Notifications

Clear all

I might be being selfish but…

Well & Truly Off The Grid

Last Post by Toodles 3 months ago

6 Posts

4 Users

0 Likes

223 Views

RSS

Toodles

(@toodles)

Noble Member Contributor

5267 kWhs

Joined: 2 years ago

Posts: 809

Topic starter 11/02/2024 4:29 pm

With my ‘selfish hat’ on (and I can sport a pretty wide range of styles and sizes when I want to) Global warming does have its’ advantages! With the present warm spell we are experiencing in the SE of England, our heating requirement is really low; even with our somewhat elevated comfort level of 22.5 degrees C throughout the house 24/7 (apart from bedroom at night) our ASHP is just ticking over on 500-650 Watt hours. The ‘cold’ radiator in the bathroom is a small downside of course, though the dual fuel towel rail alleviates much of this ‘hardship’!

I wonder if this is typical of what we might expect over future years; tomorrow’s Met Office forecast suggests we will be running everything in the house on solar power and possibly still exporting a little besides.

Such low consumption sounds good to me but I realise that is only a few hairs on the tip of the dogs tail compared with all the downsides and the upsetting of the worlds natural cycles etc. But I can’t help being just that little bit grateful just the same! Regards, Toodles.

Toodles, 76 years young and hoping to see 100 and make some ROI on my renewable energy investment!

Quote

Abernyte

(@abernyte)

Reputable Member Member

2689 kWhs

Joined: 1 year ago

Posts: 148

12/02/2024 9:15 am

Aye, @Toodles, I know exactly what you mean. I look out over the current run of winters from the top of our cold hill in NE Scotland and reflect that not that long ago much of the winter would have seen us up to our armpits in snow. No more. While we undoubtably get periods of intense cold it is not the unrelenting months of sub zero or near zero that we would have experienced, and are grateful for it. I know that this "comfort" is bought by the misery of others but the selfish gene still lurks.

I also wonder if my Ecodan would have coped with the winters of old or is being able to use it also product of this warming?

ReplyQuote

JamesPa

(@jamespa)

Noble Member Member

4186 kWhs

Joined: 1 year ago

Posts: 693

12/02/2024 9:43 am

Posted by: @abernyte

↑

Aye, @Toodles, I know exactly what you mean. I look out over the current run of winters from the top of our cold hill in NE Scotland and reflect that not that long ago much of the winter would have seen us up to our armpits in snow. No more. While we undoubtably get periods of intense cold it is not the unrelenting months of sub zero or near zero that we would have experienced, and are grateful for it. I know that this "comfort" is bought by the misery of others but the selfish gene still lurks.

I also wonder if my Ecodan would have coped with the winters of old or is being able to use it also product of this warming?

All very fine until the Gulf Stream stops working, which is predicted to happen due to the melting of antarctic glaciers.

ReplyQuote

Mars

(@editor)

Illustrious Member Admin

16769 kWhs

Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 2317

12/02/2024 9:53 am

@jamespa indeed, and then our heat pumps need to adapt to months of subzero temperatures.

And the other big impact last year was a milder than usual end to the winter for us which triggered a lot of our fruit trees to blossom earlier and then they got nailed by a really cold blast that they never recovered from and we had an awful fruit harvest, so I can only imagine what havoc that causes for fresh produce farmers.

Buy Bodge Buster – Homeowner Air Source Heat Pump Installation Guide: https://amzn.to/3NVndlU

Follow our sustainability journey at My Home Farm: https://myhomefarm.co.uk

ReplyQuote

Toodles

(@toodles)

Noble Member Contributor

5267 kWhs

Joined: 2 years ago

Posts: 809

Topic starter 12/02/2024 10:11 am

@jamespa I believe that the effect of the Gulf Stream has been diminishing for some years already. Regards, Toodles.

Toodles, 76 years young and hoping to see 100 and make some ROI on my renewable energy investment!

ReplyQuote

Toodles

(@toodles)

Noble Member Contributor

5267 kWhs

Joined: 2 years ago

Posts: 809

Topic starter 12/02/2024 10:20 am

@editor ‘I remember it well’ Our heating was turned off at the end of January for the ASHP installation to commence; the old failing gas boiler had to be removed first (hence the loss of heating) so we huddled in one room, with the door shut and the gas fire on! I have noticed that all building / plumbing jobs are carried out with all possible doors and windows wide open all day long (must be something in the training programme). By the time the heat pump was commissioned on the 19th. February, spring had arrived! Regards, Toodles.

Toodles, 76 years young and hoping to see 100 and make some ROI on my renewable energy investment!

ReplyQuote