Find an Electrician you can trust in Porth.

It’s always recommended to use a certified electrician to carry out electrical work. They can self-certify that their work meets building regulations. While some parts of electric heating systems can be installed as a DIY project, the thermostat and other control wiring legally must be installed by a certified electrician. There are a range of competent persons schemes in operation.

If you’re thinking about installing a solar system in your home or property, this is probably one of the things you’d like to know before making a purchase decision. Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into this to help you make the best informed decision possible moving forward. Let’s take a look!

First and foremost, it must be stated that providing a short and accurate answer to this question is nearly impossible as the amount of time a solar panel will last after dark is influenced by a number of factors. These factors include the size of your solar system, the battery size as well as your power usage. As you would have imagined, batteries are charged when there is excess energy that’s being produced by your solar system but it’s not being incorporated to power your home or property. More often than not, this occurs during the sunlight’s peak periods from about 10am to 2pm.

The time it’ll take for your battery to charge is influenced by the size of your solar system in Kilowatts, the size of your battery as well as the rate in which your system is being used. Your battery can be charged in a day or two, of course unless it’s an over-sized battery for your system.

When the sun sets and your solar panels can no longer directly run your appliances via electricity generation, the battery then kicks in. You will use about 1 to 2 kW’s of power if you’re watching TV, using the oven as well as lights internet etc. in other words, even a small solar panel battery will last all night. However, the same doesn’t apply if you’re having a party with running floodlights, three fridges and air conditioner as the battery will drain a lot faster.

Asides from the fact that solar energy can be converted into electricity with the help of solar panels, there’s also another pretty cool way the sun’s power can be harnessed - solar thermal technologies. These technologies are able to convert sunlight into heat rather than power and these are in fact the very first solar energy products that were commercialized in the United Kingdom. Solar thermal panels, in a similar way to solar PVs, can help in minimizing your carbon footprint while also assisting you to save good money on your energy bills by providing the much needed coverage for your heating needs with the help of a renewable energy source that’s totally free.

Solar thermal panels provides some great benefits which is capable of making all homeowners in the UK consider installing one in their respective homes. Let’s take a closer look at these benefits.

✓ When compared to solar PV panels, they’re a more affordable heating option and also have a shorter payback period.

✓ Solar thermal panels are more efficient than PV panels due to the fact that the heat waves are able to hold more energy than sunlight and also because there’s no electricity transformation process.

✓ Solar thermal panels are able to operate in cold climates, strong wind as well as overcast weather, and make use of an energy storage system.

✓ They can help you save about 600kg of carbon dioxide emissions on an annual basis.

✓ Although most of the solar thermal panel systems come with a warranty usually within the range of 5 to 10 years, they’re able to last up to 25 years. What’s more? The require just a little maintenance, meaning the main cost you’d have to worry about is the cost of installation.

Can You Replace A Gas Boiler With An Electric Boiler?

In the UK, there are about 22 million households that are heated with the use of a gas boiler. However, do not assume that they’re the best type of boiler to install. The fact is, if your house isn’t connected to the main gas supply, the best option is for you to install an electric boiler rather than a gas boiler. So is it possible to replace a gas boiler with an electric boiler? The simple answer is yes. Both heating system options work in varying ways and also with a different impact on the environment.

The gas boiler is able to generate heat with the help of a gas burner. A heat exchanger is linked to the burner and heats the water available in its chamber. The hot water is then supplied to the heating circuit.

However, the thing is that natural gas can actually be more affordable when compared to using electricity to operate your boiler, but they have a negative impact on the environment. This is because gas boilers make use of an odourless, colourless and poisonous gas - carbon monoxide.

Meanwhile electric boilers are powered by electrical energy, hence, no carbon monoxide leak risks. Instead of using gas to heat up water, electric boilers distribute energy to heating elements which, in turn, heats up the water. So thinking about what’s best for the environment, you’d go for electric boilers. However, they’re more costly and are not as efficient as oil boilers.

If you reside in a smaller house that’s not connected to the main gas supply, then you might want to consider installing an electric boiler. However, if you live in a larger house, an electric boiler may not be the best option as they’re mostly designed to generate little quantity of hot water.

There are a few factors that will determine whether it’s worth getting a solar battery. They involve how much electricity you use, how often you’re at home and whether you receive any export payments.

To work out whether it’s worth getting a solar battery, you need to work out how much of the electricity you generate you’re using already. If you’re able to run all your appliances during the day while your solar panels generate electricity, then it sounds like you’re already using your electricity well. It might not be worth you getting a solar battery in this case.

However, if you’re not at home for a lot of the day, then you’ll be missing out on the electricity your panels are generating while the sun’s shining. If you install a solar battery system, you can store the electricity that your panels generate in the battery and use it when you get home. This will help you cut your electricity bills even further.

You’ll also need to consider whether you’re getting paid to export your electricity. If you’re on the Feed-in Tariff scheme (FITs) or receive payments from the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), you’ll get paid for every unit of electricity you export to the National Grid. Before you decide whether it’s worth getting a solar battery, you’ll need to weigh up whether you’d be better off carrying on exporting your unused electricity rather than storing it to use yourself. If you’re unsure, visit the Energy Saving Trust’s website or speak to an MCS-registered installer who will be able to help you work out which is more cost-effective.

Are you thinking about installing a solar thermal system in your home? If yes, the you’d most likely be wondering the exact amount the system is going to cost. Well, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common question when it comes to solar thermal systems and we aim to answer that in this article. So let’s get started!

Unfortunately, the cost of a solar thermal system can’t be given in a single, accurate answer as they vary widely. However, when getting a new solar thermal system, you can expect to pay a sum within the range of £3000 to £6000 ( this includes a lowered VAT rate of 5 percent). The figures provided takes into account the installation costs as well as all the parts ( such as control panel, solar collectors, hot water tank and pipes).

To determine the price of your system, the quality and type of the panels matter. For instance, according to the Solar Trade Association, a properly insulated twin coil cylinder system would be priced at around £4500. in the same tone, it’s also possible to get DIY solar thermal kits that includes all the required hardware which will cost within the range of £1500 to £250. This however, may not be eligible for government support. In order to benefit from the RHI, your system must be fitted by a MCS accredited installer.

The varying prices of the solar thermal system’s initial cost is based on the specification of each individual house. For example, in situations where the building is having complicated water system, the plumbing cost is expected to increase which will have a serious impact on the overall cost of the solar thermal power system.

If you’re thinking about installing a solar thermal system in your house, it’s always important to put into consideration numerous factors before you proceed. While some solar thermal systems are suitable for use at home, there are also some that are suitable for businesses or organizations which normally requires a big amount of hot water like hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals and many more. You’ll also find some types available in the market that are suitable for communities to satisfy communal hot water demands.

It should, however, be noted that solar thermal systems do not have the capacity to produce all the hot water demand of a house. In the UK, an average household will need an annual water heating of between 3000kWh to 5000kWh. Whereas, a solar thermal system is only able to meet about 40 percent to 60 percent of this demand.

With that in mind, it’s also worth noting that during the summer months when the solar radiation is at its peak and hot water demand is relatively lower when compared to other seasons, a solar thermal system may be able to provide all of your household’s hot water needs. This implies that during this period you may not find the need to operate your boiler at all. However, during winter or colder months, when you have a higher hot water demands in contrary to a lower solar radiation, a solar thermal system will only be able to take care of about 20 percent of your household’s hot water needs. And that ultimately implies that during this period, you’ll need to rely more on a alternative or backup source of heat like gas, coal, electricity, oil or LPG.