Self Sufficiency Light And Heat

[paulus 26]

with my annual utilities now costing £1500 a year, ive been looking at alternatives, the heating side with a log burner doing the hot water, radiators etc seams fine, but it gets a bit complicated for me when it comes to electricity, namely solar power with all these feed in options and other bollocks, all i want to know is can a home be powered by solar power alone,? is this best achieved using standard 240v or a 12v system with batteries and an inverter?what would the costs be? would it be worth it? simple answers please

[cammy12 176]

solar panels were a gimmick for the government to make it look like they were doing the green bit, depending on your consumption they can make a dent in your bills depending on where you are in the country, i think for a house to be self suficiant your roof space is no big enough going on a standard 3 bed house ground mounts can be done, ive fitted loads but never bothered finding out about the jargon will speek to my business partner and update you how many panels and what systems.

[paulus 26]

solar panels were a gimmick for the government to make it look like they were doing the green bit, depending on your consumption they can make a dent in your bills depending on where you are in the country, i think for a house to be self suficiant your roof space is no big enough going on a standard 3 bed house ground mounts can be done, ive fitted loads but never bothered finding out about the jargon will speek to my business partner and update you how many panels and what systems.

ok mate but make it simple to understand, it lost me with all the different feed back rates i dont want to feed cock all back into the system i want to power my own house

[Rake aboot 4,935]

FOr self provided leccie, the best option is a wind turbine feeding into your standard supply. This allows you normal leccie supply but the difference being it`s free for you to use while the turbines spinning, and you get paid for all the leccie that you produce, even the stuff you use.

 

Alternatives like solar etc are not so good. 12v lighting systems can be good,, excellent even,, but you main appliances need a better supply, i.e 240v. To achieve this from solar requires batteries,, they cost lots,, both to buy and maintain, as do the required invertors.

 

Wind ! thats the job

[paulus 26]

FOr self provided leccie, the best option is a wind turbine feeding into your standard supply. This allows you normal leccie supply but the difference being it`s free for you to use while the turbines spinning, and you get paid for all the leccie that you produce, even the stuff you use.

 

Alternatives like solar etc are not so good. 12v lighting systems can be good,, excellent even,, but you main appliances need a better supply, i.e 240v. To achieve this from solar requires batteries,, they cost lots,, both to buy and maintain, as do the required invertors.

 

Wind ! thats the job

my roofs south facing and i recon i could fit 18 or so of the large pannels on it, however a wind turbine would be a problem as the electricity pylons run across the back, but it is as windy as fook as i live on the top of a hill :laugh:

[Rake aboot 4,935]

The turbines can be fitted away from the hoose if you have the available land.

 

Even with the solar, you would be better with a standard supply and make the money back with the feed in tariff.

[WILF 46,267]

 

 

FOr self provided leccie, the best option is a wind turbine feeding into your standard supply. This allows you normal leccie supply but the difference being it`s free for you to use while the turbines spinning, and you get paid for all the leccie that you produce, even the stuff you use.

 

Alternatives like solar etc are not so good. 12v lighting systems can be good,, excellent even,, but you main appliances need a better supply, i.e 240v. To achieve this from solar requires batteries,, they cost lots,, both to buy and maintain, as do the required invertors.

 

Wind ! thats the job

my roofs south facing and i recon i could fit 18 or so of the large pannels on it, however a wind turbine would be a problem as the electricity pylons run across the back, but it is as windy as fook as i live on the top of a hill :laugh:

18!!!!! Holy f**k!!............you could probably do next doors as well ! Lol lol Edited April 18, 2013 by WILF

[paulus 26]

 

 

 

FOr self provided leccie, the best option is a wind turbine feeding into your standard supply. This allows you normal leccie supply but the difference being it`s free for you to use while the turbines spinning, and you get paid for all the leccie that you produce, even the stuff you use.

