solar panels (domestic)

[Sir Bronking]

with the ever increasing rises in gas and electricity bills'O'-red

has anyone ever ventured into the solar panel idea? for all/some of their domestic energy

 

[Channel Hopper]

Our neighbour has heat panels for their swimming pool.

I always wanted a wind turbine, and really annoy the neighbours

Here is a good site on the various considerations of solar heating / electricity generation.

http://www.unlimited-power.co.uk/Site_Index.html

 

[Lancelot]

Don't do anything without a visit to this place.
Spent a couple of days there about 15yrs ago.
Really is worth spending a long day there if energy alternatives interest you.

http://www.cat.org.uk/




L.

 

[spiney]

Snag with solar panels - apart from high cost - is, manufacturing them in 1st palce may actually use more energy than eventually saved, so they might end up actually increasing pollution!

Of course, you can aviod that by re-using old radiators (there's lots thrown away in skips!) and painting them black .....

 

[Lancelot]

For heating water you can use two plates of glass bottom one black, and drip feed between them for preheating water. PV panels are a bit trickier though.


L.

 

[Sir Bronking]

Don't do anything without a visit to this place.
Spent a couple of days there about 15yrs ago.
Really is worth spending a long day there if energy alternatives interest you.

http://www.cat.org.uk/




L.

now thats what i call a good day out, and wheather permitting could go their sometime soon. cheers L.

 

[Lancelot]

Get there before October,as the water powered rack and pinion cliff railway stops for the winter.



L.

 

[spiney]

Yes, Lancelot, agreed, the glass is essential, to "trap" the heat!

Also, yes, semiconductor manufacture not usually done at home on kitchen table, or even in the garage.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Of course, you can aviod that by re-using old radiators (there's lots thrown away in skips!) and painting them black .....

Ooooh, skips.

 

[2cvbloke]

Did some one say Skips????

As for that radiator idea, I never thought of that, I'll have to have a go someday...

 

[mhku]

So if I paint my radiators black I'll save money? Is that something to do with black body radiation and thermal coefficients or something?

 

[Channel Hopper]

So if I paint my radiators black I'll save money? Is that something to do with black body radiation and thermal coefficients or something?

Yep, and yep.
Transfer of heat is improved by better conductivity of the surface to the air surrounding the radiator, the darker the colour (and matt finish helps by increasing the surface area), will give some 30% or so increase in efficiency.

Don't touch one accidentally though.

 

[mhku]

Ahh... so being black the radiators will lose heat more efficiently?

 

[Channel Hopper]

I think 'transfer' is the word you are looking for . No point in pumping hot water back to the boiler.

 

[mhku]

So logically I should paint them a darker shade of black the further away from the boiler the radiator is?

 

[spiney]

Paint as black as possible, physics: "black body radiation/absorbtion".

http://www.egglescliffe.org.uk/physics/astronomy/blackbody/bbody.html .

Other thing is, then cover with glass (energy then cannot be re-radiated, it's actually the famous "greenhouse effect"!).

The trick is, paint as black as possible, to absorb as much as possible of the solar radiation (as visible light). However, when re-radiated back out in thermal equilibrium (as infra red), the longer wavelength radiation then can't go back the other way (through glass), hence the radiator temperature rises, and you can pump away the heat!

 

[2cvbloke]

and you can pump away the heat!

Not forgetting to insulate the in/out pipes to prevent heat loss and/or freezing...

 

[Channel Hopper]

Is there more than one shade of black ?

 

[2cvbloke]

Is there more than one shade of black ?

Erm, I would assume so as there's always diffrences between black things when I've compared them side by side...

 

[PaulR]

Is there more than one shade of black ?

As Los Bravos fanmously said "Black is Black, I want my Baby back"