Renewable Energy Tech

[Pirahna]

Is there a good source to keep up with what's happening with home energy technology? I'd like to know about how current stuff works and new stuff that's available.

If everything goes to plan wifey and I will be moving into our new house tomorrow. The only utility is mains water, electricity is by solar panels feeding a lead acid battery array. Cooking and hot water are from bottled gas, there's no heating for the colder months but it's in Spain which should help. There is a small petrol generator if it all goes a bit pete tong.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Asian Boss of Mr Dazzle are probably the best people to talk to about that sort of thing.

But it sounds interesting, please keep us up to date with how you get on, shame you have to use bottled gas for cooking and heating water.

Do you have to condition the batteries regularly?

[weeksy]

Can't you install a wood burner?

[Count Steer]

The Centre for Alternative Technology has some free info - they're a bit 'out there eco nuts' in some ways but the stuff on PV, solar water heating etc might be useful. They do online courses too - haven't done one so can't comment on them.

https://cat.org.uk/info-resources/free- ... n-service/

[Pirahna]

Can't you install a wood burner?

It's already got one.

[Pirahna]

Asian Boss of Mr Dazzle are probably the best people to talk to about that sort of thing.

But it sounds interesting, please keep us up to date with how you get on, shame you have to use bottled gas for cooking and heating water.

Do you have to condition the batteries regularly?

The batteries have to be topped up from time to time, that's all I know.

Ideally I'd lose the gas and rely on electricity for everything, we'll see how we get on with the current setup first. Given it's location, solar hot water will probably be going in sooner rather than later.

[Count Steer]

Interesting that it's on mains water but not electricity - wonder why they didn't run both in?

Don't suppose wind is an option except for a few days a year.

Hydro would be - got a river?

[Rockburner]

Asian Boss of Mr Dazzle are probably the best people to talk to about that sort of thing.

But it sounds interesting, please keep us up to date with how you get on, shame you have to use bottled gas for cooking and heating water.

Do you have to condition the batteries regularly?

The batteries have to be topped up from time to time, that's all I know.

Ideally I'd lose the gas and rely on electricity for everything, we'll see how we get on with the current setup first. Given it's location, solar hot water will probably be going in sooner rather than later.

I was going to suggest solar water heating as it's probably the easiest thing to start off with, but i don't know if you'll get "hot" water per se.

[Pirahna]

Interesting that it's on mains water but not electricity - wonder why they didn't run both in?

Don't suppose wind is an option except for a few days a year.

Hydro would be - got a river?

I've no idea why there's mains water. Given the hillside location it's a bit of a surprise, it's defo drinking water so I won't complain. There is a well on the property, I've no idea if it's usable but intend finding out.

I've not seen any electricity pylons/posts anywhere nearby, I'll pay more attention to see where they are.

[Horse]

If the well is not suitable for fresh water (although it might be ok for irrigation if growing food?), could you find out whether it might be deep enough for ground source heating? Insert pipes, backfill.

[Mussels]

Asian Boss of Mr Dazzle are probably the best people to talk to about that sort of thing.

But it sounds interesting, please keep us up to date with how you get on, shame you have to use bottled gas for cooking and heating water.

Do you have to condition the batteries regularly?

The batteries have to be topped up from time to time, that's all I know.

Ideally I'd lose the gas and rely on electricity for everything, we'll see how we get on with the current setup first. Given it's location, solar hot water will probably be going in sooner rather than later.

I was going to suggest solar water heating as it's probably the easiest thing to start off with, but i don't know if you'll get "hot" water per se.

Solar hot water can get proper hot, the downside is it can take a long time so use sparingly.
It can also cost a lot to install so as always shop around and consider older tech as it could do just as well for a lot less money.
PV solar panels with an immersion heater might be better, then the energy is more flexible. I've seen some new cheaper options coming to market recently, not as efficient but much cheaper.

[Hoonercat]

Is there a good source to keep up with what's happening with home energy technology? I'd like to know about how current stuff works and new stuff that's available.

If everything goes to plan wifey and I will be moving into our new house tomorrow. The only utility is mains water, electricity is by solar panels feeding a lead acid battery array. Cooking and hot water are from bottled gas, there's no heating for the colder months but it's in Spain which should help. There is a small petrol generator if it all goes a bit pete tong.

Congrats
Have you visited the property in the summer months? Just a note of caution and may not apply, but worth asking neighbours (if you have any) what the water pressure is like in summer, houses on hills in hot countries can struggle during hotter periods due to high water usage by those down below. I know a few people living in the higher parts of the village here who have to have water storage tanks which refill overnight.

[Yambo]

I use bottled gas for cooking and more recently for boiling water for tea and coffee as the cost of electricity has gone through the roof. We get lots of power cuts in the winter as well - a 4 hour cut last Sunday. I have 2 gas bottles for obvious reasons and one will last about 10 months (a bit less now because of the tea making!).

I have a wood burner for heating the house in winter. I'd love to put in solar for heating water and electricity but we currently are not allowed to have the kit on our roofs. I'm working on changing that.

I don't know if your climate is similar to here Pirahna (and I live at sea level, not up a mountain) but I don't need the wood burner every day. Lots of wasted sunlight though.

[JamJar]

I saw a video on Linus Tech Tips where he was installing solar panels that do both electricity generation and hot water.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I saw a video on Linus Tech Tips where he was installing solar panels that do both electricity generation and hot water.

This seems like a really obvious thing to do, I wonder if more people are looking into it. Only about 20-30% of the sunlight which falls on a solar panel gets turned into electricity, the rest gets turned into heat. Kinda makes sense that you'd want to suck up that remaining 70-80% into something useful right? All you need to do is mix electricity and water

I can't offer any helpful advice on this topic really BTW. I'm more about the underlying technology and the big trends, rather than the specifics of any one domestic installation type.

[Horse]

I can't offer any helpful advice on this topic really

the underlying technology

Me neither

Re tech. About 10 years ago I saw a prototype system which used some sort of phase change materials to store daytime heat for night time release. However, not heard anything since, presumably it wasn't feasible.

Edit: feasible, or economic, then. As energy prices increase, that might change.

[Mr. Dazzle]

In a similar vein, some solar furnace power stations can keep generating for a few hours after sunset by using the energy stored in molten salt. There's a lot of juice involved with melting, freezing and boiling.

[Horse]

... energy stored in molten salt. There's a lot of juice involved with melting, freezing and boiling.

Hence putting stones into a hearth, then using them to boil water.

Another that I saw just once, possibly from Israel, was solid triangular section block window 'blinds', mounted to pivot.

One white side, one black.

In summer, white facing out to reflect the sunlight.

In winter, black face out to heat the block, which acts as a storage heater. Rotate to face in to release the heat.

[Count Steer]

... energy stored in molten salt. There's a lot of juice involved with melting, freezing and boiling.

Hence putting stones into a hearth, then using them to boil water.

Another that I saw just once, possibly from Israel, was solid triangular section block window 'blinds', mounted to pivot.

One white side, one black.

In summer, white facing out to reflect the sunlight.

In winter, black face out to heat the block, which acts as a storage heater. Rotate to face in to release the heat.

AKA a Trombe wall (when used as a heat store) although the rotation part is novel. Usually they're just a big heat store like a storage radiator. We designed them into the core of some low energy retirement bungalows in the 80s. A high level glazed area allowed the sun to shine on a thick internal wall so it heated up during the day and released heat overnight. Problem was you couldn't turn it off in summer! Putting a blind on helped but people got used to the light level and thought it was gloomy.

[JamJar]

Here's the LTT video I was talking about: