Reducing carbon emissions

[Lord Tyrion]

Exactly that.

Ive got a driveway, a kitchen, a bathroom and a patio id rather address first...

You will also have to buy a new air source heat pump to repalce your boiler. That's £10k, plus higher servicing, plus the purchase of thermals, thickers socks, Norwegian jumpers etc to keep you warm because they don't really work well in winter .

Solar is a lovely concept but it is a tough sell at this point. I know on the estate where I live I don't remember anyone fitting new panels for a very long time. There was a small flurry at one point, govt grant and payback, but then it all stopped. You don't see vans on the estate, new panels going up. Somehow that needs invigorating again.

 

[GreiginFife]

You will also have to buy a new air source heat pump to repalce your boiler. That's £10k, plus higher servicing, plus the purchase of thermals, thickers socks, Norwegian jumpers etc to keep you warm because they don't really work well in winter .

Solar is a lovely concept but it is a tough sell at this point. I know on the estate where I live I don't remember anyone fitting new panels for a very long time. There was a small flurry at one point, govt grant and payback, but then it all stopped. You don't see vans on the estate, new panels going up. Somehow that needs invigorating again.

We have, well lets call them neighbours (they're actually up the top of the road) that had to get their roof replaced in Spring after winter wind damage to tiles and underfelt and they decided to get panels installed as part of it. I've always been tempted to ask how much/efficient they are but seeing as I've never spoken to them before in 5 years and I don't really want to have to say hello every passing thereafter... I might just leave it

 

[Bdill93]

You will also have to buy a new air source heat pump to repalce your boiler. That's £10k, plus higher servicing, plus the purchase of thermals, thickers socks, Norwegian jumpers etc to keep you warm because they don't really work well in winter .

Solar is a lovely concept but it is a tough sell at this point. I know on the estate where I live I don't remember anyone fitting new panels for a very long time. There was a small flurry at one point, govt grant and payback, but then it all stopped. You don't see vans on the estate, new panels going up. Somehow that needs invigorating again.

Had a new boiler a year or so ago - stuff the heat pump!

 

[bobmac]

And how does that equate to a standard home’s usage (genuinely I tersted as this is a part I haven’t looked at for a home setting (just the garage)

''Generally speaking, a 3kw or 4kw solar panel array will be able to produce enough energy to power a home containing a family of four or five people.''
The 3 Kw starts at £4,500
https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.u...-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Had a new boiler a year or so ago - stuff the heat pump!

Ours is 11yrs old and going strong. However, we may go early on replacing with a new gas boiler before we get lumped with one of the new 'tepid' boilers.

 

[GreiginFife]

''Generally speaking, a 3kw or 4kw solar panel array will be able to produce enough energy to power a home containing a family of four or five people.''
The 3 Kw starts at £4,500
https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.u...-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/

Is it not dependant on the size of the house rather than the number of occupants? is that 4 or 5 in a 3 bed house or 4 or 5 in a 5 bedroom house?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We have, well lets call them neighbours (they're actually up the top of the road) that had to get their roof replaced in Spring after winter wind damage to tiles and underfelt and they decided to get panels installed as part of it. I've always been tempted to ask how much/efficient they are but seeing as I've never spoken to them before in 5 years and I don't really want to have to say hello every passing thereafter... I might just leave it

I'm with you, it would be interesting. The only person I actually know who has them bought them when the govt was still offering maximum payment for feeding into the grid. They cost him £7k but he worked out after 6 months that he would be in credit within 3-4 years. The govt got their figures wrong and then pulled the rug out, one lurch then another. Somewhere is a good middle ground.

As you say, how much does it cost, how much does it generate to cover your own electricity bills, is there any spare to fee back? We seem to be moving to an entirely electric future so solar on roofs may come back into fashion again.

 

[bobmac]

Is it not dependant on the size of the house rather than the number of occupants? is that 4 or 5 in a 3 bed house or 4 or 5 in a 5 bedroom house?

I've no idea.
Go to any of the sites and put in your details and I'm sure they will give you a rough idea.
It will certainly be less than it was 10 years ago.

 

[PJ87]

I'm with you, it would be interesting. The only person I actually know who has them bought them when the govt was still offering maximum payment for feeding into the grid. They cost him £7k but he worked out after 6 months that he would be in credit within 3-4 years. The govt got their figures wrong and then pulled the rug out, one lurch then another. Somewhere is a good middle ground.

As you say, how much does it cost, how much does it generate to cover your own electricity bills, is there any spare to fee back? We seem to be moving to an entirely electric future so solar on roofs may come back into fashion again.

I want panels and batteries but for example octopus give me a choice.. panels with feed in tariff for money off your bills or the go tariff for the car

So get panels and loose the cheap charging

Not exactly making it tempting

That's why I want to wait until I can afford both panels and batteries

 

[bobmac]

That's why I want to wait until I can afford both panels and batteries

£8135

https://ups-solar.co.uk/?gclid=CjwK...OcTKhO0HRxmEaEeBoWSE6B3NLVSyGnFhoC1ksQAvD_BwE

 

[PJ87]

£8135

https://ups-solar.co.uk/?gclid=CjwK...OcTKhO0HRxmEaEeBoWSE6B3NLVSyGnFhoC1ksQAvD_BwE

4kw is not enough

I want something more on the lines of 30-50 kw for storage

 

[GreiginFife]

I've no idea.
Go to any of the sites and put in your details and I'm sure they will give you a rough idea.
It will certainly be less than it was 10 years ago.

