Affordable DIY Wind Turbines- Produce your own affordable electricity

CJhaughey · 21-06-2005 10:26pm

I am not sure if this has been posted but here goes (alittleofftopic)
http://www.constructireland.ie/dail.php

xonencentral · 22-06-2005 10:22am

Just like burning a piece of timber.

Good link CJ, it tells us a lot about our government.

xonencentral · 22-06-2005 11:03am

Hot off the Press today:

Possible 36% rise in ESB prices Indefensible - Durkan FG

“Indications that ESB prices would be possibly rising by an astronomical 36% is proof that when the going gets tough, consumers are the easiest target,” said Fine Gael Spokesperson on Communications and Natural Resources Bernard Durkan TD.

“Even though we do not know precisely how much of an increase householders and businesses will face, the acknowledgement by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) that, ‘prices would be rising significantly’ is totally unacceptable. Especially since the ESB, which is State-owned, made over €250 million in profit last year. Electricity costs are already too high and are proof, if it were needed, that the lack of competition in the sector is damaging our competitiveness

Khannie · 22-06-2005 11:43am

Hey xonencentral,

First off, thanks for the info on the paper bricks. Gonna start making them today.

One question:

xonencentral wrote:

Paper bricks are easy, just use newspaper or any other light paper for the best results, tear up into strips as best you can.

Can you use light cardboard too (like cereal boxes)?
What about brown (corrugated) cardboard? (I'd expect this to go to mush after a few days in water).

Thanks

xonencentral · 22-06-2005 1:34pm

No Problem..

Don't use anything corrugated or with glue in its construction, typically industrial products. You don't want to burn glue, bad for the environment and your brickette will fall apart where ever this runs through it.

Regular paper comes from wood and just puts carbon dioxide back into the air which plants & trees use up and the cycle begins again.

Cornflakes boxes, etc OK because they use safe inks and glues but don't go any heavier, newspapers should consist of at least 60% of the batch.

Buy a big plastic container and soak for 14 days, not 13 days and not 15 days, (14 days very important).

Greenman · 22-06-2005 11:04pm

xonencentral wrote:

Hi Khannie,
And I am celebrating today, just got my new electricity bill where I have been running my turbine for the last 2 months and I haven't been that concious of using it all the time but my bill is EUR 82 and its not estimated.

So what was your bill before??

xonencentral · 23-06-2005 9:19am

Just ran through my bills, typically 130-160 Euros before I did anything.

My last bill which had my turbine up for 2-3 weeks was 107 Euros and this one is down to 82 Euros which is the first bill I got where I had my turbine running the whole time.

CJhaughey · 23-06-2005 1:19pm

Xonen
Have you looked at last years bill back to back? to compare like with like?
I know that we have a substantial variation between winter and summer.

xonencentral · 24-06-2005 9:41am

Yup, did the year,

Old Bills are:

130 Euros is the summer, (we use a fair bit more emersion as the heating is not on - Hence my DIY radiator solar panels for the summer months to try and get out of that)

and 160 Euros in the dregs of winter.

These bills are also before a number of increases since so I suppose they would be a bit higher today for comparison.

Khannie · 24-06-2005 10:28am

Apologies for going off topic on this thread again, but those paper bricks are just too intriguing to leave alone.....

Will be making the mould for the bricks this evening with some leftover wood in the shed. Do you have several moulds Xonen? Or do you have several buckets of soaking paper? Or do you just not make very many? I only ask because you were very specific about the length of soaking time.

Thanks in advance.

xonencentral · 24-06-2005 1:14pm

Yes I have one mould with several segments, each one can take a brick (a bit like a ice cube tray) and a block can go into each cube space.

I lay the mounld on the pavement, fill the segments with wet paper and press a block into each segment.

I have one large bucket which i dump everything into and then I fill all the moulds and place the blocks on top to squeeze down and get the water out overnight Next day I push out the blocks and place them in my hotpress.

