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Like every other systems in your home, solar hot water systems will require periodic inspections as well as a regular maintenance in order to keep it running as efficiently as it should. Not only that, the various components will also require either repair or replacement from time to time. It’ll also be proactive to take the necessary precautions so as to prevent worrying issues like corrosion, scaling or freezing.

Is it a task you can handle on your own? Well, there are some inspections and maintenance activities you should be able to handle on your own, however, you’ll also require a qualified technician to carry out the more technical or complicated tasks. You should also take note that it may actually be more cost effective to have some systems replaced, shut off or removed completely than having it repaired. Here are some of the essential inspections that should be carried out on solar system components. They include:

✓ Collector soiling. Periodic cleaning of your collectors is important especially in dry and dusty climates.

✓ Plumbing, ductwork and wire connections. Check the pipe connections for fluid leaks. Examine duct connections and seals. Also make sure that all wire connections are tight.

✓ Roof penetrations. Flashing and sealant around the roof penetration should be checked to see that it’s in a good shape.

✓ Collector shading. Check for shading of the collectors on annual basis as this may greatly affect their performance.

✓ Support structures. Examine all bolts and nuts which connects the support structures to the collectors for tightness.

✓ Heat transfer fluids. Anti freeze solutions in liquid solar heating collectors will have to be replaced periodically. And this right here is a task that’s best handled by a licensed technician.

If you’re thinking about the possibility of installing a ground source heat pump in your home, then it’s normal to consider how efficient they’re in heating up a house before going ahead to make a purchase decision. In this article, we are going to address this question to help you make an informed purchase decision.

We know you’d prefer a single, accurate answer to this question, but the fact is, there are several influencing factors that can play a key role in the efficiency of a ground source heat pump installation. These factors include whether or not the property is well insulated, the fitting of a well designed system and the quality of its installation, the heat source that’s being used as well as the heating distribution system and its size ( under floor heating or radiators ).

The Coefficient of Performance ( CoP) measurement is used to imply the efficiency of a heat pump. This is basically the ratio between the amount of heat energy generated by the ground source heat pump and the amount of electrical energy or fuel it consumes. Therefore, the Seasonal Coefficient of Performance ( SCoP) is usually taken as a realistic measurement to cover throughout the year as its based on CoP at varying conditions as well as a standardized climate.

You must, however, note that there is no established Coefficient of Performance for ground source heat pumps as they can be influenced by a lot of factors as well as testing conditions. When they’re properly fitted, ground source heat pumps can achieve a quite high Coefficient of Performance.

Generally, a ground source heat pump can generate about 3 to 4 kilowatts (kW) of heat for every 1 kilowatt to electricity or fuel it consumes. It’s able to achieve a higher efficiency when compared to its counterparts by using the freely available heat energy from the ground.

Are you currently considering installing a ground source heat pump in your home? Well, a heat pump can be a great alternative when compared to gas or oil boiler, however, you may also be worried about the operating efficiency of this heating system if you live in a cold climate or during the winter months. However, in reality, there’s nothing to be worried about!

A ground source heat pump works by incorporating the natural heat that’s typically found in the ground or groundwater. In other words, this type of heat pump doesn’t make use of fossil fuels to heat your home while it can also minimize carbon emissions that may pose a huge risk to the environment. This makes a popular option especially amongst home and property owners who are very environment conscious and prefers to utilize more renewable sources of energy.

However in a place such as the UK where the temperature can drop to around -10℃ during the winter months, it may get you thinking whether there’ll be enough heat in the ground to warm up your home. Let’s have a look.

In the UK, the temperature of the ground doesn’t normally fall less than 10℃. This is still enough heat for the ground source heat pump to warm up your home. In other words, as long as you purchase the right one, your ground source heat pump will continue to work just fine during the cold months. Due to the fact that every heat pump varies, you will need the right equipments so as to ensure the heat pump works well throughout the winter. This is usually not an issue in the UK, but same can not be said of colder places like Canada and North America.

Are you interested in installing an air source heat pump in your home or property? If yes, then you’d probably want to know just how much this is going to cost. Well, so are many other potential investors in the unit and we aim to answer this question once and for all. In this post, you’re going to discover the price range at which your new air source heat pump will fall in.

As simple as it seems, the cost of an air source heat pump can’t be accurate and straightforward as there are a number of factors that greatly influences the price. These influencing factors include the size of the heat pump, the system’s complexity, your personal preference - whether simple or advanced controls, and lots more. However, according to Energy Saving Trust, an air-to-water heat pump should fall within the range of £7000 to about £11000. What’s more? You’ll also need to put into consideration the cost of upgrading your radiators or fitting underfloor heating which can also cost you thousands of pounds.

