Period property EPC Bands

[fernicarry]

Have you got as far as narrowing down a potential PV panel supplier? I'm hoping to build a shepherds hut this year and have been thinking about powering it with a solar panel (plus battery backup in this case), but there seems to be a wide range of prices and I don't yet feel I've got a good feel for the best 'value' in terms of reliability and lifetime. As ever, cheapest might not give best value. For the shepherds hut, I've been looking at boat/caravan systems, but I suspect they mostly carry quite a price premium - especially the 'yachtie' ones.

Was going to suggest you have a look at the navitron site, but having just had a rummage around there the selection is a bit uninspiring. Like you say the prices don't seem to correlate with anything other than maybe brand name. The more likely you are to have heard of them the more expensive they are and usually lower output compared to the cheaper brands. You'll probably get some help on the navitron forums.

Victron get a very good name for off-grid and mobile applications but they are a at the pricey end of the scale. I got a big 8kVA inverter/charger off ebay for the holiday house/workshop project. It is reassuringly heavy!

 

[Flyfisher]

Thanks, I'll check that forum.

As for the inverters, I'm not really sure why they are often stated as having a 10 year working life. I'm guessing they are completely solid state and would think they should be able to last much longer. Built to a price rather than a specification I suppose. I know what you mean by 'reassuringly heavy'

 

[TheSpid]

Just joined this group and I too am flummoxed by EPCs and find then possibly redundant. We are in the process of buying an old property with an EPC of F :shock: It is fully double glazed, has underfloor heating on the new extension, full rad controls in each room without UFH, thermostats, some insulation in the roof (easily fixed), and energy efficient lightbulbs. We would love to install solars but getting this house up to a D is looking difficult - wall and floor insulation? Well that floors are fine and it would cost a bomb for very little gain and the walls are solid stone with lime render and plaster and I don't want to mess with that. Can it REALLY be a bad F? Adding Solar water heating would help but unless it is already a D we won't get any FIT will we? Any advice? New EPC?

 

[noj]

I just downloaded the EPC from when our cottage was on the market https://www.epcregister.com/reportSearchAddressTerms.html?redirect=reportSearchAddressByPostcode and it's an E - but does have the house construction completly wrong - whoever did the assesment couldn't tell the difference between weatherboard and brick! And depite the two large working inglenook fireplaces couldn't find a secondary heat source...

It should probably be much worse.

It's worth checking/disputing your EPC if you don't agree with it

 

[tobydog]

I had forgotten what a good laugh these reports are. I used the link you provided noj to look at our report from 2009. We were rated in the lower part of F on both efficiency and environmental with next to no hope of improvement . Suggestions for our 400 year old listed timber framed and thatched cottage was double glazing and internal or external wall insulation. The report didn't even say we were thatched and marked us badly for roof insulation.

Being nosy, I looked at my neighbours report (same post code). Their 7 bedroom Victorian rectory was rated as bad as our but the surveyor gave them a good roof insulation score for having a thatched roof :shock: :? . Did this guy even turn up next door. A thatched Victorian rectory?

As it turns out, unless we have a Beast from the East (which sucks the life out of an old detached cottage like ours), it's nowhere near as expensive to heat or light as I expected.