Hope this helps....

Khannie · 24-06-2005 1:33pm

xonencentral wrote:

Hope this helps....

Yes it does. Thanks kindly.

Any chance of a photo? Don't worry if it's too much hassle.

I'll take photos of my construction process and progress and post them.

Greenman · 24-06-2005 6:34pm

Khannie wrote:

Apologies for going off topic on this thread again, but those paper bricks are just too intriguing to leave alone.....

Will be making the mould for the bricks this evening with some leftover wood in the shed. Do you have several moulds Xonen? Or do you have several buckets of soaking paper? Or do you just not make very many? I only ask because you were very specific about the length of soaking time.

Thanks in advance.

I suppose a webpage with a step by step pictorial guide to making these paper burning bricks would be great, including the making of the mould!!!

Would that ever be a possibility Mr Xonencentral???

Just a thought!!!

bandraoi · 29-06-2005 9:44am

can't believe you guys are advocating, unlicensed, unmonitored, small scale incineration of perfectly good recyclable material!?!

Have you any idea what the emissions from that stuff would be like?

full forward · 29-06-2005 10:13am

bandraoi wrote:

Have you any idea what the emissions from that stuff would be like?

Probably the same as peat or coal.

Also, recycling uses a lot of energy. Some people believe is more environmentally friendly to burn news papers then it is the recycle them.

bandraoi · 29-06-2005 10:24am

no, emissions from paper would be much worse than peat or coal. It's a less dense form of energy and there would be chemicals in the paper that you wouldn't get in the peat or coal, and even so I would hardly advocate an open peat or coal fire as an energy efficient way of heating a house.

You are however correct to say that recycling can use alot of energy, it's something I regularly try to get across to people, but if you're going to burn it then at least use a proper incinerator facility with monitored emissions and a properly designed furnace.

Khannie · 29-06-2005 12:28pm

Seems to me like making compressed paper bricks (see the image that xonencentral posted) makes them burn for a long time. The upside to this is (to me) obvious:

Recycling the paper involves the following (that I'm aware of):
Transporting the paper from my house to the recycling facility
Chemically bleaching the paper
Other stuff to turn it into useable paper
Transporting it to its end user

Having a home fire (assume that the house in question will have one, regardless of paper bricks) costs the following:
Getting coal out of the ground
Getting the coal to the depot
Getting the coal to your house
released CO2 from the coal

Making paper bricks saves the following energy costs that I can see:
Transport of paper to recycyling facility is removed
Transport and burning of coal is removed

On the down side, there are chemicals released into the atmosphere (not sure if paper bricks are any better or worse than coal in this regard) and surely a similar amount of Co2 is released. The chemicals would have been removed from the paper (and therefore put into the environment in some way anyway) if the paper were recycled.

Overall, the paper bricks seem like a real winner to me. Apart from the savings to your pocket.

We like having fires in the winter. They're aesthetically fantastic. I hate that they waste so much energy, so we try to use renewables (i.e. wood) for the most part. The wood we burn is locally produced (I know this from questioning the local merchant) and although my wife prefers a coal fire (less sparking, noise, warmer, etc.) she's prepared to meet me half way and uses the wood (though it is more expensive overall).

Anyway, I like the paper bricks idea. I'm not sure about some of the paper sources (like magazines) so I'll probably try and use paper that's mostly white already.

I have made the mould that I'll be using. It looks hillarious because I'm no handyman but it should do the job nicely.

Edit: Just found this page. Looks like it could be useful (though a lot more expensive than the moulds that I made from wood that was lying around in our shed).

CJhaughey · 29-06-2005 12:36pm

Why is there not a separate thread on Paper Briquette making?
It would be much better as pics etc could be posted.
just a thought.

bandraoi · 29-06-2005 12:44pm

http://www.mindfully.org/Air/Ban-Burn-Barrels.htm - it's the best I can find on the harm of burning waste materials on a small scale, it's not specific to paper but the rubbish involved has a very high proportion of paper, particularly in the Non-Recycled stuff.

