PhotoVoltaic, Photovoltaic Thermal or PhotoVoltaic and Thermal.

Green Deal

2013-02-05T00:31:00.001-08:00

FREE GREEN UPGRADES FOR LANDLORDS WITH EXTRA INCOME

The green deal may have been released but some may argue it is still a bit of work in progress. Jump in quick before they change the rules

Landlords this is your chance to do a bit of home improvement at NO COST! Yea really.

Under the green deal the work can be fully funded and then recouped through the electricity bill.

A simple formula………

Say you want to change your boiler and it will cost £2,000. The new boiler is 30% more efficient than your old boiler representing a saving of £200 a year, even with interest at 7% it pays for itself well within the time limit set by the government

How is the money recovered, well the £200 saved on the gas bill will be added to the electricity bill. The tenant is no worse off and the house has a nice new boiler

Landlords, this is a dream come true!

Amazingly it is possible to get Solar PV (generate your own electricity) and Solar PVT (photovoltaic thermal, generate your own electricity and hot water) under this system. The tenant pays for the cost of installation via their Electricity bill and the landlord collects the RHI and Feed in Tariff

Contact me for more details

Charles@usethesun.co.uk

www.usethesun.co.uk

01279 320020

PVT Overview, save money, generate your own electricity and hot water

2013-01-09T01:17:00.000-08:00

WHY CHOOSE SOLAR PVT

it seems unlikely that utility prices will ever fall.

Generating our own electricity and hot water does our bit for the environment but the reality is money.

The proposed RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive for generating hot water) is to be spread over 7 years; significantly more sensible than the FiT (Feed in Tariff for generating electricity) which is spread over 20 years.

Add up the incentives and savings and (subject to survey) you will be financially square in 7 to 10 years. That’s a pretty good return!!!

But this is the investment that keeps on giving, once the incentives are over the savings are still there and, in 10 years’ time, they could be worth significantly more than the incentives.

PVT is the way to go! Read on

SOLAR PVT

Solar PV panels get very hot when generating electricity. The efficiency of the panel has a negative correlation to the temperature, i.e. as the panel gets hotter the efficiency falls. By cooling the panel we can increase efficiency. At maximum generation the panel can become up to 30% more efficient. Over the course of the year expect an increase in production of 10% to 15% compared to ordinary PV panels.

The panel is liquid cooled. Once that liquid is hot it loses its ability to cool. Therefore we need to rip the heat from the liquid so it can go back to doing its job. That heat can be stored in water in a cylinder or in a thermal store buried in the ground.

DOMESTIC HOT WATER

The heat being returned from the panels will depend on the weather, an electric heat pump is installed to bring the heat up to the target temperature

CENTRAL HEATING

We recommend a Low Temperature Heating system. This uses Fan Convectors rather than radiators. The advantage is that this system uses approximately 5% of the water of a conventional system and is 31%* more efficient.

Fan convectors are also more responsive than conventional systems heating the house more quickly when necessary

(*Building Services Research and Information Association)

HEAT PUMP

Calculations have to be done but the overview is that the heat pump will be able to supply the majority of hot water required. For those rare occasions when the heat pump is insufficient we recommend an emersion heater in the cylinder. With this configuration there is no need for a gas or oil boiler.

The heat pump brings the water up to temperature, the hotter the liquid entering the pump the less energy the pump will require

CONTROL

Everything is run to “targets” which affect the efficiency of the system. For example the system could be set to be at target temperature for 1 hour 3 times a day (6am, midday and 6pm for example). Let’s say 2 showers are taken at 7am, the system then has until midday to reach target, probably (depends on time of year) easily done with the Heat Pump. If the showers are taken at 11.45am then the system only has ¼ of an hour to get back to target and will use the emersion heater if necessary.

Another target is how long the system takes to return to target heat. If it has 1 hour to get back to heat it is less likely to use the emersion than if it had just 10 minutes.

The control system has 8 programmes. 4 are pre-programmed to offer different alternatives for different weather conditions. i.e. 1 is Summer, 2 is Winter, 3 and 4 are the transition periods.

Overrides are available for those occasions when extra hot water is required immediatly

EXTERNAL THERMAL STORE

“Slinkys” are buried in to the ground going down about 3m. During the day these can be used to remove the heat from the cooling liquid to be released back to the heat pump in the evening and night. These are most effective during the spring and autumn.

