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Solar panels - why don't more houses have them?

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  • 20-02-2011 8:06am
    #1
    gonedrinking
    Closed Accounts Posts: 810 ✭✭✭


    With energy prices expected to skyrocket in the next few years, I would of thought pretty much every new house would have solar panels. So whats the deal, is it just not viable here in Ireland?


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    #2
    paulmr
    Registered Users Posts: 20 ✭paulmr


    I have done some research lately into solar panels and my conclusion is that with a typical retrofit system the payback period is between 10 and 12 years, assuming that in that time you dont occur other charges such as breakdowns or replacement tubes etc. On the other hand the cost of oil into the future is set to rocket so I really dont know whether to go ahead with the plan or not. I was also wondering if anyone has any opinion on whether it is better to go with the 47mm or 58mm tubes. The 47mm tubes offer greater area in terms of receiving a grant however the 58mm tubes seem to be more common. Do many companies in Ireland supply replacement 47mm tubes or will it be a problem sourcing replacement tubes in when they have reached the end of their life ?


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    #3
    Paulw
    Registered Users Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    I think the main thing is cost. My mother got a solar panel installed. It's only use is to heat water for the house. But, even on dull days, the water is warm. On any sort of a decent day, you get good hot water, enough for a bath.


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    #4
    ei.sdraob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭ei.sdraob


    solar water or solar pv?

    solar water works ok and has a reasonable payback of about a decade

    solar pv, well forget about it here


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    #5
    Lantus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,027 ✭✭✭Lantus


    Using solar panels to heat water for the house is a good idea. However, they are realtively expensive compared to the cost of the fuel so you will need 5-8 years at least to make your money back.

    Most houses have boilers that heat both the rads and water, if you need one then the other one is also being attended to most of the year.

    Most houses dont face the right way (south) to be able to effectively get enough sun to be viable.

    Most houses are just really old and consume far more in heating than hot water for fuel.

    Ideally we need to update our entire housing/building stock to an ultra modern standard that is virtually zero energy. We could of done it during the last boom......but we didn't...


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