The chemicals released to the air by burning paper are horrendous. Just using white paper is no better than not using magazines. The paper is made white by bleach, usually incorporating chlorine. There would also be all sorts of other additives in the paper.

The transport of paper to a recycling facility usually works out as negligble. The chemicals involved in recycling the paper can be off set against the chemicals involved in making paper from wood materials reducing significantly the increased damage to the environment.

The impact of mining the coal will be negligble because it is a tiny portion of a large quantity of coal. While overall coal mining can be a polluting activity, the proportion you would be using would be such a small portion of that, that it becomes insignificant.
Even so, as I said nobody would advocate burning coal or peat as an environmentally sound way to heat your house.

Khannie · 29-06-2005 4:38pm

bandraoi wrote:

Even so, as I said nobody would advocate burning coal or peat as an environmentally sound way to heat your house.

100% agree with that (of course)

Found this page which says:

if newspaper replaces coal in energy production, burning is preferable to recycling from an environmental point of view.

I'm assuming that this is talking about commercial energy production, which would involve transportation of the newspaper.

Edit: On other thing: in the link you provided, the amount of noxious gases released when the person didn't recycle (i.e. higher percentage paper being burned) were much lower.

I'm not saying that burning paper is the best thing in the world for the environment. For our household though, it's a question of minimising the damage, since the fire will be lit one way or the other.

I must admit, I thought that the CO2 savings would be great (compared to burning coal), but it seems like they'll be marginal enough, and that perhaps using locally produced logs would (still) be the best solution.

bandraoi · 29-06-2005 5:01pm

I'm assuming that this is talking about commercial energy production, which would involve transportation of the newspaper.

I'm very much in favour of incineration but not the sort you're involved in.
The article is quite probably correct it's more environmentally friendly to burn newspaper and other low grade papers in an modern, properly designed, properly run, properly maintained incinerator with good flue control measures to remove chlorine and sulphur residues from the flue gases.

What you're doing is nothing like modern commericial incineratation.

bandraoi · 29-06-2005 5:07pm

Also look at the statistics in that article,

Number of household burn barrels to equal pollution from a full-scale 200 tpd municipal solid waste incinerator facility.
................................Avid
................................Recycler .............. Non-Recycler
PCDD (dioxins) .................4.15 ..................1.55
PCDF (furans) ..................1.03 .................11.65
CBs (chlorobenzenes)........140.00 ................100.00
PAHs...............................83.80.................. 9.31
VOCs ................................0.07 .................. 0.01

Whatever way you look at it 4 barrels of waste burned is the equivalent of maybe half a tonne is the equivalent of 200tonnes of municpal waste incinerator dioxin emissions. That's 62% paper waste.

The non-recycler is worse in emissions, one and a half barrels produces the same proportion of dioxins as a 200TONNE waste incinerator.

The non-recycler is only better in some areas and even so, the statistics are depressing.

Nordic · 01-07-2005 8:59am

bandraoi wrote:

Also look at the statistics in that article,

Number of household burn barrels to equal pollution from a full-scale 200 tpd municipal solid waste incinerator facility.
................................Avid
................................Recycler .............. Non-Recycler
PCDD (dioxins) .................4.15 ..................1.55
PCDF (furans) ..................1.03 .................11.65
CBs (chlorobenzenes)........140.00 ................100.00
PAHs...............................83.80.................. 9.31
VOCs ................................0.07 .................. 0.01

Whatever way you look at it 4 barrels of waste burned is the equivalent of maybe half a tonne is the equivalent of 200tonnes of municpal waste incinerator dioxin emissions. That's 62% paper waste.

The non-recycler is worse in emissions, one and a half barrels produces the same proportion of dioxins as a 200TONNE waste incinerator.

