[Gllug] [OT] Technobabble

[Mike Brodbelt]

On Fri, 2005-11-18 at 08:22 +0000, Nix wrote:.
> 
> Well, alas most of those applications fail on a little more
> consideration. e.g. preheating water for central heating. Unless you
> plan to absorb energy in the summer and store it for *half a year*, or
> you live in a warm part of the world, solar absorption from a rooftop
> for one day won't come close to providing enough heat for (e.g.) a
> winter evening.

It's not quite as bad as you think. My parents had solar panels
installed on their roof a while back (they were on special offer, as the
manufacturer wanted "reference installations", and my Dad is something
of a gadget freak). The panels are not photovoltaic, they just heat both
the domestic hot water and central heating. In summer, they provide
enough hot water that the boiler is alsmot never on, and in winter, the
output water is usually 15-20 degrees higher than input. Even though
it's then heated further, that has saved energy. I think the repayment
of install costs in terms of fuel saving is quite long (10-15 years),
but they have definitely saved energy, and have been pretty much zero
maintenance as far as I'm aware.

Mike.

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