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Low carbon options for single room heating

Wood Burners, Biomass, Small Scale, Biofuels & Other Heating Alternatives

Last Post by Sapper117 4 years ago

10 Posts

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Smoke me a Kipper

(@smoke-me-a-kipper)

Eminent Member Member

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 12

Topic starter 16/02/2022 6:09 pm [#322]

Hello forum..

Long time lurker and reader of this very useful forum.

Thinking of PV and storage install this fiscal - just horrifying some of the rogues out there so thought I'd try to leverage some of the knowledge, experience and advice here.

My Background. Tiny 3 bed terrace, well insulated (C), own home. Very low Energy User. 4kw/hr per day when i'm here. 1.5 -2 on a workday.

On heating - I have a relatively new gas boiler (2020) that should see me through to the ban and only heat 1 or two rooms (for guests) so usually about 2M3 per day ATM - that includes a single tank of HW per day. Mines not a combi - so just program the HW for a 30min per day.

Gave up the car 20 years ago (lived in london for 30) now just a motorcycle or two.

Would be interested to learn what low carbon options there are for single room heating - (more efficient than direct electric) as there's no point putting another whole home system with just myself living here.

Always good to admit ones biases upfront - so here it is. I LOATHE energy companies. All of em. With a passion.

Therefore my ideal journey to net zero ideally involves disconnection from the grid - both gas and electricity then living within what I can generate. Independence Yay!

Now I'm repeatedly told it cannot be done, I'm a fool and life will be hell. TBH just makes me more determined. With my V.low usage, future higher efficient panels and storage - I'm optimistic it could be achieved.

Kipper

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JulianC

(@julianc)

Honorable Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 336

16/02/2022 7:37 pm

@smoke-me-a-kipper welcome to forum. A laudable objective to go off grid. But I’m not sure you’d achieve it in winter. Whilst you have a low electric usage, I generate very low solar PV in winter from my 4kW PV. Wind turbine? Certainly you should be able to get off gas. But what about an EV in the future?

Also further opportunities for you to improve home insulation to B or A if you are at C at the moment? This would also refit our heat demand and lower costs.

Lots to consider and lots of help / discussions here.

Daikin Altherma 3H HT 12kWh ASHP with Mixergy h/w cylinder; 4kW solar PV with Solic 200 electric diverter; Honda e and Volvo EX30 Ultra Twin Performance electric vehicles with Myenergi Zappi mk1 & Ohme chargers

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Smoke me a Kipper

(@smoke-me-a-kipper)

Eminent Member Member

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 12

Topic starter 18/02/2022 12:29 pm

@julianc Thanks.. I know winter looks grim ATM - the calculations for solar look like I'd only just be able to make it with todays panels @20% efficiency. I'm sure in practice this would be very difficult atm. Seen some developments in tests where they got them to 45%. That would be a huge game changer.

The roof can take a 4kw system, and I 'did think about adding a sunshade / like a sloped port for another 3.

Sure I can get off mains gas, but for a single room heating need (south facing so does solar warm through the DG quite well) Think I'd need 6/8 KW per day if I were to use direct electric or equiv on a really cold day.

Not thinking EV, don't have a car and don't want one tbh, I also don't have off-street parking. Will keep the motorcycle as long as i can. Plus an EV would also require a Smart Meter which I will never have. (Reaches for tin-hat in preparation). Ditto for feeding into grid - as an alternative I plan to explore 'antminers' to use the excess solar crypto mining in summer months as opposed to grid feeding. Friend of mine plays in this space and seems to do quite well at it from a returns pov.

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Derek M

(@derek-m)

Illustrious Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 4425

18/02/2022 1:18 pm

Posted by: @smoke-me-a-kipper

@julianc Thanks.. I know winter looks grim ATM - the calculations for solar look like I'd only just be able to make it with todays panels @20% efficiency. I'm sure in practice this would be very difficult atm. Seen some developments in tests where they got them to 45%. That would be a huge game changer.

The roof can take a 4kw system, and I 'did think about adding a sunshade / like a sloped port for another 3.

Sure I can get off mains gas, but for a single room heating need (south facing so does solar warm through the DG quite well) Think I'd need 6/8 KW per day if I were to use direct electric or equiv on a really cold day.

Not thinking EV, don't have a car and don't want one tbh, I also don't have off-street parking. Will keep the motorcycle as long as i can. Plus an EV would also require a Smart Meter which I will never have. (Reaches for tin-hat in preparation). Ditto for feeding into grid - as an alternative I plan to explore 'antminers' to use the excess solar crypto mining in summer months as opposed to grid feeding. Friend of mine plays in this space and seems to do quite well at it from a returns pov.

To minimise energy consumption to could consider a small Air to Air ASHP, which should be able to heat a single room in the most efficient manner. Though I still doubt that you would be able to go totally off grid.

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Smoke me a Kipper

(@smoke-me-a-kipper)

Eminent Member Member

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 12

Topic starter 18/02/2022 2:43 pm

Thanks Derek - I'll have a look at those. Anything more efficient than direct would be interesting. As for off-grid - I may have to as I suspect AMI will be mandated eventually and I'm not hopeful we'll get an opt-out option like you can get in countries like the US.

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Smoke me a Kipper

(@smoke-me-a-kipper)

Eminent Member Member

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 12

Topic starter 21/02/2022 9:49 am

These looks quite reasonable for single room heating folks or those that cannot afford the full hp.

https://www.aircondirect.co.uk/p/1576425/telefunken-12000-btu-a-easy-fit-dc-inverter-wall-split-air-conditioner

👍

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Graham Hendra

(@grahamh)

Estimable Member Member Professional Installer

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 110

21/02/2022 12:04 pm

why not use an airconditioning unit or an air to air heat pump as we call them these days. You can get one installed and supplied for £1000 by any local installer if you get it done before the summer. In summer the lads are busy so it costs more. good luck.

look at a midea unit they are very good and ridiculously cheap www.freedomac.co.uk

Heat pump builder

👍

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Smoke me a Kipper

(@smoke-me-a-kipper)

Eminent Member Member

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 12

Topic starter 21/02/2022 3:02 pm

thanks graham... specs look good. and efficiencies as high as 4 (at least on paper). Install and operation look a lot less complicated also.

MIDEAUK.CO.UK "https://mideauk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/MIDEA_PRODUCT_SHEET_CONSOLE.pdf"

Anyone have any real-life experience with these modular units? cop/running costs info?

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Jeff

(@jeff)

Noble Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 601

23/02/2022 10:31 am

Just as an alternative. A heat pump with everything in a single internal unit with no outside mechanism. Just two vents. Hence doesn't need fgas installer.

I will leave to others to comment given i have no experience of heat pumps.

https://www.airconcentre.co.uk/products/powrmatic-vision-3-1-all-in-one-dc-inverter-air-conditioner-and-heat-pump-3-1kw-vis3-1dw

powrmatic-vision-product-brochure (1).pdf

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