The non-recycler is only better in some areas and even so, the statistics are depressing.

The best way to deal with newspaper is not to burn it or recycle it. The best thing to do with it is not to buy it in the first place. Anyone who "cares" about the environment wouldn't still be buying newspapers or burning them in whatever format, they'd be using a the paper's "e-paper" format and reading it online - no paper to get rid of. I haven't bought a newspaper for 4 years except when I was getting a hardcopy to do with Planning Permissions.

Think about what you are doing, then think of what you should be doing.
Anyone that justifies burning wood products (paper bricks, wood pellets etc) by saying that wood is carbon neutral needs to wake up and realise that they will produce carbon emmissions by being burnt that wouldn't have been produced if they weren't burn. How simple is that. Anyone who burns them is adding to the carbon problem. We don't need justifications to sort the carbon problem, we simply need less of it! End of story.

bandraoi · 01-07-2005 11:07am

ah yes but if the tree dies and rots in the wood then it gives off methane which is pretty much the worst green house gas of all . . .

(just saying it to throw another spanner in the works, but it's true)

xonencentral · 06-07-2005 5:37pm

Hi Guys, sorry on holidays but interesting posts. I feel responsible for starting the burning carbon issue but I have researched it well and the following is the reason why I have gone down the wind route as well.

The carbon cycle is not harmful to the environment if it involves the natural carbon process such as in wood pellets, paper, etc. These gives off carbon as you burn them and as we replace the trees, etc to make more paper, wood pellets, etc, they absorb the the Co2 produced and the cycle starts all over again. This is the natural carbon cycle on planet earth.
This is why burning wood pellets, timber, paper (which is wood) are all good for the environment.

Why Co2 emssions have a bad name is that we burned fossil fuels for a century which has no natural cycle and hence the carbon stays in the atmosphere, (cutting down world forests, etc. hasn't helped absorbtion).

So the ideal eco house in Ireland (my ideal house) consists of a wood burning process for hot water using wood pellets, etc as this is a renewable source of energy and does not increase Co2 in the natural carbon creation/absorbtion cycle plus RES-E as the EU directive (Renewable Energy Supply- Electricity. RES-E), hence wind/solar electricity. Soon I expect to have a large enough system to disconnect from the grid totally.

Hope this makes sense.

I'll be totally renewable in no time at all.

Greenman · 08-07-2005 6:53pm

xonencentral wrote:

. Soon I expect to have a large enough system to disconnect from the grid totally.

Hope this makes sense.

I'll be totally renewable in no time at all.

Tell us more!!!!

xonencentral · 08-07-2005 7:14pm

Simple, really, I have my turbine, I have purchased a 2KW inverter a while ago from SP to experiment and have tested every appliance I have including my emersion, kettle, etc and the inverter is actually a 4KW inverter limited to several minutes by the controller but is designed to run 2KW continious power.

So now I know what's possible, I am going to expand, got my second 270AH battery yesterday from them and I saving up for the solar panels next, and then more battery's etc. I going to go to 600 WAtts in total and add a second turbine and I'm building my DIY radiator solar water panels as well.

My wood pellet burning stove will then make me totally green and renewable and I hear these wood pellets are only 60% of the cost of oil.

I hope it sounds simple, it does to me.

Bill2 · 11-07-2005 10:53am

xonencentral,

I've been reading your posts with great interest regarding generating your own electricity. A question for you, can you list out what equipment you would need to go fully of grid, or as OFF as is possible, i was thinking of installing a solar panel on my new house but if i can use the €4-5k on wind power, batteries and inverters etc to benefit the whole house it makes more sense. A list with rough prices would be brilliant based on your exerience to date with surfacepower stuff.

Thanks in advance..

Webmonkey · 11-07-2005 11:23am

^^ Yes i would be interested in the information as well.
Have you considered setting up a website, guide to this?