BATTERIES

PV makes electricity during the day, the property draws the electricity it needs and the balance is exported to the grid. If the occupants are not at home during the day then the possibility to save on the electricity bill is reduced. By adding a battery bank the electricity can be stored to be used later when the occupants return or the heat pump is on

HOW MANY PANELS

Calculations have to be done and it depends on size, heat loss, occupants, azimuth, pitch etc but a rule of thumb a 3 bedroom house would need 9 or 10 panels to meet all its needs.

IDEA OF COST

10 panels installed with cylinder, heat pump etc approximately £15,000 to £20,000

Thermal Store in garden approximately £5,000

Batteries approximately £6,000

SAVINGS

The first saving is not installing a gas or oil boiler, this can save about £2,000 capital cost.

There need be no gas in the property at all saving on both the standing charges and the annual maintenance (and gas safety certificate for rented properties)

The electricity bill will go up as you use electricity to cook and for hot water. However we expect there will be a significant saving on the total utility bills (especially if batteries have been installed)

EARNINGS

The PV Element generating electricity will earn from the Feed in Tariff

The Solar Thermal should earn from the Renewable Heat Incentive. Although that is still to be announced the current indications are that Solar Thermal will be funded on a “deemed” basis, i.e. a constant quarterly payment based on the property and occupants and not generation

PAY BACK

As a guide, taking in to account capital cost, savings and incentives we expect the system to pay for itself in 7 to 10 years

CO2 Savings

There will be zero emissions at point of use.

For more information call Charles on 01279 320020 or email charles@usethesun.co.uk

www.usethesun.co.uk

SOLAR PANELS, A CAR PORT, WELCOME LIGHTING AND RAINWATER HARVESTING

2012-10-22T01:17:00.002-07:00

That is a fabulous combination and, starting at £1,800 for the carport, is not out of anyone’s reach.

Kevin McCloud under the Solar
Car Canopy at Grand Designs

Our first carport was built for the Automated Home, Grand Designs Live show at the NEC. The beauty of a carport is people don’t really see them, they do their job unobtrusively. This was definitely the case at Grand Designs Live. Whilst our internal lighting lit the Leaf we still had to point out the carport!

Not only are carports unobtrusive but most carports don’t even need planning permission either!

We start with a framework that will protect your car from the elements. Better yet it will protect you from the pouring rain when getting in and out of the car and loading and unloading.

To make it better we put in LED lighting connected to a motion sensor. At just 3 watts if hardly uses any electricity at all and yet it is very very bright. On those early morning starts and late night returns having your parking space light up as you approach is a great idea.

Then we put some solar panels on the roof. Did you know that 8 solar panels could produce enough electricity to

- Power a Nissan Leaf over 6,500 miles? That’s over £800 of petrol for many vehicles (assumes 50mpg and £6.15 a gallon) or

- About 25% of the annual electricity consumption of the average 4 bedroom house

The panels are entitled to the Feed in Tariff which could be worth about £280.

These panels could easily pay for themselves in 4 to 5 years and then generate a profit. All the benefits of a carport plus an income!

8 panels covers 13²m, in Birmingham over 8,000 litres of rain will fall on that roof every year! Put that in to a large tub and it can be used to water your garden or clean your car

If you like we can even add in an electric point for your lawn mower etc or car charging unit. Whilst the electrician is on site doing his bit it does not add a lot more to the price and helps to future proof the carport, making it even more useful.

With prices starting as low as £1,800 this is the perfect solution for homes, car parks etc etc

Contact me, Charles 01279 320020 or email me for more information

More useful information can be found
- Generating your own electricity
- Combining Electricity and Hot Water generation
- Low Temperature Heating Systems

Interested in Electric Cars? Click Here

Car Ports and PV Do Mix!!

2012-09-17T08:51:00.001-07:00

With our garages full of important and delicate junk (sorry, treasures) it is often difficult to squeeze a car in as well.

One of the most expensive items we own and yet we leave it out in all weathers, freezing our windscreens in the winter and burning our bums on the seats in the summer.

Even sillier, when it is pouring with rain we get soaked getting in and out, loading and unloading. But what else can we do????

A car port is a great solution. Inexpensive and exempt from lengthy planning permissions*** a car port can offer the protection we didn’t think we could have.

So let’s go one further and throw PV on to the roof. 10 Panels could generate 8,000 miles in an electric car or meet over 20% of the average 4 bedroom hose’s annual consumption*.

