Solar Heating

bc4tv

For a while we have been considering getting solar panels and we were recently contacted by a company called Energy Center, based in Duleek. They definitely follow a hard sell approach, but are they reputable and can they be recommended? Doe anyone have experience of this company?

ted1

On my opinion you are better off getting solar PV that will give you electricity which you can use to heat your water or for General usage.

Solar water needs regular maintenance and just heats water which you end up dumping.

Wearb

Installing solar panels or PV has such a long payback time that it's isn't worthwhile.
Do your figures on how much your hot water (don't include heating) costs per year. Then see how much the total cost of your panels are, + about 10% periodic service charge. Divide your answer by your present hot water costs and you will see how many years before you break even.

bc4tv

Thanks for the reply. I can see that with solar panels you would save on the cost of heating water with the immersion heater, which might cost say 1 euro per day when it's on. At that rate, the payback time would be long alright. I'm having trouble getting my head around whether you can save anything on central heatings costs as well. Oil or gas central heating contributes to heating water, but then you're going to be using it anyway for space heating, so I'm not sure you'd be using any less oil/gas.

Wearb

For a start -unless on night rate- electricity is the most expensive way to heat your hot water. Assuming you can isolate your space heating from hot water, then oil or gas is cheaper.

The cost of heating hot water doesn't go away when heating is on, though it does become more efficient.

So when doing you calculations use the daily figures you obtained when heating water only and multiply it by the number of days you need the hot water.
That is rarely 365 due to holidays and other days away.

That will give you basic figures. I say basic because the payback will be even longer than those figures suggest due to the solar panels not producing enough hot water during some months.

dathi

bc4tv wrote: »

I'm having trouble getting my head around whether you can save anything on central heatings costs as well. Oil or gas central heating contributes to heating water, but then you're going to be using it anyway for space heating, so I'm not sure you'd be using any less oil/gas.

no very little as you get most solar gain in summer when you dont have your heating on . in winter the solar gain is so low it may preheat the bottom of your solar cylinder a small amount . a simple way to work payback time is a triton type shower cost 24 cent per 10 min shower so multiply that by number of people having shower per day