I note a vagueness to some of the comments/assertions on some of the websites (should and maybe get used a lot). I found this interesting comment as it gives a (sort of) benchmark (assuming it's correct, there appears to be no "showing their workings" as it were).

• The Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimates that a typical three-bedroom home in the UK will use just over 3,000kw per year. So, a 4kw or 5kw system would cover this.

This, for our circumstances, becomes counter to the ''Generally speaking, a 3kw or 4kw solar panel array will be able to produce enough energy to power a home containing a family of four or five people.'' statement as we are a household of 3 so would need less than 3 or 4Kw in that premise but, as a 4 bedroom property, more than the 4 or 5Kw system in the EST projections. It all seems a bit muddled and having just perused a number of sites and sources they all seem to indicate different requirements and workings. That also does not help the cause.

What size of system do you have as I understand from your posts you live alone so do you manage with a much smaller system than 3-4Kw? And how do you experience it's efficiencies (as a saving for example).

 

[GreiginFife]

I'm with you, it would be interesting. The only person I actually know who has them bought them when the govt was still offering maximum payment for feeding into the grid. They cost him £7k but he worked out after 6 months that he would be in credit within 3-4 years. The govt got their figures wrong and then pulled the rug out, one lurch then another. Somewhere is a good middle ground.

As you say, how much does it cost, how much does it generate to cover your own electricity bills, is there any spare to fee back? We seem to be moving to an entirely electric future so solar on roofs may come back into fashion again.

I'd personally want to go solar if it provided for my house and my house alone, I wouldn't even be bothered about feed back to the grid as long as it didn't cost me more to run and provided me and my family with a stable power environment. Living in Scotland, it's fortunate that it's not heat that provides the power or we'd be screwed. It would also be interesting over the winter months where we get much less daylight, is that factored in to any "average system requirements"?

 

[GreiginFife]

A 4kw system today is £5685

https://ups-solar.co.uk/?gclid=CjwK...OcTKhO0HRxmEaEeBoWSE6B3NLVSyGnFhoC1ksQAvD_BwE

I’ve sent them a quote request, see what they come back with.

 

[bobmac]

What size of system do you have as I understand from your posts you live alone so do you manage with a much smaller system than 3-4Kw? And how do you experience it's efficiencies (as a saving for example).

Are you kidding, have you seen the price of them?

No, I don't have solar or an EV but in 3-4 years I will be getting the works, thanks to Equity release.
But I am doing my research now as I find the subject very interesting and the future exiting.
Solar, batteries home charger and a lovely new-ish EV.
Cant wait.
When I do go for it, I will make sure I get lots of quotes so I know where I stand.

 

[bobmac]

I’ve sent them a quote request, see what they come back with.

I had a visit a few weeks ago from a guy who was trying to sell me a heat pump. £14,950
A few days later it came down to £11,500
No thanks, but....
He did tell me there are rumours about the govt. introducing a new incentive for solar panels next year so I should hang on.

 

[GreiginFife]

Are you kidding, have you seen the price of them?

No, I don't have solar or an EV but in 3-4 years I will be getting the works, thanks to Equity release.
But I am doing my research now as I find the subject very interesting and the future exiting.
Solar, batteries home charger and a lovely new-ish EV.
Cant wait.
When I do go for it, I will make sure I get lots of quotes so I know where I stand.

So, I have to ask. As someone who is clearly and vocally an advocate for how affordable and accessible clean energy is, if you don't mind my asking, what is stopping you from making the change right now?

 

[GreiginFife]

I had a visit a few weeks ago from a guy who was trying to sell me a heat pump. £14,950
A few days later it came down to £11,500
No thanks, but....
He did tell me there are rumours about the govt. introducing a new incentive for solar panels next year so I should hang on.

So just had a chat on the phone with a very nice lady who took my postcode for google earth views of orientation and location etc, and talked me through number of bedrooms, current boiler/heating system and our general usage (based on current/historic leccy bills) and she reliably informs me that I would need a 7.5Kw system at minimum and this would cost somewhere between £10 and 12k but my limiting factor would be roof area space for all of the required panels and she didn't think that it would be achievable unless I went for smaller panels and a smaller system and this would introduce energy deficiency risk.

Seems like I need a re-think on that one.

 

[bobmac]

So, I have to ask. As someone who is clearly and vocally an advocate for how affordable and accessible clean energy is, if you don't mind my asking, what is stopping you from making the change right now?

I'm the same as many other people, I just cant afford it yet.
I'm retired and don't have enough savings to do what I want to do.
I could get the solar but not the car
Or I could get a car but not the solar.
And if I got either and my boiler goes pop, I'm in trouble.
So I have to wait.
But when I get my state pension and the Equity release, then I can do it all at once.
I just need my 21 year old boiler to hang on for a few more years.

 

[Jimaroid]

Seems like I need a re-think on that one.

Sounds very similar to the result I came to a couple of years ago. Once I got past the sales guff and entered the rabbit hole of actually trying to design a system around the constraints of the house the dream was over.