Saving Energy and Money

The electricity portion of average domestic energy consumption is about 15%. This is relatively low. 85% of  domestic energy use is used for space heating and providing hot water. Space heating uses the lion’s share – using three times as much energy as is used for providing hot water.

There are two types of systems for using solar thermal heat: a solar thermal system for hot water provision (lower diagram, right hand column) can give savings of around 5% – 15%. For a combination hot water and heating support system (lower diagram, left hand column) savings can be 15% – 40% of the annual hot water and space heating costs. Even greater savings can be made in low energy or passive solar heated houses. The graph on the right represents an average installation.

Largest Savings in Retrofitting Older Houses

The largest potentials for savings are where the energy use is greatest, so installing solar thermal systems in older buildings makes sense. 

Is installing solar equipment worth while?

The question of whether installing solar equipment pays off is one that is often asked. The answer is heavily dependent on future oil, gas and electricity energy prices.

Rising Oil and Gas Prices

The pay back period for solar equipment depends on how oil and gas prices develop. Over the last ten years oil prices have risen by an average of 10% a year, and more recently more quickly.

If prices continue to rise in this way, or even – as the experts predict – rise even faster, your solar equipment will very soon have paid for itself. As well as the immediate energy cost savings the working life span of your boiler will be extended through use of solar thermal energy. In summer especially, when the boiler is inefficient, the solar thermal system will provide almost all of your hot water.

Grants are available to help make solar heating systems more affordable. find out more...