Greenman · 11-07-2005 1:31pm

Webmonkey wrote:

^^ Yes i would be interested in the information as well.
Have you considered setting up a website, guide to this?

That I would like to see!!!!

BTW This is a good wind link http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_links.html

SirIrish · 13-07-2005 4:09am

A handy site showing you how to make a paper log maker
Large Version

On the same site, a smaller log maker
Small Version

By the way great thread wtg xonencentral

xonencentral · 13-07-2005 11:39am

OK, A few requests there, unfortunately, the website suggestion is a bit too big of a commitment but I also suggest you contact Surface Power, a lot of the bits of the jigsaw (in my head) which I was not sure about along the way was filled in by those guys, so I can't take all the credit for the simplicity surrounding my current knowledge. There are very user friendly and talk in plain english.

So far I have spent approx 3,500 and I have 4 battery's 2 x 220 ah and 2 x 270 ahs (11.7 KW of storage), a turbine and a 2KW inverter. The turbine on its own isn't really designed to run a 2KW output but amazingly I do use it to boil the kettle and other stuff but I think my large battery bank of storage is helping this. I bought the 2KW to experiment on my possible disconection from the grid. My next purchase is to add up to 600 W of solar power in groups of 300 Watts at a go. This will cost me approx 2,700 Euros every 300 watts from SP. I estimate that coupled with my "10" homemade radiator solar water panels onto my emersion, supplimented by a wood/paper briquette burning device of some kind, I will be in position to disconect from the grid completely. I will probably add another turbine sooner rather than later as well. Its all modular and I can keep building and bolting on so nothing goes to waste as I grow.

My total investment with SP will be approx 9,000 when I will disconnect and based on all my homework, that is incredibly cheap when I compared their prices everywhere else. I will have 1.5 KW maximum harvesting and I will add one of those 300 euro petrol 3kw generators for emergency use. [This is my green energy plan.] Based on where my bills were [oil, esb, AA,AAA batterys, etc] and all the other savings I am making, I reckon about 3 years payback and after that I will have an extra 500+ euros every 2 months in my pocket, God it might even be more with oil prices where they are.

I got a quote for the same wind solar specification (although no one can supply a silent wind turbine anywhere else) at around 31,500 plus VAT. Some difference in price, I wouldn't have done it at those prices. The cheapest wind turbine I found was the Proven 600 from the UK which I was quoted 10,800 plus VAT, shipping, and installation AND THAT WAS JUST THE TURBINE, NO BATTERYS, NO SOLAR OR ANYTHING.

Oh, Don't get me started on the rip-offs out there. Thumbs up for Surface Power guys from me anyway, they have saved me a fortune and their free advice has helped me get a solution together in my own head. One satisfied customer here.

Hope that helps, if anyone wants specifics, I will try and answer them.

xonencentral · 20-07-2005 2:57pm

Oh Bliss,

ESB networks have shut down my power to do upgrades to the network for the whole day so this forum addition is purely on green energy from my wind turbine.

And the cup of teat I just had was delightful, and I let the ESB crew outside my house know all about.

Now I know what satisfaction feels like.

Greenman · 28-07-2005 10:27pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/one_planet.shtml

Listen to this prog, well worth a listen!!!!

Let me know what you think!!!!

CJhaughey · 29-07-2005 10:50am

xonencentral wrote:

And the cup of teat I just had was delightful, and I let the ESB crew outside my house know all about.

What exactly does teat taste like?

xonencentral · 29-07-2005 11:39am

dats wit yus git witdoubt a spill chicker

Greenman · 29-07-2005 11:53am

Greenman wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/one_planet.shtml

Listen to this prog, well worth a listen!!!!

Let me know what you think!!!!

Did anyone give it a listen????

xonencentral · 29-07-2005 1:54pm

Just got time to sneak a listening; fasinating stuff, those guys are still using 100 watt bulbs ?

I am firmly of the belief that we will end up growing our own food, harvesting own own water, electricity, heat, etc within the next 10 years.

