Solar info

[Guest MrsHills]

Yep - bored at work today!!! - anyone have any idea just how many solar panels (or should I say kW's needed to run a 4 bed place?

 

Its all well and good them saying a 1.5kW system is cheap but if I need 20kW not such a good deal!

[RockDr]

That's going to depend what you're using the electricity for. E.g. is your oventop gas or electric, is your hot water system gas or electric, what sort of heating/air-con are you using?

 

assuming the solar systems stores up the electricity (else how would you turn the lights on at night) and the 1.5kW is the average rate at which it stores this up (if it's a maximum value, then bear in mind that on cloudy days, you'll have much less power storage), that would give you 15kWhr a day, assuming 10hours of sunlight

 

a little electric fan heater can be up to 2000W (2kW), so for every hour that it's running it would use up 2 of the 15 kWhr.

If I recall correctly, our reverse cycle aircon is rated at 500W, so would use 0.5kWhr for each hour that it's running.

 

Your electricity bill should tell you how many kWhr you've used per month, so that can help give you some indication of your average daily needs. (bear in mind that you need enough to cover the highest months of use unless you're going to top it up from the grid, and there'll be spare capacity the rest of the time)

[The Flinns]

Have a look here: Solar Power Installers | Solar Quotes | Panels, Systems, Energy, Electricity

 

This site is brilliant for all you need to know about solar energy.

[Guest kangomik]

There may be some confusion here. Unless you have a battery storage facility then you won't store the energy.

If you don't use energy during the day this energy goes back into the grid, you are paid for this energy. then when you use energy at night you pay them.

 

So if your not in much during the day then your not doing to badly, if you are in all day, for what ever reasons, and have washing machines iron's electric cookers running in the day (big tv's) then your not going to be putting much back - on sunny days.

 

I was told 1.5KW isn't worth it unless you live on your own and work all day, and you should be looking to as close to 3kw as possible - there is a cost in this of course.

 

It takes about 4 years to pay you back, it gives you a huge carbon foot print as the stuff used to make it is not too good carbon wise, but if you are going to stay in your current accom then personally i think it's a good idea, and seems to have dropped in price alot recently.

 

I believe that if you get a rebate for one type of solar system you then cannot get a rebate for the next.

 

Let us know how you get on.