Soldato
Yes, use the electricity to power an electric boiler. You can directly replace a gas boiler with an electric one. Almost no moving parts.Solar heating?
Yes, use the electricity to power an electric boiler. You can directly replace a gas boiler with an electric one. Almost no moving parts.Solar heating?
Yes, use the electricity to power an electric boiler. You can directly replace a gas boiler with an electric one. Almost no moving parts.
Yes really the fact is we all need a mix of solutions, not just one, but then it gets crazy expensive...if it isn't crazy expensive enough for just one solution.Solar heating doesn't work very well on cold winter nights though does it!
So in effect the main times when most people would want most heating (air/water) would be back to the grid, immersion heating in effect. Whelp at that cost.
Again we are back to one size doesnt fit all
AC type units by nature of being air exchangers do have issues in the cold temps, I have seen this myself where my unit at work froze up and too time to sort itself out.
A couple of hours in it was fine, it had heated my office and just topping up was fine. Everyone had similar issues and started setting them to come on 2 hours before they arrived so their office wasn't freezing and the AC/heater not working well.
Ground source avoids all those issues but from what I can tell its (without going massive) far better to provide background levels and top up as necessary rather than switch it on and expect rapid heating like we do with gas.
If we go nuclear generation massive maybe it wouldn't be too bad. But future energy mix doesn't look like it would support domestic consumption going to mainly in effect immersion very well at all!
Yes really the fact is we all need a mix of solutions, not just one, but then it gets crazy expensive...if it isn't crazy expensive enough for just one solution.
Course you know the real issue is that somehow the government are managing to pass the responsibility for this on to the public. For decades all political parties have managed to kick the ball down the road, band-aiding the problem rather than implementing a proper solution. We really do need to shut all the different voices off and implement a sensible set of measures so the public can just go about their business without worrying about all this.
how much sunlight is needed to power such a thing and also surface area for the solar panels?Yes, use the electricity to power an electric boiler. You can directly replace a gas boiler with an electric one. Almost no moving parts.
The running costs are still higher than gas too. And as most run colder you will need to install bigger rads
I am not really that convinced about heat pumps which is kinda odd since I make them. Well, I work in the R&D deptartment for a company that does.
The problem is that they just move heat from one place to another, and that's not entirely great in very cold weather, because there isn't that much heat to move. They get less efficient the colder the weather gets. On top of that, in a humid country like ours, they tend to ice up rapidly, and then have to spend time reversing the flow of heat to defrost themselves. On top of that you have huge installation costs and very high costs should it break down at any point. Also they don't produce temperatures that are particularly useful in a domestic heating situation. In short, they don't get very hot. They are supposed to generate heat at a cost of about 1:3 but in practice I very much doubt you will achieve that.
To me a much more preferable way to go is solar.
Sounds like sensationalism to me.Is it true that last winter a lot of air source heat pumps broke down due to freezing or whatever and owners were waiting for up to four months for repair?
I know a British Gas engineer who installs boilers and another Plumber who services all boilers, both said the heat pumps are not going to be the way forward. The BG guy said he’s own boiler needs replacing in the next year then he’ll install another new one in the year before they’re banned if need be but he is confident hydrogen boilers will be the number one choiceI am not really that convinced about heat pumps which is kinda odd since I make them. Well, I work in the R&D deptartment for a company that does.
The problem is that they just move heat from one place to another, and that's not entirely great in very cold weather, because there isn't that much heat to move. They get less efficient the colder the weather gets. On top of that, in a humid country like ours, they tend to ice up rapidly, and then have to spend time reversing the flow of heat to defrost themselves. On top of that you have huge installation costs and very high costs should it break down at any point. Also they don't produce temperatures that are particularly useful in a domestic heating situation. In short, they don't get very hot. They are supposed to generate heat at a cost of about 1:3 but in practice I very much doubt you will achieve that.
To me a much more preferable way to go is solar.
It went extinct millions of years ago.Heat pumps are great, gas is a fossil that is going extinct
I believe the UK have heat pump tariffs too as an option, a quick Google indicates they can be found.Yes so makes sense. I thought we were talking about U.K. prices. Hence I still stand by my comments for U.K. houses and the OP question.
And for reasons you state it doesn’t work on a retrofit or replacement for a boiler in many cases. Ideal for new build with UFH