Let’s go two further and throw in Rain Water Harvesting. Those same 10 panels could collect 7,000 litres of water a year**, that could come in handy next time we have a hose pipe ban. Put a pump in the tank and you can use it to wash your car too

Why not go the whole hog and install some LED lights, a warm welcome home on a dark night and makes it easier to load and unload the kids and the shopping.

Use the Sun have teamed up with Pro Port Canopies and will be unveiling their first PV Canopy at Grand Designs Live, NEC 12^th to 14^th October. Come and have a chat or visit our website http://www.usethesun.co.uk/index.php/car-port

Car Ports are so useful I nearly forgot to mention the cash back you can earn from the Feed in Tariff!

Best for last

I have a dozen complimentary tickets for the Grand Designs Live show NEC 12th to 14th October. If you would like a pair please contact me

* MAKE YOUR OWN ELECTRICITY

10 Solar Panels^# could make as much as 2,000kWh of Electricity a year.

That is 1/3rd of the average consumption of a 4 bedroom house (http://www.home-save.co.uk/energy/why_switch_supplier/average_energy_usage/ )

Or over 8,500 miles in a Nissan Leaf

MCS Installed systems can earn £390 a year from the Feed in Tariff^##

# 250 Watt Trina Panel

## You will need an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) if you want to claim the FiT

** WATER STORAGE

Average rainfall in Birmingham is 660mm a year (http://www.holiday-weather.com/birmingham/averages/).

For every 1mm of rain a square metre of roof area will yield 1 litre of water

10 panels covers 10.75 square metres of roof, average annual collection 7,000 litres of water

Average Water Harvest

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
Rainy Days	18	14	17	18	15	13	12	14	13	15	16	17	182
Average Rain Fall (mm)	57	48	51	49	56	56	46	66	54	52	59	66	660
Collection (litres)	613	516	548	527	602	602	495	710	581	559	634	710	7095

Tanks range from 1,600 litres to 2,700 litres. To give an example 1,600 litres is

- Enough to run a hose continuously for 2 hours (depends on the power of the pump)

- 160 x 10 litre buckets

An empty 2,700 litre tank in November should be full by early March

If your tank is NOT connected to the water supply then you will be able to water your garden and clean your car when a hose pipe ban is in force

*** PLANNING

Most houses do not need planning permission for a car port unless (http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/)

· No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.

· Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.

· Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse.

· No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.

· No more than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.

· In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.

· On designated land* buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.

· Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.

Schematic photovoltaic thermal system

2012-07-26T00:16:00.002-07:00

Here is an easy to understand schematic of what a solar photovoltaic thermal system looks like

Note the complete lack of gas boiler, that's £50+ a year saved in standing charges alone, and then add the cost of the gas that you have been using and this system gets more and more attractive

Call me for details Charles 01279 320020 or charles@usethesun.co.uk

If you would like to know how much you can earn from the PV side take a look at http://levhub.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/how-to-calculate-your-earnings-from-pv.html

From the hot water side there will soon be the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which will be worth a bit more

A reasonable sized system facing south should pay for itself in 10 to 12 years (rule of thumb)

I will post more about the RHI when it is released

Meanwhile please tell all your friends to visit this page, tweet, like and plus 1 it and don;t forget to click on our advertisers

All the best

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR EARNINGS FROM A PV SYSTEM

2012-06-19T12:56:00.001-07:00

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR EARNINGS FROM A PV SYSTEM

This is relatively simple; the government give us a formula 0.8 x kWp x S x Zpv to calculate generation

(The performance of solar PV systems is impossible to predict with certainty due to the variability in the amount of solar radiation (sunlight) from location to location and from year to year. This estimate is based upon the Government’s standard assessment procedure for energy rating of buildings (SAP) and is given as guidance only. It should not be considered as a guarantee of performance)

For the kWp multiply the Peak Power of the panels by the number of panels. For example a Sharp 240 has a Peak Power of 240 watts, if you have 10 of them that is 2.4kW (2,400 watts) Peak

Shading is taken from table H4

The annual solar radiation is taken from the table below, work out the rough direction of your roof (find it on Google earth) and the pitch of your roof and take the closest reading

So a roof facing South at 30 degrees with no shading and 2.4kW peak is expected to generate

0.8 x 2.4 x 1073 x 1 = 2,060kW

NOW CALCULATE THE INCOME

There are 3 incomes

1. Generation Tariff. This is paid for every kW you generate. The payment is based on the size of the system and when you signed up.

