Solar panels or wind turbines on house anyone?

[YouFo666]

Register your house here:

 

http://www.ashadegreener.co.uk/

 

to see if you qualify, unfortunately the criteria is quite tight and we didn't qualify but it costs nothing to enquire.

 

Cool claire, cheers for that heads up

[Guest makapaka]

Has anybody got these as I was thinking about it today since they are predicting a 60% increase in energy bills over the next few years.

Do they cost a lot to install and do you think they are worth it?

 

 

Solar would be the best option for a domestic property. There are a number of very efficient options available for houses that will significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels for hot water use particularly.

 

I have less experience with wind turbines but have been told that unless you have sufficient room and planning permission for large scale wind turbines then the smaller domestic options generate significantly less energy than solar.

 

Mechanical heat recovery is a futher option if you have a number of bathrooms / wet rooms for which the hot air can be re-used around other areas of the house. This option can sometimes be cheaper than a solar option.

 

In terms of worth all have a "payback" period which will depend on the amount of energy you use. A persons decision will also be affected by if they have disposable funds to purchase it. By which I mean taking a loan out to install might mean a much longer payback. If you have the money to pay for it outright there is no doubt long term you will be financially better off. The government also backs a number of funding companies which can provide interest free loans to businesses to replace fossil fuel energies with greener alternatives.

[navitas]

the grant scheme has ended and been replaced by the feed in tarrif so you dont get any help towards the initial cost but the fits are more benificial long term, in regards to a shade greener, they fit 3.3kw systems on south facing properties and they claim the payments back from the fits and the householder gets a reduced electric bill

[grafikhaus74]

Hmm, an OP with just a few posts and a 'tradesman' with just six Business bad?

 

Anyway, read this and see if you're still thinking about this latest snake-oil scheme.

[Tony]

Anyway, read this and see if you're still thinking about this latest snake-oil scheme.

 

The trouble is that you haven't read either this thread or the article. Go to the bottom of the class.

[navitas]

the guys installing solar thermal have been reported to the real scheme,every line of work attracts people with poor morals,there have been fantastic articles in the guardian and independent of late on the benifits of solar and nobody can argue the fits offer a way better return than any other investment right now

[Tony]

grafikhaus74 does make a good point though. Renewables is about to become the next water filter / double glazing / used car business for folk of lower morals. That, combined with a lack of understanding by the general public is a recipe for some trouble ahead.

[fox20thc]

Or you could take a look at the facts of the matter

 

You could pay a visit to the South Yorkshire Energy Centre based at Heeley City Farm. The house demonstrates ways in which exisiting buildings can be made more energy efficient.

[navitas]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/feb/06/solar-power-bright-investment

many people will try and jump on the bandwagon and try and make a quick buck from renewables but it seems its the bigger companies who are charging top whack, to get on the MCS register you have to get on the real scheme first then have your mcs assesment, it will be the publics lack of knowledge that will allow firms who arnt registered to do work, same happened with part p when it was implemented

[Cyclone]

That story is specifically about solar water heating, not about Solar PV.