I read an artical yesterday by Duncan Stewart where he indicated that getting a A in the new energy labbeling audit when you sell/rent your house next year will require a reduction in energy use by up to 90% in normal Irish houses.

That recording is not far from the future reality.

Did you see in yesterday's Indo that the ESB power generation company (powerGen they called it ?) who only got 2.5% increase were told that there staff costs were way higher than other EU bencmarks and they would have to lower their costs, the ESB said 260 people would have to go to make up the shortfall. IF THAT ISN'T A HINT OF POWER STRIKES ON THE WAY, I'M NOT A BETTING MAN..... :eek:

CJhaughey · 29-07-2005 2:04pm

I have had a bit of trouble listening probably due to a paranoid firewall.
Going back to topic , it is amazing how many people still have the opinion that water should be free! I mean it is in Dublin but in the country people have always paid for it.
the usual argument is: the amount of rain that falls! it should be free!!
I always counter with: The water is free but who pays for the pipes and other costs?
There is already big problems with water usage in the capital with water rationing already evident, what will happen in a few years? I was thinking about a simple rainwater harvesting system using small solar pumps to lift the water in steps instead of one big high pressure pump.
I also have some info on solar water heating from solaris in cork and systemlink in dublin anyone used either of these suppliers?

xonencentral · 29-07-2005 7:31pm

CJ

With you on the rainwater harvesting. I've "borrowed" 2 x 1000 litres IBC's from work and nearly have them ready to go in. 100 euros all in including a 30 watt bilge pump (boat dealer) to run from my turbine; and I'm already paying 200-350 euros every year for a water scheme which is poor at best, and now there going metering it.

Living in rural Ireland is very expensive, and the ESB have just doubled their standard connection here to 2500 Euros. OIl and petrol going through the roof, watse collection charges of 400 euros, we work like economic robots every day to pay the bills (thanks very much Fianna Fail), would love to march on the dail but don't have any time from working to pay those poxy bills.

I think I'll buy (steal even) an island somewhere and go back to nature. :mad:

CJhaughey · 29-07-2005 8:32pm

Xonen
regarding the rainwater are you going to use it for "grey" use or is it going to be potable water?
I have thought on this and with legionella disease it may be advisable to utilise some kind of UV system inline.
There are plenty of systems available for use in aquariums and ponds that are reasonably priced and will do an effective job.
We are getting excited now, have ordered our house from scanhome.ie a 99m2 house hopefully with all the insulation it will be almost passive, I have opted for UFH with 2 circuits one water and one electric with a backup circuit for each.
I am still thinking over the final heating system with Solar/Woodburner/Air-air heatpump all in the plan.
I am still mulling over the details of the water system but I definately want to move towards RH as I feel that water charges are closing rapidly.
Thanks to Cork coco I have to pay 3500 for the privilege of being arsed about by planning and delayed for a year...again laughable.
What this government needs to do is seriously look at the housing market and pump money into sustainability or I fear that rising oil prices will put the kybosh on this economy.

xonencentral · 29-07-2005 11:23pm

We can't drink our water anyway so we have to buy that. Thats part of the reason for harvesting. I have done container measurements under my rear roof "collector" and I could probably harvest enough water for 2-3 houses.

I remember my grandparents house had a water collection system and none of us died and they just captured it and used it, I think we even drank it. Maybe our imune systems were the better for it because none of us get sick, have the flu or anything, ever. ?

Greenman · 30-07-2005 4:01pm

Here in Belgium if you build a new house you are obliged by law to put a 10,000 litre concrete tank in the ground connected to your gutters this water is then used for washing the car, watering the garden etc.

We are all on water meters here so the more you use the more you pay. I always shower but our baby has a bath and with this water we flush the the toilet. The toilet has two buttons, one for pee and the other for solids, less water for pee and more for solids!!!!