Systems installed pre 1^st August achieve the current rates, post 1^st August 2012 the new rates until they are changed again (reviewed every 3 months)

	Pre August 1st 2012		Post August 1st 2012 till…..
System Size	Generation Tariff	Export Tariff	Generation Tariff	Export Tariff
<4kWp	21p	3.1p	16p	4.5p
4-10kWp	16.8p	3.1p	14.5p	4.5p
10-50kWp	15.2p	3.1p	13.5p	4.5p
50-150kWp	12.9p	3.1p	11.5p	4.5p
Standalone	8.5p	3.1p	11.5p	4.5p

So our system, if installed today, would earn 2,060 * 21p = £432.60. That is tax free and indexed linked for 25 years (From 1^st August contract is 20 years)

2. Export Tariff. For systems of less than 30kW it is assumed that 50% of your generation will be exported unless you meter it. For systems over 30kW it must be metered

So our system, if installed today, would earn 2,060 *3.1 / 2 = £31.93. Again tax free and index linked for 25 years ((From 1^st August contract is 20 years)

3. Then there is a saving (you do not pay for the electricity you generate). Say you can use 50% of the electricity you generate and that you buy electricity for 14p/kWh then your electricity bill will fall by

2060 / 2 x 14p = £144.20

Therefore the total value of this system to you would be (£432.60 + 31.93 + 144.20) = £608.73

Please note that to be eligible for the Feed in Tariff your system must

1. Have MCS accredited equipment
2. Have been installed by MCS accredited installer
3. Your house must have an EPC (Energy Performance Certifificate) of D or above

For more information contact Charles on 01279 320020 or Charles@usethesun.co.uk

Information on PVT (Photovoltaic Thermal – hot water and electricity) can be found at http://levhub.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/ihave-just-specd-new-system-and.html

More info on PV as a whole at http://levhub.blogspot.co.uk/

A list of other useful pages can be found at http://www.usethesun.co.uk/index.php/list-of-urls

Thank you for reading, please click the adverts if they interest you

LOW TEMPERATURE HEATING SYSTEMS

2012-06-11T08:28:00.002-07:00

According to the BSRIA* Low Temperature Heating Systems can use 31% less energy than conventional methods

An average 3 bed house uses 25,000kW of energy a year for heat and hot water, that’s £1,000 a year on energy, saving 31% is significant.

In a conventional system water is pumped around the radiators at around 70 degrees centigrade. The water passes through radiators, the heat transfers from the radiator in to the air in the room. Simples

In a Low Temperature Heating System the water travels around the radiators at only 50 degrees, to make that effective we use fan convectors, these blow the heat in to the room. That is a much quicker and more effective way to transfer the heat from the water in to the air in the room, yep, cooler and quicker to heat your house. (and no red hot radiators)

So we don’t need so much water in the system as the fan, not the water is doing the work, Low Temperature Heating Systems use about 5% of the water compared to conventional systems.

5% of the water heated 20 degrees less that has got to be efficient!

Now attach it to a renewable source such as Solar Photovoltaic Thermal Panels and see what happens. The PVT panels create warmed or hot water. A heat pump increases the temperature to 55 degrees to give a store. Again this has to be cheaper because the initial work of heating is being carried out by the sun.

What happens when there is no sun? When the sun is out it can make too much hot water so we store some for later use. Even in a UK winter there will always be spare

What happens when it breaks? In a conventional system you get cold, we have a built-in backup just in case.

The amount of solar electricity a solar panel will generate is tested at 25 degrees centigrade. If the temperature increases then the amount of solar electricity generated will fall.

The heat pump takes the heat from the liquid circulating the panels and puts it in your cylinder, so the water around the panels is being cooled which is cooling the panels which can increase electrical productivity by up to 20%

So Solar Photovoltaic Thermal Panels generate hot water from the sun, generate more electricity than normal panels saving money on electricity bills, gas bills, heating bills etc

And there is more, they might have cut the Feed in Tariff but this goes someway to replacing the lost income from generating your own electricity by generating more (up to 20% more electricity generated)

The renewable heat incentive (RHI) as part of the green deal will add even more income

Financially and ecologically sound. The fuel is free, the electricity you generate is yours to use, you will make your own hot water and you will get a tax free income, what are you waiting for, call me

Check out my blogs on www.usethesun.co.uk and http://levhub.blogspot.co.uk/ don’t forget to like this on facebook, +1 it on google and click on the adverts

Contact me Charles@usethesun.co.uk for more information and a personal quote

A list of other useful pages can be found at http://www.usethesun.co.uk/index.php/list-of-urls

* Building Services Research and Information Association

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

2012-06-11T04:47:00.001-07:00

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

GREEN IS GOOD BUT CASH IS BETTER!

