Solar Power House!

[Michael Alexander]

How many of you out there in the real world have solar power running either your house or geyser? Has it been worth it?

[SandyB]

It works ,, I installed  2007 ,, electricity bill dropped 20 - 25 % average  .. I set the  timer for  electric operation generously so as to be assured of hot water  on cloudy days .. summertime the water comes out scalding hot with no power consumption , winter time it helps ,  keep in mind the solar radiation is less ,,
Its  the very first  tried and tested to reduce consumption and reduce grid load , then CFL's .. then as I have done converted all y outside lighting to LED ,, ..

[Bob Molloy]

Yup, had solar water heating for yonks and seen each version become progressively become more efficient over the years. My present rooftop installation is a SolarHart, similar to the one in the photo. Efficiency at present just edges over 20 per cent in summer. In winter around 16%.

The difference between my results and Sandy's is possibly due to the higher annual sunshine hours in Cape Town. It would also help if I kept the receptor surface clean. Payback time barely breaks even as local power costs are cheap. 

Back in the late Seventies when I was Science Reporter at the Cape Times I had Shell install their dinky little test unit on the roof of my Hout Bay cottage and ran it for two years. The results were published monthly. They averaged just over 18% in summer and 16 in winter.

The NZ government offers up to 20% rebate on the cost of home insulation and solar water heating.  The uptake has been huge, around 30 percent of householders. There is also some progress with wind generation with a number of wind turbines alread in operation.

Our local power company (communally-owned) smiles at all that frantic effort towards cheap energy. It can afford to, sitting as it does on top of a thermal field. Two bore holes gives them enough steam to supply energy to the entire region which they do at little more than cost, plus an annual Christmas dividend to all householders.

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

LED lighting is very expensive.
To replace 2 5ft Fluorescent lamps in a fitting can cost a R1000 or more.
Two normal lamps will cost R50. 

[SandyB]

We not  talking about the tjoob  lights we talking CFL bulbs ,,Me picking up  LED  warm white ES bulbs at builder warehouse for + - R 129 a pop ... 

[Michael Alexander]

I wonder by what percentage the power consumption in the town would drop by, if every geyser was replaced by a solar one.... must be a substantial saving.....

[henniek]

those of you have done the Solar geiser thing , advice will be welcome  . I am in the market ,as my ordinary one is kaput , and needs replacement - And while we are at it , I was thinking of adding the solar thing as well. What is the costs involved ?

[SandyB]

My  solar geyser 200L with stainless steel  PEX  lined tank ( no corrosion no need for sacrificial cathopde)  plus the  evacuated glass tube  panel cost 14G in 2007 ,,I went for quality  ...  prices have remained pretty good , and if you in SA you get a rebate if you use an ESKOM accredited supplier ,, never mind the cost or  maths of payback  its the  right thing to do ,and if electricity keeps on going up the way it  is  its the sensible thing to do ,, Hennie  check around ,, but make sure you get a quality tank ,,

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

http://www.itssolar.co.za/heatpump_basics.php#

[SandyB]

Agreed on this one as well ,, diffs is in a sunny part of the world a solar heater consumes nothing ,, methinks a combo of the two would be the cherry on the cake taking all situations into consideration , the heat pump supplying heat a a lower energy demand than  solar electrical backup ... read an interesting one with a refrigerant driven turbine system using low temp geothermal water  as heat source ,,, all interesting and technology growing ,,,