Solar water heating and combi boilers

[<me9]

It is /now/ officially at that stage, 230V plus or minus something. In fact it is /still/ 240V but keeps the poloticians happy. All domestic equipment on sale within the EEC must handle the full range of the nominal 230V plus or minus something. The only difficulty is incandescent light bulbs, which still remain at the old nominal ratings as ours would be innefficient (but last forever) on 'their' 220V and their nominal 220V ones would be extremely bright (and last ~10 minutes on 'our' nominal 240V.

[Andy Wade]

A traditional rotating aluminium disc type of meter will quite happily run backwards, unaware as it is of the supply contract terms. Modern digital-display electronic meters which work by accumulating a count in a data register won't, since (AIUI) they have no mechanism for decrementing the count.

[Keith D]

So, what is the answer?

[solarman]

Hi To You all on the subject solar power, albeit water heating or solar pv.

I think the government should find out the cost to build a nuke power station and the running costs for 35 years.

then spend all that money to put solar pv panels on house roofs around the country.

its clean, no harm to anyone and no after effects.

as to solar water heating, i think it is great, we have it, it works, and i am getting something without having to contribute to Gordn Browns lifestyle.

Long live SOLAR in any form.

Thankyou for alowing me to let off some steam from my solar panel, its been hot today.

[Tony Bryer]

There's the small point that PV panels don't generate much electricity in the winter. If this was Australia where peak electricity demand is in high summer then it might just make more sense.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Thee real solution is to let prices of fossil fuels rise..or tax them ..until people all by themselves start finding cheaper ways to get what they want..

Energy efficient lightbulbs are very popular because they work, and *pay for themselves* in a year or two.

Likewise loft insulation..

PV's are not. Small gas turbines running off kerosene that produced electricity and whose waste heat produced enough power to heat water, are a distinct possibility for e.g. hospitals etc.

[Tony Bryer]

For some people. Under the new Part L you cannot make new dwellings comply by increasing the proportion of low energy lighting because any fittings installed may not be there for long:

"Up to 3 low energy lamp fittings had been specified in the original proposals for the dwellings in the sample. The fittings had generally been installed in hallways, landings and some bedrooms, but few remained in the completed and occupied dwellings. Most had been removed by the occupants, and occupants expressed their intention to replace soon those few that remained."

BRE Survey 2004

hunch would be that far more 50W spots (x4 or whatever) get installed than low-energy fittings.

[David Hansen]

On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 11:57:47 +0100 someone who may be Tony Bryer wrote this:-

They have already got better and that will continue with suitable support. At the moment they could not be called a sound financial investment, but that will change. However, money is not the only reason for doing things, if it was there would be little double glazing installed in old houses.

Generating electricity from the sun is part of a diverse range of options. It also comes into its own when electricity consumption is reduced.