Thinking about installing a new Solar Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) System? Take a look at the numbers for a typical 10 panel system facing south at 30 degrees (using 190 watt PVT panels)

SAVINGS

A normal PV (Photovoltaic) element could make 630kWh a year (using the Government’s SAP calculator). Using Solar Photovoltaic Thermal panels (the panels are cooled and so produce more electricity) that rises to an estimated 1,900kWh a year

If you could use all the electricity you generate then you could save (at 14p/kWh) £270 a year off your electricity bill

As well as cooling the panels Photovoltaic Thermal also makes hot water. Our system converts that to a permanent supply of hot water throughout the year, no more gas bills.

Attach it to a Low Temperature Heating System which uses about 30% less energy you could save another £260 a year in heating and hot water costs

That is a saving of £530 a year TAX FREE, an amount likely to increase each year as gas and electricity prices rise.

It will also knock about 50% off your CO2 footprint

INCOME

The Feed in Tariff is here, at post August 1^st rates generating 1,900kWh a year would earn you £440 a year TAX FREE from your utility company.

The Green Deal and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) are not yet available but likely to earn around the same when they are introduced

Earnings could be as high as £880 a year TAX FREE.

WHAT SHOULD IT COST

To achieve an income of (£880 + £440) £1,320 a year after tax you would need to earn (at 40%) £2,200.

Assuming you could achieve 2.5% interest you would have to deposit £88,000 in the bank

Installing PVT (Photovoltaic Thermal) will cost less than 1/5^th of this amount

For your own personalised quote please contact me on 01279 320020 or email Charles@usethesun.co.uk

For more information take a look at my blog http://levhub.blogspot.co.uk/ or website at www.usethesun.co.uk

A list of other useful pages can be found at http://www.usethesun.co.uk/index.php/list-of-urls

GREEN IS GOOD BUT CASH TALKS LOUDER – SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC THERMAL (PVT) MAKES SENSE

DECC New FiT Rules

2012-05-27T02:35:00.000-07:00

DECC ANNOUNCE NEW FiT.

INVESTING IN PV OFFERS A BETTER RETURN WITH A LOT LESS RISK THAN BUYING SPANISH OR GREEK DEBT

Well that is one way to look at it. Spain and Greece are having to pay huge (by today’s standards) interest rates to raise money because investors are not absolutely convinced they will get their money back

PV can be risky, but, as I bask in the sun this Sunday morning, I remember that most years our weather is about the same just eclectic on timing (I remember driving, roof down, in a T-shirt in September and having a party washed out by torrential rain on Mid-Summer’s day, ahhhh)

On the whole, even in the UK, PV is safer and there will be no “having to take a haircut” (what a fabulous euphemism for “default”) on your income as the banks had to do with Greek debt a while back.

On Thursday the DECC announced the new FiT which comes in to force from the 1^st August.

The new rates are

System Size	Generation Tariff	Export Tariff
<4kWp	16p	4.5p
4-10kWp	14.5p	4.5p
10-50kWp	13.5p	4.5p
50-150kWp	11.5p	4.5p
Standalone	11.5p	4.5p

So is it worth putting up PV?

Let’s look at the potential return from 10 x 250 watt panels facing South at 30 degrees (using the Governments preferred SAP Calculator)

		Current	From 1st August
Generation Income		£450.66	£343.36
Export Income		£32.19	£48.29

Total Income		£482.85	£391.65

Saved (percentage)	50%
Cost per kw	£0.150	£160.95	£160.95

Total Value		£643.80	£552.60

NOW FOR SOME MATHS

If you invest £7,000 at 5% compound in 20 years you will have £17,688.

