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Renewable Energy Requirements - Cheapest Option?

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  • 21-03-2009 3:00am
    #1
    GoneShootin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,478 ✭✭✭


    What's the cheapest option out there to allow me to meet the new building regs for having at least one source of renewable energy? I've finally come around to sinnerboys way of thinking [pump money into insulation & airtightness]. But as I need something, what's the cheapest option?

    Was all gung ho for solar panels, but reading up on the ROI doesn't fill me with any great confidence. I want something in the 10 to 15 year mark for ROI, not 40+!


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    #2
    muffler
    Registered Users Posts: 45,821 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    Moved to RE forum.


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    #3
    PeteHeat
    Registered Users Posts: 648 ✭✭✭PeteHeat


    Hi,

    A lot depends on the amount of heat you need, perhaps if you go higher than the regs with insulation to get as near to passive as possible an air heating system might work best as I expect you are fitting MHRV anyway.


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    #4
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    In my opinion the Regulations are flawed . You must provide a blanket minimum of energy per m2 irrespective of how low you take your energy demand down

    A B1 ated house may require only 75kw/hr/m2 per year
    or
    An A3 rated house may require only 50kw/hr/m2 per year
    Or
    An A2 rated house may require only 25kw/hr/m2 per year

    but in any event you must provide

    • 10 kWh/m2/annum contributing to energy use
    for domestic hot water heating, space heating
    or cooling, or
    • 4 kWh/m2/annum of electrical energy, or
    • a combination of these which would have
    equivalent effect.

    There ought to be a sliding scale but there is not

    HRV is not a renewable energy technology i.e.it is not

    "technology, products or equipment that supply energy derived from
    renewable energy sources, e.g. solar thermal systems, solar photo-voltaic systems, biomass systems, systems using biofuels, heat pumps, erogenerators
    and other small scale renewable systems."

    There is a massive mistake here in the regs . Focus ought to be on reducing energy demand not supporting expensive technologies .

    OP - sorry there is no simple answer - ROI does not come in to it - which is why in my opinion it is regulatory requirement . Because left to ROI - who would invest in renewables at their current costs. By supporting these industries in this way - the regs will see the high costs maintained .

    Given the actual situation ( as opposed to the one I would like it to be ) I would choose a combination of solar thermal and wood stove as the least worst options


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    #5
    GoneShootin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,478 ✭✭✭GoneShootin


    sinnerboy wrote: »
    least worst options

    Exactly!


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    #6
    gizmo555
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭gizmo555


    sinnerboy wrote: »
    There is a massive mistake here in the regs . Focus ought to be on reducing energy demand not supporting expensive technologies .

    This is all of a piece with the daft CO2-based road tax which takes no account of actual mileage and the VRT reliefs for owners of such environmentally friendly modes of transport as hybrid Lexus 4x4s.

    There should just be a meaningful carbon tax on fossil fuels. All other grants for and regulatory requirements for allegedly green technologies should be removed. The market will very quickly sort out the most effective ways of reducing energy demand and/or substituting fossil fuels with renewables. Such taxes also adhere very clearly to the principle that the polluter pays.

    One can't help wondering what the real agenda is here. Is it to reduce CO2 emissions, or is it to provide Irish companies with a captive market from which to recover their R&D costs?


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    #7
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    The real agenda is to ignore the low hanging fruit ( 1 in 4 houses in Ireland have NO attic insulation ) and relieve fuel poverty in Ireland and kick a huge dent in our national CO2 emmisions and to focus instead on making the rest of us mis spend ( expensively ) on the hi tech stuff .

    And to avoid grasping the nettle that taxes must be raised to massively overhaul our electricity production methods to make that more efficient . We take the bitter pill easier with grant assisted panels and boilers etc

    ( My 2 cents)


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    #8
    GoneShootin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,478 ✭✭✭GoneShootin


    /me attempts to drag everyone back on topic!


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    #9
    muffler
    Registered Users Posts: 45,821 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    GoneShootin wrote: »
    /me attempts to drag everyone back on topic!
    A fine idea :)


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    #10
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    Employ a building designer who can use DEAP to fully answer your query .

    Without knowing a lot more about your house you have had about all you can expect here .


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    #11
    GoneShootin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,478 ✭✭✭GoneShootin


    sinnerboy wrote: »
    DEAP

    you wot mate?


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    #12
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    http://www.sei.ie/Your_Building/BER/BER_Assessors/Technical/DEAP/


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    #13
    No6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,489 ✭✭✭No6


    sinnerboy wrote: »

    Given the actual situation ( as opposed to the one I would like it to be ) I would choose a combination of solar thermal and wood stove as the least worst options

    I would suggest looking at a wood pellet heating system, a bit more expensive than the combination of the two above but will give you definate cost savings and faster payback. Use only a system with bulk storage anything else is a con and will cost a lot more to run but organise your pellet storage internally preferable in a garage and preferebly at high level to deliver the pellets to the boiler by gravity!!!


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    #14
    sinnerboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,433 ✭✭✭sinnerboy


    In a rural setting I would agree No 6 . Space heating and DHW all by renewable is a clean shot .

    In urban area space can be at a premium however .


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