Microgeneration Strategy *LINK*

[Anonymous]

Yes its all very nice isn't it. Like the eco-warrior that sets up a stick built shelter in the woods and lives off the land and loves to tell us how green it is. OK until I come along and build my stick built shelter next door, and then another and then another etc. until the forest is full of stick built shelters and then all hell breaks loose and the forest is full of choking smoke from all the charcoal burners and then the trees start to die from carbon poisoning.

So the eco-warrior gives up and goes and lives in one of the highly fuel efficient 'ticky tacky' boxes.

I'm not a cynic - more a sceptic - but some people who claim to understand this world most seem to be the same ones that understand reality least.

 

[Anonymous]

Yep - my latest bugbear is 'updating your kitchen is a great opportunity to use eco friendly furnishings and appliances', when the most eco-friendly thing to do is not update it at all! Given that 'updating' usually means 'replacing' and no mention is given to how the old stuff is going to be disposed of in an eco friendly way.

 

[Anonymous]

I suspect anything more serious the shallow program makers cant make.

NT

 

[Anonymous]

I think we need an FAQ for this one.

Space heat: solar flat plate space heating
Cooking: solar can be used in various ways, all with issues or costs.
PV: a grand way to give away money

water heat: drain heat exchanger

NT

 

[Anonymous]

Hey thank you for responding!! and so late! Happy for a FAQ!!
If you had a new condensing boiler which you had inherited and radiators previously been fuelled by LPG and you had free choice of how to heat the house and what to use for cooking and hot water ( and wanted to use renewable energies but not too rigidly if not sensible..) WHAT would you do?

I have been researching and playing around fancifully but find it extreemely difficult to fit the different technologies together and be confident they generate sufficient energy.

More ideas?

Many thanks

 

[Anonymous]

i think i would find it hard to consider replacing the boiler - greenwise how would you dispose of the old boiler? Unless you can find a really good home for it it probably would be greener in the short to medium term to keep it - after all it is a really efficient boiler.

I am in a similar situation but we don't have a boiler or radiators, just an emersion heater and electric heaters. I too am baffled by all the green or supposedly green technologies out there. I asked the Centre for Alternative Technology for advice on fuel - oil or lpg - and they said that they were both the same environmentally, it was how efficient they were that counted most.

We considered some kind of wood/woodchip boiler for central heating but the cost is prohibitive. We are also thinking of ground source heat pumps and solar. In the short to medium term (3-5 years) we are going to sit tight with our wood burning stove and lpg cooker and see how the new technologies develop. I beleive that the increased demand will push further advances and a reduction in price.

As with all renovation work - don't rush into anything!

 

[Anonymous]

Ah, you two... <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">

Such a simple question, but the answer is anything but simple.

One of the problems with this sort of thing is you cant just spend 60 seconds working out what you need, go buy it from Wickes and fit. Least not if you expect the system to work. News:alt.solar.thermal is a good place to start. You'll need to do number crunching to put a system together that will perform as needed, but there are folks there that can explain it all, help, and offer design sugestions.

Other problem is there are so many options, each with so many more options. And none will do everything you need.

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/solar_barn_project.htm
gives an intro to solar flat panel space heating. ROI wont be as good here in UK. This is one technology thats a winner.

Wood burning heaters cost next to nothing to make, whether from brick or steel, but its not legal to make your own any more.

Ground source heat is very high install cost, costs to run, and reduces the ground's plant growing potential.

Electric heating is the worst of all options. Highest run cost, and the power stations produce the leccy at

 

[Anonymous]

you do make me laugh . You sound wise and kind and knowledgeable! From which part of the world do you post so late? Thanks for the site. I will continue researching and meanwhile not through the boiler out too quickly. The reducing plant growth through heatpump cooling freaks me a little too. I went to visit a private center for renewable energy in Leicestershire which hugely impressed me. (see beaconenergy.co.uk) The guy who runs it is what you would call an alternative energy benefactor and has it all there working together - at a cost but it must happen and I would like the idea of pioneering a little.

Thanks again to both last entries!!

 

[Anonymous]

> You sound wise and kind and knowledgeable!

Little do they know <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/wink.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">

I'm from the UK, just dont sleep sometimes. Any luck with the research yet? Nick Pine on alt.solar.thermal has plenty of pie-in-earring ideas. Hopefully you'll soon be turning green.

NT

 

[Anonymous]

Yes I continued scouting around and was blown away by alt.solar.thermal. actually got such a shock by the altitude these guys communicated at that i immediately logged out. But i crept back in and spent absolutely hours following links and familiarising myself with cookers built from obsolete satelite dishes!! I feel much greener now than ever! off touring down to Austria and Germany tomorrow for 10 days. Moving house in 5 weeks and dont know yet whether I will get planning permission to split the property which the exchange will depend on. I will continue researching when I am back and look out for Nick Pine. Thank you !! First time on a forum and soo impressed how much information is flying around and how helpful people are! Hope you are lucky with your questions? Will keep posting.