In general, the main cost of a heat pump is the upfront cost of making a purchase as well as installing it. The heat pump will consume a little amount of electricity and the running costs are also relatively low. The amount your air source heat pump will cost largely depends on your home’s size, the temperature you want your home or property to be as well as how properly insulated your home is.

The period of time it’ll take to recoup your investment in the system in energy savings will also depend on a wide range of factors including the price you pay for electricity, how efficiently the system works, how you use the heat generated and more.

If you’re interested in getting a new air source heat pump, then you’d probably want to know if they’re really advantageous, cost effective and efficient. The fact is, there are a plethora of benefits that comes with using heat pumps which is a renewable alternative to warm up your home in the UK.

An air source heat pump can help you save money on energy bills while also minimizing your carbon footprint as compared to a gas or electric heating system. Another important benefit that comes with air source heat pump is the fact that they’re quire versatile and yet affordable. Generally, they can function either for heating or cooling purposes and they can also be incorporated for either heating of space or water. In fact, in order to achieve the target Net Zero by 2050, the UK government are looking to fit 19 million heat pumps in new builds. With significant rise in the deployment of heat pumps, the grants by the UK government enables this renewable energy source to become a lot more affordable to run while also helping to minimize the burden of the air source heat pump cost.

As perfect as it seems, this renewable source of energy also comes with a number of disadvantage which we’re going to list out. Let’s take a look!

• There must be sufficient space outside the house to accommodate the external condenser unit.
• The condenser unit can make a lot of noise and even blow colder air into their immediate area.
• Since they consume electricity to operate, this also means they’re not zero carbon unless the electricity is produced from a renewable source like solar panels etc.

So do you wish to take advantage of the heat generated by the ground to warm up your home by getting a ground source heating pump? If yes, then you’d also probably be wondering how much a ground source heat pump is going to cost so you can set a budget and start planning.

Installing and running ground source heat pump can cost between the range of £600 to £700 to run on an annual basis, meanwhile it can cost you within a range of £13,000 to £19,000 to have installed. However, you should take note that these prices can be by varying influencing factors such as the size of the installation as well as any other extra work that may needed to complete the job.

When it comes to estimating the time it takes to recover the initial cost of the system via energy savings, nothing is certain as this can be very hard to determine or predict. The main reason for this is due to the fact that it’s dependent on the efficiency of your heating system, the type of system you’re replacing ( whether or not you qualify for Renewable Heat Incentive -RHI payments ), the efficiency of your home’s insulation, how efficiently the system’s controls are being used and how the heat generated from the ground source heat pump would be put to use. However, to figure out how much you’ll save, the type of fuel replacing is perhaps the most essential. For a four bedroom detached house, you can save between a range of £1,200 to £1,300 for a LPG fuel replaced, £1,400 to £1,500 for an electricity fuel replaced, £600 to £700 for an oil fuel replaced and finally, £200 to £300 for a solid fuel replaced.

Most people want to connect solar panels to a battery when they’re not at home all day to use the electricity they generate, or generate more than they consume over a day. Solar batteries are a great way to maximise the savings on your energy bills since you can use every unit of electricity you generate.

If you want to connect your solar panels to a battery, the best – and safest – way is to ask an MCS-registered company to do it for you. They’ve had lots of training and hold qualifications in handling electricity and installing solar batteries, so they will be able to recommend the best battery for your solar panels and for the among of electricity you use. Some of the brands they might recommend include Tesla, SolarEdge and SolaX, but there are many more to choose from. If you want to send electricity to the grid from your battery to receive Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments, it’s also worth leaving installation up to a registered installer. This is because you might not be eligible for payments if your battery wasn’t installed by an MCS-registered company.

However, if you do want to have a go at connecting your solar panels to a battery, it’s worth finding out whether your system is ‘storage ready’. Most relatively new systems will be, since batteries are becoming more commonplace. If your solar panels are storage ready, they will have an inverter that can easily have a battery added to it. If this is the case, then you should be able to buy the solar battery you want and follow the manufacturer's instructions to install it.

But it’s worth remembering that electricity is extremely dangerous when handled improperly. If you don’t get the solar battery connected properly and something goes wrong, it could cause a fire or you could electrocute yourself. If a fire breaks out due to your battery, it’s unlikely that your home insurance company would pay out since you connected the battery yourself. That’s why it’s always worth speaking to a registered installer to install a solar battery storage system for you.

The more you’re at home during the day, the more you can save on your electricity bill, since solar panels generate electricity during the day. The Feed-in Tariff scheme (FITs) ended in March 2019, but the new Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) pays you, via your energy supplier, for the electricity you export back to the grid. With the savings involved in generating your own electricity and SEG payments, you can expect to save up to £390 per year on your electricity bill.