solar panels

[Raven]

I can't stand modern box houses

While ours is quite small it has bags of character. Local history has it that soldiers stayed here before the battle of Naseby, it was part of an alehouse at the time.

 

[rynnor]

The is guaranteed for 25 years

I have serious doubts that the feed in tariff will be around for 25 years which is another reason to steer clear.

I can see this causing a real political stink a few years down the line and the govt doing a U turn.

 

[rynnor]

I can't stand modern box houses

While ours is quite small it has bags of character. Local history has it that soldiers stayed here before the battle of Naseby, it was part of an alehouse at the time.

Get yourself a nice cave - they have been around for ten's of thousands of years

 

[bainteor]

Every single house must be powered [in part] by solar panels if we are to solve the energy crisis. It is such a simple solution.

 

[Lamp]

what about commercial & industrial properties that consume vast amounts of energy?

 

[bainteor]

Easily powered by soul panels, technology will advance.

 

[Job]

I'm getting the idea now, so they basically let you provide renewable energy and the government subsidises it, all to meet the targets set by the EU, either you buy the panels and get the cash, or get them free and the provider gets the cash.
This would all be lovely if the UK wasn't the cloudiest place on the freakin planet, look at the CIA world factbook..UK weather 'Mostly cloudy'.

What we actually need to do is stick them in the equator, or anywhere where it's sunny all the time and pipe it back, australian deserts for example, those reflector-boiler versions seem pretty good and they have the space.

It's pointless, just a gesture, money should be spent on something that actually WORKS.
We need to get serious, this is all just political ping-pong, like giant mile-wide spinning domes that work at any windspeed in any direction and produce gw of power.
Or lease huge areas of the African desert for solar power and either send it home or use it to make fossil type fuels.

 

[Tom]

Every single house must be powered [in part] by solar panels if we are to solve the energy crisis. It is such a simple solution.

rofl.

 

[rynnor]

Easily powered by soul panels, technology will advance.

I'm with Tom on this - points against your view:

1. Solar panels are OLD tech - been around for many decades - they did improve - by a few percent lol and thats for top of the line lots of rare elements versions that cant be mass marketed.

2. Demand for electricity is ever increasing per person and as a world our population is increasing etc. etc.

3. Doesnt work at night when demand is still high and batteries are wastefull, polluting and shite.

4. rely's on the energy from fossil fuels to manufacture and never recoups the energy used to make them.

etc. etc. - nuke or nuffin bud-dy

 

[Zenith.UK]

Domestic solar generation isn't intended or designed as a complete self-sufficient system. It's a supplement to help offset what you use at other times. Another way of thinking on it is that you're paying up-front for your electricity in years to come. Much like a pre-paid mobile phone.

I'm surprised that combined PV and thermal panels aren't being pushed forward.
PV to generate some electricity from the direct sunlight photons.
Thermal to help your hot water system. It would increase the total watts yield from the panels and reduce your bill even more as you wouldn't be using as much grid electricity to heat your water.

I had this idea once of changing the whole house to 12v DC lighting run off accumulator batteries. They would be charged up during the day from solar electricity or a small wind turbine. LED lights cost more but use less energy. I just don't know the practical costs of going down this road.

 

[Moriath]

Thing is we need to be global not local in the approach. All very well putting solar at the equator but if the gonna charge shit loads for the resource it don't help no one.

Long live Ming the merciless ruler of the world.

We are still a tribal species all be it big tribes. We need to be global or fail.

 

[Deebs]

Friend put thermal panels on his roof a couple of years ago for a modest cost. He only has to heat his water for 3 months of the year. He reckons he is saving around 250-300 quid a year on gas bills.

Forgetting central heating, how often does your hot water system come on? Mine at the moment comes on twice a day for an hour each time.

Btw, solar panels absorb the sun's power through cloud You do not need a nice clear blue sky to generate electricity.

 

[bainteor]

I'm with Tom on this - points against your view:

1. Solar panels are OLD tech - been around for many decades - they did improve - by a few percent lol and thats for top of the line lots of rare elements versions that cant be mass marketed.

2. Demand for electricity is ever increasing per person and as a world our population is increasing etc. etc.

3. Doesnt work at night when demand is still high and batteries are wastefull, polluting and shite.

4. rely's on the energy from fossil fuels to manufacture and never recoups the energy used to make them.

etc. etc. - nuke or nuffin bud-dy

All wrong. Leave the science to the scientists. Technology will advance.

 

[Moriath]

Friend put thermal panels on his roof a couple of years ago for a modest cost. He only has to heat his water for 3 months of the year. He reckons he is saving around 250-300 quid a year on gas bills.

Forgetting central heating, how often does your hot water system come on? Mine at the moment comes on twice a day for an hour each time.

Btw, solar panels absorb the sun's power through cloud You do not need a nice clear blue sky to generate electricity.

How much are they compared to pv cells

 

[Raven]

Forgetting central heating, how often does your hot water system come on? Mine at the moment comes on twice a day for an hour each time.

Combi boiler, hot water as and when. Old system was tank, heated twice a day like you. Drove me mad so when we had new heating and boiler put in last year I made sure it was a combi. (and a nifty remote control for the heating!)

 

[Billargh]

Easily powered by soul panels, technology will advance.

Soul panels?!

 

[Vae]

Soul panels?!

A development of the office cubicle - Leechs your soul to power the industrial machinery...

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Combi boiler, hot water as and when. Old system was tank, heated twice a day like you. Drove me mad so when we had new heating and boiler put in last year I made sure it was a combi. (and a nifty remote control for the heating!)

Tanks are sooooo shit. Never any hot when you actually need it. Having to put it on for a while before you can take a much needed shower etc. is awful. So glad there's very few of those old style systems in Southern rental housing these days.

 

[rynnor]

All wrong. Leave the science to the scientists. Technology will advance.

Lol - you think people today are using less power and that the worlds population isnt growing - you teh funneh!

 

[Tom]

Careful, he'll smite you with his awesome intellect.

 

[rynnor]

Careful, he'll smite you with his awesome intellect.

Well he is a scientist

 

[Zenith.UK]

All wrong. Leave the science to the scientists. Technology will advance.

I have to take issue with a specific point there.
No solar panel will work without light. Therefore a solar panel will not generate electricity at night. That makes your "All wrong" statement incorrect.