Bart
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Registered: 19th Aug 02
Location: Midsomer Norton, Bristol Avon
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Has anyone installed any of these such items at home in a bid to save money/energy?
For a long time ive been curious about this, but never properly looked into it.
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_Allan_
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Registered: 24th Mar 04
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Just get the g/f round with her mates, they will natter like fuck for an hour or so about shite and you'll heat your home for the winter 
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myke
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Registered: 7th Feb 01
Location: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
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they're a great idea and if i was speccing a new build from scratch i'd definately include some renewables.
The pay back on some of the items is shite though, and it'd take probably about 20-30 years to pay back the cost of installing a wind turbine by the amount of monthly savings to your leccy bill.
Is the thing even going to last as long as it's pay back duration?
I'd definately look at ground source heating though if starting a project from scratch.
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a_j_mair
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Registered: 23rd Jan 04
Location: Scotland
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all depends where you are really
turbines can be good in the right situation
solar panels again can be good but are more aimed at the people wanting to make a difference rather than save some cash at present
is ongoing research and de3velopment and they are getting better but as mkye has said
ground source heating is by far the most cost effective renewable to date, only really suitable for new build or major redevelopment rather than retro fit
best idea is to turn off your tv etc, maybe buy more efficient appliances, dont use tumble dryer or heating as much
energy saving light bulbs
etc
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Bart
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Registered: 19th Aug 02
Location: Midsomer Norton, Bristol Avon
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On a similar sort of note, has anyone seen the Google PowerMeter?
quote:
Google, in its continuous effort to help us all go green, has started to rollout Google PowerMeter.
PowerMeter is a Google gadget that will help you regulate your homes power usage. The idea is simple, if you can monitor and measure your own power usage then you will be able to help reduce your utility bill by observing where you are wasting energy.
Google has teamed up with a list of power providers that have begun installing new smart meters that when paired with PowerMeter allow the user to observe their power usage. The initial list of participating companies is as follows:
• San Diego Gas & Electric® (California)
• TXU Energy (Texas)
• JEA (Florida)
• Reliance Energy (India)
• Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (Wisconsin)
• White River Valley Electric Cooperative (Missouri)
• Toronto Hydro–Electric System Limited (Canada)
• Glasgow EPB (Kentucky)
The devices will soon be available to millions of users who will hopefully take advantage of this technology to help reduce strain on the power grids. The consumer can also see a direct result of their efforts to reduce their energy usage by having their utility bills each month be lowered.
Hopefully more providers will jump onto the smart meter bandwagon so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of monitoring their own power. It's these types of small improvements that can vastly reduce our carbon footprint when adopted on a wide scale.
Soon to be released In every home in britain, which looks impressive.
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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We've got a wattson in the house here, I still think they're a massive con but it does make you think what you've left switched on.
I love being able to monitor everything but 2020 is ages away.
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Richie B
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Registered: 18th Apr 04
Location: Newcastle
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Stuff like this will only happen on new built imo because of the CfSH. Can't see people adding them to older homes because the cost is so great right now and the technologies aren't really well known/used/developed
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Rob_Quads
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: southampton
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CurrentCost meters are used over here for something similar. Quite a few at work have started using them and doing all sorts with them.
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charcoalgrill
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Registered: 23rd Oct 02
Location: Bristol
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quote:
Originally posted by a_j_mair
turbines can be good in the right situation
ongoing research and de3velopment and they are getting better but as mkye has said
ground source heating is by far the most cost effective renewable to date, only really suitable for new build or major redevelopment rather than retro fit
best idea is to turn off your tv etc, maybe buy more efficient appliances, dont use tumble dryer or heating as much
energy saving light bulbs
etc
Barratts are the first (and no sure if only) mainstream housebuilder to help the governments 2012 aims in researching sustainable energy and zero carbon (they are also working with e-on and have developed a low carbon village)- they came up with that solar panels were quite useful, but wind turbines werent worthwhile, but obviously it was an early stage and as you say they are still researching it.
