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New house build renewable energy considerations

  • 15-05-2017 6:45pm
    #1
    Rofla
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1 ✭


    I will be building my own home and am wondering what are the best renewable energy considerations. The house itself is medium, 230 m² and will be a story and half. There will 2-4 people using the house approx.

    We will be linked up to natural gas so compatible systems would be ideal.

    There seems to be interest in PV technology although it is expensive but it seems like solar trump's in terms of output from what I can gather. Can anyone suggest their best combination of renewable energies. I have been scouring the internet but I cannot find any websites which cover this in detail.

    Wood pellet and ground source also possibility. Any suggestions would be really appreciated


Comments

  • #2
    quentingargan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,627 ✭✭✭quentingargan


    You'll get lots of bias, but if you have natural gas onsite anyhow, the cheapest way of meeting your obligations is probably solar PV. You can scale a system so it meets renewables, EPC and CPC. There is more than just renewables to be met... You can later fit a diversion unit to get useful hot water from surplus electricity produced, or you may even add a panel or two to optimise your hot water supply. Payback is still 15 years or so, but at least the system is maintenance free and will wash its face over its lifetime.

    You really need to do a provisional BER assessment now and study the options with your assessor. That's where you will get independent advice that can truly meet your needs.


  • #3
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,815 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    You could have the solar PV with a heat pump, and then not have any gas hookup. If the house is really well insulated, this could make a lot of sense.

    You should make sure your house is really well insulated. This is by far the most important thing.


  • #4
    gooner99
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,056 ✭✭✭gooner99


    Wouldn't natural gas still be the cheapest to install and run?

    Replacing oil or bulk gas would be a different kettle of fish.


  • #5
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,815 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    Swings and roundabouts, I think.

    Gas will probably be around the same or a bit cheaper. If you calculated it out, avoiding the gas standing charge might make the difference in the end.

    A lot really depends what your cost of capital (interest rate basically) is. The heat pump + PV is going to have higher up-front costs for sure.

    Now, if the house is really well insulated, the heat demand might be so low that you only really need a smaller, less expensive heat pump. That could swing it toward the heat pump.

    It really depends. It also depends on your view of the likely future cost of gas and renewable electricity.


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