The Environment Thread :-)
58 watchers
Aug 2022
7:18am, 2 Aug 2022
3,269 posts
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JRitchie
Upstream companies are making profits because the wholesale price (they do not set the price) is going up. The largest losses in corporate history came from energy companies in 2015 - 2018 when oil and gas prices plummeted.
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Aug 2022
7:21am, 2 Aug 2022
3,270 posts
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JRitchie
And it’s state actors that many the most money when prices go up. This is why Russia don’t give a damn reducing the gas supply to Europe. They are still generating record income.
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Aug 2022
9:44am, 2 Aug 2022
91,479 posts
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Hanneke
It is so disgusting! Was talking to a neighbour yesterday who said the same... we both want a stand alone solar/wind power system and drill for water... We may even work together on this in a year and a half... As in using the same companies to negotiate a better price... |
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Aug 2022
9:45am, 2 Aug 2022
91,480 posts
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Hanneke
And it would be good not to drill into the same aquifer if we can...
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Aug 2022
10:16am, 4 Aug 2022
17,823 posts
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rf_fozzy
So, I've had a couple of quotes for Solar PV + Battery - a couple more still to get. You might expect PV installers to say this, but they've all said Solar Thermal isn't worth it. Which I'm really not sure about. As part of the quote, I've given them my annual gas and elec useage (13500kWh and 1600kWh respectively), the latter of which is extremely low apparently (the solar PV guy really didn't believe it was so low!), but that's partially because my hob is gas and the hot water and heating + shower are all using the boiler. I need to reduce my gas useage, so that's why I was thinking of Solar Thermal. Any comments/suggestions/random thoughts welcomed. In terms of Solar PV+battery, it'll cover my entire electricity useage with room to spare (and make me a significant amount in exports). It's now just if I can afford the cost with the other stuff I need to do. |
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Aug 2022
10:21am, 4 Aug 2022
91,569 posts
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Hanneke
I was advised to heat my water electrically rather than use a boiler that needs oil or gas. I have no heating in there but once I have solar panels, the oil boiler in the house goes in favour of electric too. I can trust my advisor as he is a friend and is doing my installation because it is me, not for commercial gain. They normally do.massive systems, not a small domestic one. Think whole islands etc... |
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Aug 2022
10:22am, 4 Aug 2022
91,570 posts
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Hanneke
In stead of a solar thermal.panel, you are better of with another solar. Solar thermal.is only really worth it if that is the only thing you can do. |
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Aug 2022
10:32am, 4 Aug 2022
17,828 posts
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rf_fozzy
OK. Why? Solar Thermal is extremely efficient. Surely it makes sense to go: Sunlight-> Hot Water Rather than: Sunlight -> Electricity -> Hot Water The latter has to be more lossy than the former? |
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Aug 2022
10:57am, 4 Aug 2022
1,256 posts
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fuzzyduck79
Quite lopsided your gas to electric usage. Only 4.4kWh per day on the electric. I think that might make solar thermal viable in your case. This suggests solar PV generates ~150kWh pa per sq metre for average UK property: theecoexperts.co.uk Assuming an 85.25% lifetime efficiency rate, a 350 watt panel will produce 298 kWh per year in the UK, on average. And this suggests that a flat plate collector thermal solar system might generate 350kWh pa per sq metre (slide 7): assets.publishing.service.gov.uk All dependent on where you live in the UK, there's a good map on the govt pdf showing the gradient of solar radiation |
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Aug 2022
11:21am, 4 Aug 2022
1,257 posts
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fuzzyduck79
Range of comments from users at the bottom here: thegreenage.co.uk Does feel like you will probably end up with an excess of hot water in the summer months, which you can't sell back to the grid. Some users report continual maintenance issues. Vaillant have discontinued all their thermal panels by the looks: vaillant.co.uk Overall impression it's not a popular market, but that doesn't mean it's a write off. |
Useful Links
FE accepts no responsibility for external links. Or anything, really.- why Kodak completely missed the boat when it came to digital cameras
- rf_fozzy: This is quite a good article about how disruptive technology work
- run free's Grand Designs example Ben Laws is a man who built his dream
- Carbon Commentary carboncommentary.com
- UK ombudsman for problems with electricity or gas
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