If people from Ireland come to visit and I hear them running the tap while washing their teeth I tell them about the waste and cost.

I find the Irish system where its a yearly fee whether you use 500 litres or 50,000 litres very unfair.

Before someone shouts what about financially poor people and the cost of water,well if you are under a certain income you do get help, but water metering for all!!!!!!!! makes you think.

All my gutters are connected to a 2,000 litre tank and I pump it up with an old style village pump.

Still thinking of the micro wind generator but haven't seen anything here in Belgium, I would like to see a working installation before I shell out.

Finally and I have to check this but I heard here that if you spend 10,000 euro on a solar installation you get 7,500 euro back!!!!

CJhaughey · 30-07-2005 10:10pm

Yes I am with you on that one Greenman less is more when it comes to water consumption, I have ordered the IFO swedish watersaving toilets too they are not cheap €300 but look very nice and use 3/6 litres for flushing.
I saw a neat little idea the other day a small PV solar panel running a small waterfeature, and thought to myself why can't that be scaled up for pumping Rainwater?

bandraoi · 31-07-2005 12:15am

irish toilets all have the big/small flush thing too.
If you hold the handle down, it uses more water than if you just press it for a second or two.
Take the lid off and look at the water and you'll see.

CJhaughey · 31-07-2005 11:13am

Irish toilets also use a lot more water on either method than 6 litres
regardless, anyway I want the loo to be foolproof:)

Greenman · 31-07-2005 1:41pm

bandraoi wrote:

irish toilets all have the big/small flush thing too.
If you hold the handle down, it uses more water than if you just press it for a second or two.
Take the lid off and look at the water and you'll see.

But do they really care or use this function because they do not pay by the litre???

ct5amr2ig1nfhp · 31-07-2005 5:40pm

The toilets in the house here certainly don't have a small/big flush. I have yet to see it anywhere in Ireland yet in fact.
There is no difference holding down for one second or 1 min. Once its flushed the tank empties, and begins to fill again. Maybe I'm missing something?

I only installed a new toilet recently, and was told that all new toilets must now only use 6 litres or less.

ambrose :cool:

Bill2 · 03-08-2005 3:15pm

Here's a question for all the budding eco friendly folks out there. I am building a new house shortly and i'm wondering if i buy a full system from Surface Power to take me off grid (approx €10k..) will it have enough juice to run storage heater rads in each room in the house and eliminate the need to install a standard oil fired central heating system..?? Does anyone know what electricity these heaters pull and would this kind of system be able for them.

Thanks in advance...

air · 03-08-2005 5:09pm

These type of renewable energy systems aren't really designed for direct electric heating.
What you are proposing is doing something like turning solar or wind power into electricity and then into heat.
It would be much more efficient to just go solar -> heat or wind -> heat directly although heat -> wind wouldnt be great either.

What you could do is install a renewable electricity system and use it to run a ground or water source heat pump. This would reduce the amount of electricity required for the same amount of heat by up to 80%.
Are you near a river / lake or the sea? If so this could be a good option.

Overall though, your system cost is going to be quite high unless you are willing to sacrifice a bit and reduce your energy consumption well beyond that of a typical house.
Information on the location of the house would help everyone give a more qualified response that would be of more use to you.
Of particular interest would be:
Proximitiy to rivers, lakes etc as already mentioned
What part of the country its in (relevant to sunshine hours, mean windspeed etc)
The type of terrain it is on (are you on the side of a hill perhaps, micro hydro anyone?)
Your surroundings - are you out in the open or surrounded by trees and / or buildings that would interfere with a wind gen.

Generally though if you are willing to invest and make the effort, then off grid is certainly possible. With regard to heating though, as always your money would be best spent insulating the house to the best possible extent.
It doesnt take much energy to heat a house up to 20 degrees C in the winter, however once it gets there you pump loads more through your wall's roof & floor to maintain it

Affordable DIY Wind Turbines- Produce your own affordable electricity

Comments