Renewables-Advice wanted | Renewables | Plumbers Forums

Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws

Renewables-Advice wanted

Post thread

Discuss Renewables-Advice wanted in the Renewables area at Plumbers Forums

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

radswilldo

Have been watching the developement of this market for a number of years and cannot make up my mind as whether to get involved with the current products. Solar hot water, as far as I am concerned is a joke and GSHP will always be an eye watering niche. I do like ASHPs, though they involve a significant investment and their returns are best when installed for some one on electric. Where I am located, gas is plentiful, though there are a small number of oil/lpg villiages dotted about. I am constantly in contact with my federation tech regarding the 'Green deal', all is up in the air. What are my peer's thoughts.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Solar hot water is far from a joke it works well even in our climate the payback time is way too long though, as for renewables in general I like many others have lost interest what with Blue skies then MCS and competent person schemes, green deal etc all a load of nonsense that will cost a fortune for very little return.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
if you live near london, go to the ideal home show at earls court, there are loads of sustainable and energy saving ideas. you can speak to the representatives and learn about all the new devices.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thermal works well, have a few out there on natural gas systems, saving roughly £250 a year on gas bills. At 3-4k install plus the £300 grants they've had payback isnt bad.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think the joke is the installation cost vs. potential savings. Its just not affordable enough, which is a shame as the systems are good.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
That may be true if you live/work in an affluent area where people have the cash to front the installation. Otherwise it's a big investment for not much return. It's also not the kind of thing to invest in if you don't plan on staying in your property for much longer, so in small, cheap houses its simply not worth it as the cost of the install is a much higher percentage of the houses worth and will add not add significant resale value compared to other renovations for similar money.

It's good technology but the simple fact is, it needs to come down in price, as with most energy saving solutions.

FYI I'm not slamming solar, if I was settled in a home I knew I would stay in, I'd fit it in my own house.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
tprywell said:
Why? It increase the property value, or not?
Click to expand...

IMO it wouldn't increase the value of a home by as much as the install cost initially, so to see a return on your investment you'd need to save on your energy bills for quite some time, so if you don't plan on staying long term, not worth it.

Also, a small house with low hot water demand won't benefit as much as a large family home. Again, not worth it?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You can sell the "promise" that this stuff is installed 5 years ago, and so can be used for (let say) 20-50 years and you can increase the property price. But I agree that profitability is questionable. I think there will be "energy shortage events" in future and frightened people will massively buying such a systems, increasing its value. IMO the best answer is wait...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
TBServices said:
That may be true if you live/work in an affluent area where people have the cash to front the installation. Otherwise it's a big investment for not much return. It's also not the kind of thing to invest in if you don't plan on staying in your property for much longer, so in small, cheap houses its simply not worth it as the cost of the install is a much higher percentage of the houses worth and will add not add significant resale value compared to other renovations for similar money.

It's good technology but the simple fact is, it needs to come down in price, as with most energy saving solutions.

FYI I'm not slamming solar, if I was settled in a home I knew I would stay in, I'd fit it in my own house.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...

Stay away from the big name worcester, baxi and other boiler manufacturers, overpriced IMO google people like H2solar you'll be suprised how inexpensive solar can be :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solar has lost a lot of the mystery and proven itself thanks to the many who took the plunge early and gave us the experience to work from.

Kingspan Thermomax are giving a manufacturers backed warranty of 20 years when fitted by one of their trained installers, the numbers are not made up as Thermomax have been making solar since the late 1970's so they know the product.

The pay back time is dropping as the cost of other energy sources increase, there are very few "savvy" customers buying a solar thermal system based on todays cost of oil gas or electricity for heating as they are looking to both the recent past and the future.

The reason I would recommend that you start now is you will gain experience, the type of experience that allows you to know the difference between the good quality and the rubbish systems on the market.

The first solar thermal system I came across was back in the early 1980's the cost at that time was £8,000.00 which was a lot of money considering a 4 bed detached house could be bought for £35,000.00.

There were no fancy (easy to fit) pump stations or temperature differential controllers available back then but some people bought the systems and helped the industry get started.

Learn while you can is my advice.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think solar water heating will become very popular over the coming years.

It is still quite expensive but will soon become very affordable as in China there are over 4000 manufactures driving the equipment costs down.

I sell solar water heaters in Spain, even here they are not that popular at the moment but I am sure with time they will become more accepted as they will in the U.K.

I personally think it is something worth looking into.

Good luck

Tony Spain
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Gents

Google thermodynamic panels, they can provide hot water 100 per cent of the time, 365 days a year, not like solar thermal, which needs the sun to generate returns.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jaycee said:
Gents

Google thermodynamic panels, they can provide hot water 100 per cent of the time, 365 days a year, not like solar thermal, which needs the sun to generate returns.
Click to expand...

They don't work the same as solar panels 24/7/365.

They have immersion heaters built in that are automatically controlled, you can't switch them off.

Also they are noisy so be careful who you sell them to as soon as they hear the noise they could be asking for their old cylinder back.

My problem with them is they is very little (if any) honesty in the way they are sold.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
New posts
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar plumbing topics

S
  • Question
Should I pressure test relatively small plumbing job
Thanks for clarifying that. Just wanted to be...
Replies
9
Views
2K
smallsteve
S
R
    • Like
  • Locked
Intergas week 3 poem poll - main event
That answers me question, Well done you.
2 3
Replies
54
Views
8K
Whyme
W
Back
Top