However the interest will be taxable, let’s say your marginal rate of tax over 20 years is 40% (huge assumptions but gives the idea). Take off the tax each year and the return falls to £12,274

If you spend that money putting PV on your roof then, in the first year this will return (approx.) £552.60. Each year that will grow by inflation (assume 3%) and will be reduced by the degradation of the panels (guaranteed to retain 80% production over 25 years). Let’s assume that degradation is straight line, so in year 2 the income will be £564. By year 20 it will have reached £831. By year 20 your return (income plus saving) will have totalled £13,650

If each year you bank the money (like for like) and earn interest (which is taxable unlike the income) then by year 20 you would have £17.955

FINANCIAL CONCLUSION

In theory then you are significantly better off if you put the PV panels on your roof than if you invest the money at 5% in the bank.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

1. At the moment you would be hard pushed to get 5% unless you lent the money to Greece or Spain, it would seem PV is a lot less risky

2. If one person puts up PV [panels it makes no difference at all but if a million people put them up then the benefit in terms of greenhouse gasses is huge

3. Inflation is likely to stick around for a while PLUS the amount you save on using the electricity you generate yourself could be worth significantly more.

THINGS TO LOOK AT IN THE NEW RULES

The new FiT Contract is:-

1. 20 Years – was 25

2. Still index linked (why????)

3. Potentially going to fall every quarter for new entrants

So, get in early!

This is my opinion only. If you want more information please go to http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn12_066/pn12_066.aspx

Contact me, Charles@usethesun.co.uk or 01279 320020 for more information

This is the opinion of Charles MD at Use the Sun, an MCS accredited company that specialises in the installation of Solar PV (Solar Photovoltaic), Solar PVT (Solar Photovoltaic Thermal and Electric Car Chargers). Official statements can be found on the websites linked to in the text. For our website visit www.usethesun.co.uk

Use the Sun to turn light in to electricity and cash

A list of other useful pages can be found at http://www.usethesun.co.uk/index.php/list-of-urls

2012-05-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

I HAVE JUST SPEC’D A NEW PVT SYSTEM AND WONDERED IF IT MIGHT INTEREST YOU.

WATER IS RUN AROUND PV PANELS MAKING THE PANELS MORE EFFICIENT AND GENERATING HOT WATER.

Significantly more efficient and cutting edge.

Bit More Detail

The new panels have a “radiator” like attachment fixed to the rear around which flows a water/glycol mixture.

A solar PV panel in the UK can easily reach 80 degrees centigrade. Circulating a cold liquid will cool the panel. In the midday heat the cooler PV panel can be up to 30% more efficient at generating electricity.

The by product is a warmed liquid, run through a heat pump the liquid it is put under pressure so becoming significantly hotter. This then goes through a cylinder creating enough hot water for both domestic and heating needs.

On a like for like comparison of a 3 bedroom house the electricity cost could be £300 less than the cost of gas for a conventional gas boiler.

Connect to a Low Temperature Heating System with convector radiators and BSRIA tests show a further energy saving of up to 31%

F.A.Q.

What happens to the warmed water if we don’t need it? The warmed water is either used immediately or is stored in a separate tank for later use

What happens at night? The stored warmed water is passed through the heat pump which will have to work harder to bring the water up to temperature

What if we don’t get any sun? Worst case scenario the heat pump cannot cope and so there is an electrical element in the cylinder to bring the temperature up and ensure a permanent hot water supply

How much does it cost? The system I just defined is suitable for a 3 bedroom house. We use 10 x 190 watt panels (peak 1.9kW). Total installed price £16,000 (not including radiators). A saving will be made by not installing a boiler

How much can I earn?

- The PV Element is entitled to the Feed in Tariff. A South facing roof should generate at least 1,600kWh a year (with the cooling maybe 15% more). At 21p/kWh the Generation Tariff will earn £342 plus an assumed export of £25, total £367 (with cooling maybe 15% more) index linked for 25 years

- The Renewable Heat Incentive is still to be introduced. Indications are it will be at least as valuable as the Feed in Tariff

How much can I save? There are multiple savings to be made

- Using the electricity you generate could save up to £240 a year

- Heating and hot water could save £300 a year

- Low Temperature Heating System could save 31% of your heating cost

If utility bills increase the savings become more valuable

And, of course, there is the CO2 savings to be made

What about maintenance? This is a very low maintenance system, we are offering an introductory 3 year free maintenance contract or to train your maintenance staff for free

Contact me if you would like to discuss it further Charles@usethesun.co.uk or look at our website www.usethesun.co.uk

Use the Sun are committed to a greener future!

A list of other useful pages can be found at http://www.usethesun.co.uk/index.php/list-of-urls

SHOULD I INSTALL PANELS ON MY ROOF

2012-05-19T02:54:00.002-07:00

This is like the million dollar question. Is solar PV still worth it in our weather? The answer is a resounding YES, sure is

Take an average house, enough space to fit say 10 panels on the roof and facing somewhere between South East and South West.

