Re: Re: OT: Electricity generation

[Jon Wilkins <jonpdwilkins@xxxxxxxxx>]

Warming up an old thread (sorry guys) but I'd like to ask you guys
some
opinions on the solar water mentioned by Paul.

On the subject of a payback period, a chap recently was trying to convince
me the payback would be *only* 20 years (based only on the savings you'd
make on the energy bills).  20 years is lot longer than I expected.
And the chap telling me ... was a salesman for one of the suppliers - so if
I was cynical I'd say 20 years was probably an optimistic estimate.

I'm guessing UKHA peeps are general "early adoptors".  So, to my
question --

Do any of you have Solar water heating?
Any good?
Does it really heat "almost all" your hot water all year round?
If you moved to another home, would you have it fitted again?th

Thanks,

jon


2009/1/16 Paul Bendall <paul@xxxxxxx>

>   Hot water solar panels can provide 80% of your hot-water needs
> (excluding space heating) through-out the year. Even in winter you
> still get some radiation through cloud to generate heat. To make the
> most of it you'll need a thermal store which has a couple of heat
> exchangers and very well insulated (the high end ones will loose
> around 1 degree in 24 hours). Benefit with a thermal store is that it
> is designed to accomodate different heat source requirements and keep
> them at close to optimum.
>
> I am pretty sure that a solar hot-water panel has a relatively quick
> payback period.
>
> Paul
>
>
> --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx <ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>, Andy Powell
> <ukha@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > On 16 Jan 2009, at 15:28, Simon Coates wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Sun's irradiance is 1350 to 1400W/m2 - but that's in space!
> > > Most of this is infrared - Solar hot water can collect
around
> 1000W/
> > > m2 but that's assuming the Sun is directly overhead.
> > >
> > >
> > So steam engines might make a comeback?
> >
> > --
> >
> > Andy Powell / ScaredyCat / FuzzyCat
> >
> > Twitter: http://twitter.com/ScaredyCat
> > Blog: http://blog.automated.it
> > Site: http://www.automated.it
> >
>
>
>


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