. Some people do it for pseudo religious reasons, some to impress their neighbours, some through ignorance (the "everyone has to do their bit" fallacy) and some do it out of interest. Without knowing the reason its difficult to give the best advice. |
#36
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
"Peter Parry" wrote in message ... Hence the reason for asking why he wanted to do it. Some people do it for pseudo religious reasons, some to impress their neighbours, some through ignorance (the "everyone has to do their bit" fallacy) and some do it out of interest. Without knowing the reason its difficult to give the best advice. Oh don't be silly. Who are you trying to convince, yourself? |
#37
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 12:02:01 -0000 someone who may be "Mary Fisher"
wrote this:- Oh don't be silly. Who are you trying to convince, yourself? It often sounds like it. -- David Hansen, Edinburgh I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54 |
#38
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
Peter Parry wrote:
Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. What do you think about using solar for heating a swimming pool? Lots of low grade heat might actually be quite well suited to that application. -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#39
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:37:20 +0000, John Rumm wrote:
Peter Parry wrote: Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. What do you think about using solar for heating a swimming pool? Lots of low grade heat might actually be quite well suited to that application. Well the technology starts with a cover which simply allows the heat in and prevents evaporative cooling. Other features which makes it attractive a Not needed when solar less available. No need for anti freeze as the pool can be decomissioned during the winter. Can heat the pool water directly. Low tech, low cost (thermo-syphon) collectors as used in "hot countries" are suitable. -- Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter. The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html |
#40
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Solar Heating?
On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:37:20 +0000, John Rumm
wrote: Peter Parry wrote: Solar Water heating is one of the easiest DIY projects BTW and doing it yourself is the only way of coming anywhere near breakeven. What do you think about using solar for heating a swimming pool? Lots of low grade heat might actually be quite well suited to that application. They don't do it in Florida or at least heat pumps or boilers are the usual method of choice. Swimming pools use enormous amounts of heat, it would take a large area of rather ugly solar panels and piping in the garden and the kit would probably deteriorate in the full sun of a Florida summer. Google for swimming + pool + heater and the only solar pool heater returned on the first page is a UK advertisement. http://www.solarpoolheater.co.uk/strap.htm That says something, ( Brrrrrrr ) . DG |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
solar heating | UK diy | |||
Solar water heating | UK diy | |||
Solar Heating | Home Ownership | |||
DIY solar heating | UK diy | |||
Solar space heating idea | UK diy |