The cost for a 2.5kW system will be £6,800 all fitted including VAT

The Utility companies will pay you around £462 a year, this is a TAX FREE, index linked 25 year contract.

If you can use ½ the electricity you generate that is an extra £154 saved

So, in the first year the system is worth £616 to you. Next year the income will increase by inflation and the saving by any price rises in electricity, and it will continue to rise for 25 years!

The return is an amazing 9% tax free! For the average tax payer that is a huge return, significantly better than anything else available on the market

Financially it makes great sense

What about ecologically? Well, you could generate 2,000kWh a year. If you and your neighbours and your neighbours neighbours all installed PV this would make a very very significant difference

The Government have given us an extra month or two at current rates so Please, do it and get your neighbours to do it

In every way it makes sense

See my website at www.usetheun.co.uk for more information on Solar Photovoltaics

Make electricity from the sun, make money from the sun, make the world a tad cleaner!

A list of other useful pages can be found at http://www.usethesun.co.uk/index.php/list-of-urls

Thank you

Photovoltaic Thermal or PhotoVoltaic and Thermal.

2012-05-17T02:19:00.001-07:00

PhotoVoltaic, Photovoltaic Thermal or PhotoVoltaic and Thermal. That is the question

From Use the Sun

A solar panel can reach 80 degrees centigrade in the noon day sun, if we cool it down to say 20 degrees centigrade it could be up to 30% more efficient.

I have been investigating an amazing solution from Smiths Environmental Products (http://www.smiths-env.com/), now this is a cool piece of kit

Simply put the system runs water around the rear of the panel, this cools the panel making it more efficient.

The by-product is hot water. Run this through Smith’s Heat Pump and this will bring it up to a temperature that can be used to heat the water in your cylinder for domestic and heating hot water. If it is not needed (the heat of the day) it can be stored for later use (at night)

So throw out the gas guzzling boiler and put in PVT (PhotoVoltaic Thermal panels).

It gets better though because we then recommend a Low Temperature Heating System. Because the water travelling around the system is not as hot as a conventional system you need either to increase the size of your radiators (nahh) or to use fan convectors.

The fan convectors are great, they use a low power fan to blow the air around.

BSRIA figures suggest that this is 24% more efficient than conventional radiators, rising to 31% when used in conjunction with a low temperature system

So now we have no boiler, sun powered hot water assisted by electricity which might have been made by the panels (during the day at least) and a more efficient and responsive heating system

So, is it worth it? Well, actually the PVT works out to be about 3 times more expensive than straight PV. I have just quoted £16k for a 10 panel system but I have a feeling that I might lose money on that one. Still, we all have to install our first one and Smith’s are being very very helpful

According to the Governments guidelines if the panels were south facing at 30 degrees they should generate about 1,631kWh of electricity a year, the Feed in Tariff income would be around £367. If we assume that the efficacy from cooling will add 15% that is now £420

Using the electricity we generate ourselves might save a further £200 a year making the PV element worth around £620 a in the first year (increasing with inflation each year for 25 years)

On the saving we have a system which will cost around £600 a year compared to a conventional gas system of around £900, so a further £300 a year and rising with prices.

In the first year the client will be around £920 better off, not a bad return on £16k especially if you factor in the effects of inflation in future years.

This becomes even more valuable if you needed a new boiler anyway (as this client does), they had factored in £2k to install the boiler and that is money saved

On the downside you will have to add in the cost to change all your radiators to Fan Convection

So for £16k plus radiators minus new boiler you get

- A tax free income of £420 a year index linked

- An energy saving of £500 a year rising with the cost of energy

- A more responsive heating system

- A more efficient house

To me that is financially marginal, if you want to increase your self-sufficiency in a green way then this is the route for you

Leaving the best for last is the ever threatened Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Not wishing to pre-guess when it will come in and how much it will be worth I would hazard a guess that the value of this incentive makes the whole deal financially sound as well. This system should be entitled to the RHI when it is introduced.

It has been a long learning curve for me but I am now convinced it is a good idea and I hope that my client goes for it

If you would like to know more please check out my website http://www.usethesun.co.uk or contact me, Charles@usethesun.co.uk or 01279 320020

A list of other useful pages can be found at http://www.usethesun.co.uk/index.php/list-of-urls