Side by side testing of eight solar water heating systems

[solaryes]

Do the rules of the newly announced Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) in UK require that NET energy (ie GROSS solar heat energy - Parasitic mains electric energy) is subsidised?

No. The bumbling fools in the UK Government will tamely overpay users for GROSS solar heat energy.

This is a fraud on the taxpayer who will be subsidising energy which DOES NOT EXIST It is also an DISINCENTIVE against environmental solar consumers who want zero carbon PV pumped solar thermal systems.

Fisaco!

[solaryes]

I was told yesterday by a senior member of Carbon Trust (who set the rules, within certain parameters) that BECAUSE Solartwin has a PV pumped system then it is NOT eligible for tax breaks from the UK Government under its Enhanced Capital Allowances Scheme. Daft or what! The purpose of this ECA scheme is surely to promote the best systems, not the dirty mains pumped ones!

Another argument for the end of subsidies?

[solaryes]

Buck up old solar!

The UK Government's Competition and consumer rights investigator, the Office of Fair Trading, has been tasked to do a study of competition in the solar industry. Not a day too soon! More details on the solartwin news pages and the official OFT pages as well.

[solaryes]

Some tosh: Virginia Graham, chief of UK's REAL Code consumer watchdog for green energy has told me that vendors of mains pumped solar heating systems can no longer call it "Zero Carbon". Hooray? Er, no. Because VG now says they are allowed to call it "Virtually Zero Carbon" instead. VG says the word "virtuallly" permits "10% or less carbon clawback".

In fact, the report's's average is 17% for flat plates / 23% for sexy vaccy tubes.

Another STA-led con of consumers / solar regulators exposed!

[solaryes]

Funny that the UK government's own solar water heating accreditation scheme (Microgeneration Certification Scheme MCS) actually REQUIRES solar thermal installers to overstate performance of most solar water heating systems by 5%-10%.

On a quote from an MCS solar installer they MUST quote you GROSS THERMAL energy performance of their proposed installation.

Surely they should quote you NET ENERGY performance ie Thermal heat delivered MINUS mains electricity used? Future RHI subsidy fraud?

[solaryes]

Great idea thanks. Solartwin have in fact designed solar panels that fit into existing window frames and have occasionally done so in certain areas such as national parks or historical conservation areas where roof windows but not solar panels are permitted. There is a large behind a roof window of a historic building on a remote Scottish island. But... it is costly and there are significant extra safety and regulatory hurdles to get through.

[dirtdigaler]

why cant they design solar panels that would fit into existing window frame designes so you could pop an old window frame out an replace the top portion with a pre fab solar panel

[solaryes]

I should have said that my new youtube video asking why the solar industry is UK is allowed to falsely claim that solar "trulty zero carbon" is entitled "...solar cowboys..."

[solaryes]

I've just posted a video looking at the solar water heating industry cover-up of this carbon clawback challenge by a UK solar trade association.

Also more on zero carbon solar heating on the solartwin website.

[Doversreturn]

oh right ok then : )

[kaduisaui]

Nice explanation.

[solaryes]

Thank you very much.

[Doversreturn]

you dont need pumps,you can use convection

[solaryes]

Convection driven is indeed the ideal zero carbon solar system, but you can only use convection if your collector is below the store. If it is above it then you need a pump. In many parts of the world the collector sits on the roof while the water store is protected from freezing by being in the house below. Hence the need to pump against the forces of convection. Thanks for your comment.

[rustknight1]

thank you for the explanations and the graph is very helpful at showing how good these systems realy are and more importantly how much better they will continue to get im sure.