Solar and Oil Range

rosullivan

I am planning to deal with my cooking, DHW and central heating as follows. Solar panels to heat the water. Will probably be enough on their own for most of the summer, but can be boosted with the oil range as necessary. Then I will also have a Rayburn Heatmaster range. They have two oil burners - one for the cooker and one for the CH and DHW.

I reckon that if the oil range has a separate burner for the DHW and CH, it is the equivalent of having a separate oil boiler anyway so you don't have to have the full range on to heat the radiators and water. Plus, the solar panels will take the chill out of the water even on a winter day. Would that system work or is it crazily inefficient? I want to have a range anyway for cooking. I don't have natural gas, so oil looks like a good alternative.

Has anyone done this, or a variation of it? I don't mind if it is not most efficient solution possible, I just don't want to think that it is extremely inefficient either.

Mothman

My setup is solar panels, wood burning range, gas cooker and electric Kettle.

The wood range and solar panels work really well together. When we have sun, we have hot water and space heat. When sun is lacking we have range for space heat, hot water and cooking. When range is off, cooking is by gas (bottled) and electric kettle is dusted down.

Wood range because I have a plentyful supply.

Is the rayburn efficient on oil for cooking? You say you'd have range anyway, so perhaps that question is irrelevant. In that case, it makes sense to me to have the range do heating as well.

rosullivan

Mothman wrote: »

My setup is solar panels, wood burning range, gas cooker and electric Kettle.

The wood range and solar panels work really well together. When we have sun, we have hot water and space heat. When sun is lacking we have range for space heat, hot water and cooking. When range is off, cooking is by gas (bottled) and electric kettle is dusted down.

Wood range because I have a plentyful supply.

Is the rayburn efficient on oil for cooking? You say you'd have range anyway, so perhaps that question is irrelevant. In that case, it makes sense to me to have the range do heating as well.

I mean the Rayburn ranges have 2 burners in them - one for the cooker and one for the central heating. Do you know if the oil boiler in a range is seriously inefficient compared to a modern condensing boiler? I presume the people in Rayburn have improved their own efficiencies?

Do you have a separate wind turbine forthe electric kettle?:)

Mothman

rosullivan wrote: »

I mean the Rayburn ranges have 2 burners in them - one for the cooker and one for the central heating. Do you know if the oil boiler in a range is seriously inefficient compared to a modern condensing boiler? I presume the people in Rayburn have improved their own efficiencies?

Now I see what you're really asking, and since I've no idea on either oil or condensing boiler, I couldn't even start.

rosullivan wrote: »

Do you have a separate wind turbine forthe electric kettle?:)

Adding in electric kettle was neither here nor there, but it is heating that the range takes care of when it is on. Electric kettle probably has no place in an off grid set up, and gas would be more sensible option.

Not enough wind here for a wind turbine to make a realistic input.

rosullivan

Mothman wrote: »

Now I see what you're really asking, and since I've no idea on either oil or condensing boiler, I couldn't even start.



Adding in electric kettle was neither here nor there, but it is heating that the range takes care of when it is on. Electric kettle probably has no place in an off grid set up, and gas would be more sensible option.

Not enough wind here for a wind turbine to make a realistic input.

Fair enough. You could consider geothermal. The tea wouldn't be hot, but you could have as much as you wanted for free (apart from the cost of teabags, milk, sugar and biscuits).

On a separate note, I called the Rayburn people yesterday and they said their oil boilers are 80% efficient. They also said a condensing oil boiler is about 90% efficient. Apart from the fact that there's 10% between them, not really sure what that means.

pete6296

I find it funny the way everyone refers to geothermal as free, does anyone even consider electricity usage on the pumping costs

rosullivan wrote: »

Fair enough. You could consider geothermal. The tea wouldn't be hot, but you could have as much as you wanted for free (apart from the cost of teabags, milk, sugar and biscuits).

On a separate note, I called the Rayburn people yesterday and they said their oil boilers are 80% efficient. They also said a condensing oil boiler is about 90% efficient. Apart from the fact that there's 10% between them, not really sure what that means.

rosullivan

pete6296 wrote: »

I find it funny the way everyone refers to geothermal as free, does anyone even consider electricity usage on the pumping costs

So true.

The tea wouldn't be hot, but you could have as much as you wanted for free (apart from the cost of teabags, milk, sugar and biscuits and the cost of electricty for running the heat pump).:)