 

Alternatives like solar etc are not so good. 12v lighting systems can be good,, excellent even,, but you main appliances need a better supply, i.e 240v. To achieve this from solar requires batteries,, they cost lots,, both to buy and maintain, as do the required invertors.

 

Wind ! thats the job

my roofs south facing and i recon i could fit 18 or so of the large pannels on it, however a wind turbine would be a problem as the electricity pylons run across the back, but it is as windy as fook as i live on the top of a hill :laugh:

18!!!!! Holy f**k!!............you could probably do next doors as well ! Lol lol

theres 18 on the one over the road

[Lab 10,979]

Had a company a while back in too look at a possible turbine set up. Was hoping for a big one and to rent it out instead of buying. The guy reckoned where I'm situated I won't get much wind, aye right!!!! Its a windy place where I am and if Scottish woodlands would hurry up and clear fell what they say there going to clear fell ill be the windiest f***ing place in fife.... Lol

[Guest ragumup]

paulus iv been wanting some info on subject myself even just running lights and fridge......

[paulus 26]

paulus iv been wanting some info on subject myself even just running lights and fridge......

theres seems to be lack of jargon free information, this normally means theres someone in the middle making a proffit

[LaraCroft 863]

My neighbour has 20 on his roof, he says it is about cost even for the electric - he ( him, wife, 2 teenage kids, 1 only at home at weekends) says it covers the electric the house needs, and he doesn't worry about selling back. We have a well here, that supplies the 4 houses - so we don't pay water bills. He reckons he saves well over £3k a year on utilities from it, and the installation costs were paid back in the first 2 years.

[paulus 26]

My neighbour has 20 on his roof, he says it is about cost even for the electric - he ( him, wife, 2 teenage kids, 1 only at home at weekends) says it covers the electric the house needs, and he doesn't worry about selling back. We have a well here, that supplies the 4 houses - so we don't pay water bills. He reckons he saves well over £3k a year on utilities from it, and the installation costs were paid back in the first 2 years.

so how does that work, from what i can gather all the electricity produced goes back into the system and you get a payment that offsets your own usage?

[LaraCroft 863]

 

My neighbour has 20 on his roof, he says it is about cost even for the electric - he ( him, wife, 2 teenage kids, 1 only at home at weekends) says it covers the electric the house needs, and he doesn't worry about selling back. We have a well here, that supplies the 4 houses - so we don't pay water bills. He reckons he saves well over £3k a year on utilities from it, and the installation costs were paid back in the first 2 years.

so how does that work, from what i can gather all the electricity produced goes back into the system and you get a payment that offsets your own usage?

Thats what he said - they bill him for what he uses, and for what they get from the panels, and the 2 bills pretty much cancel each other out, so his net payment is between £20 and -£20 each quarter , and he just lets it roll over each time, it usually cancels itself out over the year. His other lad goes to uni this september, so he is expecting it to change a bit then, but on the whole, it balances. He is with " ecotricity" - excuse spelling, I asked him on the phone just now !

[paulus 26]

 

 

My neighbour has 20 on his roof, he says it is about cost even for the electric - he ( him, wife, 2 teenage kids, 1 only at home at weekends) says it covers the electric the house needs, and he doesn't worry about selling back. We have a well here, that supplies the 4 houses - so we don't pay water bills. He reckons he saves well over £3k a year on utilities from it, and the installation costs were paid back in the first 2 years.

so how does that work, from what i can gather all the electricity produced goes back into the system and you get a payment that offsets your own usage?

Thats what he said - they bill him for what he uses, and for what they get from the panels, and the 2 bills pretty much cancel each other out, so his net payment is between £20 and -£20 each quarter , and he just lets it roll over each time, it usually cancels itself out over the year. His other lad goes to uni this september, so he is expecting it to change a bit then, but on the whole, it balances. He is with " ecotricity" - excuse spelling, I asked him on the phone just now !

i think im going to go down the treadmill and slaves route