Im sure that you can find a company that will install solar panels locally, and i would be interested to know if you find any, and if they are any good 
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drunkenfool
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Registered: 7th Feb 03
Location: Hereford Drives: Audi R8 V8
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My dad bought me one of those energy monitors recently and I know it's helped, for instance I had no idea how much electricity my amp uses when its on but not playing any music (around 80-90 watts!) so now I make sure thats on standby when its not used. I also bought a network caddy for my hard drives, my flatmates quite often watch the stuff I got shared on my comptuer so I used to leave it on 24/7 but I now turn it off when its not being used cos the media is shared remotely 
One other thing, ive not looked into the cost of renewable energy from power suppliers, but Im assuming that it would work out cheaper than generating it at home because the larger turbines etc are more efficient, so maybe it would be a better idea to invest in renewable sources that way? I would love to have a turbine/solar cells though
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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EON are going to start fitting smart meters into everyhome from later this year I think it is, thats approx 11m homes. Their meters (from what I understand) can show you the current level of energy consumption much like above.
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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My energy meter has allowed me to prove to my dad that the adverts on tv saying you can save 100 quid a year for every item you don't leave on standby are a lot of tosh.
The thing they are talking about don't even use that much over a whole year altogether.
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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More 'green' propaganda 
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Simon
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Registered: 24th Apr 03
Location: Oxfordshire
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Turn your TV off during adverts to save even more
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drunkenfool
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Registered: 7th Feb 03
Location: Hereford Drives: Audi R8 V8
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quote:
Originally posted by John
My energy meter has allowed me to prove to my dad that the adverts on tv saying you can save 100 quid a year for every item you don't leave on standby are a lot of tosh.
The thing they are talking about don't even use that much over a whole year altogether.
My sister tried to tell me a few weeks ago that leaving things on standby can use more electricity than leaving them on. I tried to point out to her the basic principles of physics and electronics but she just got all defensive  Bless.
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Leo_Foci
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Registered: 29th Nov 05
Location: Hull
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We've just launched Air Therm and Ground Source pumps were i work and i tell you something..... you've got either have lots of money or a hell of a lot of land for the ground one. The Air Therm sounds ok but looks like a toy box in the back garden!
Or a tree hugger who wants to do everything in their power to save the earth.
Just do what every sane person does that whats to save money... turn blackpool off and make sure you turn electrics off at the wall, not just on standby.
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AndyKent
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Registered: 3rd Sep 05
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GSHPs are a good idea tbh.
We will be installing one for a client who isn't connected to mains gas and doesn't want to be lumbered with oil (and the cost of oil is only going one way remember) so the £10k cost of putting a GSHP in doesn't bother them much.
Although, they are also having to pay nearly £30k to get electricity, water and BT to their land!
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Jules S
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Registered: 24th Dec 03
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tbh renewables are coming along quite a bit these days, but as said, they barely pay back in their lifetime (and that excludes maintenance)
I read a paper recently (not the tabloid variety) that suggest that PV's are going to come to the fore in the next ten years. They will become super cheap to produce (v expensive at the mo) and the applications will be integrated into clear films for fitting to windows etc.
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a_j_mair
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Registered: 23rd Jan 04
Location: Scotland
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quote:
Originally posted by Leo_Foci
We've just launched Air Therm and Ground Source pumps were i work and i tell you something..... you've got either have lots of money or a hell of a lot of land for the ground one.
we specify ground source heat pumps quite a bit
they are really not that expensive roughly £20k for full heating system with a £4k grant back
you have to install underfloor heating or radiators anyway along with a bolier so the only extra cost is the heat exchanger
we always use bore holes with them though that way all you need is a 6" hole 80m in the ground and dont have to dig up acres of land
PV units are coming on leaps and bounds
seen an episode of grand designs and the people had pv built into the windows, was very expensive though
the newer units are using a different makeup (cant remeber off the top of my head) but i am sure i needed something like 6m squared for a 1Kva supply
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