fairy&cake Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 HEY GUYS! does anyone have any wind turbines and solar panels???? ANy help would be greatfully received. How much are they? Can you still get Grants?? Hmmmm? Are there regulations? i would like to be able to have either depending on which is cheaper, and how easy they are to install. Love Laura xxxxxxxxxx thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing Gal Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Don't waste your money. The domestic turbines generate very little electricity for your needs and it will take years to recover your outlay. The solar panels will heat your water, so it may be worthwhile if your house already has all the latest economy/environmentally products and fitment. eg underfloor heating. But again you will have to invest in the really expensive panels and it will take about 25-30 for you to gain any financial advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 The wind turbines they sell in B&Q are a huge waste of money and generate next to nothing. If you have neighbors don't go for a big one, they are noisy - luckily I like the sound of nextdoors one but it really whistles on a windy night, his own sons went mad when he put it up. Also it is sited in clear ground with no surrounding buildings - he owns a field at the end of his garden. As above the solar panels are for water heating, also your roof needs to face the right direction for them to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkleeeeee Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 i asked the council carbon reducing advisers at a a local show and they said that if you are in a listed building or a conservation area the council will more than likely refuse planning permission. we would probably not get permission for the windmill as its grade ii listed and because the house is on the same site it will be the same. i wanted it to be able to be fairly self sufficient and i cant see who would notice solar pannels on the top of a windmill, apart from the aircraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 i.....we would probably not get permission for the windmill as its grade ii listed and because the house is on the same site it will be the same. i wanted it to be able to be fairly self sufficient and i cant see who would notice solar pannels on the top of a windmill, apart from the aircraft. Wow, you live with a windmill.... how amazing! I love those things. Shame you can't get your solar panels. You'd have to be freakishly tall to notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkleeeeee Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 does anybody remember seeing the grand designs episode with the man in norfolk and the watertower in a wood? he put solar pannels on the roof and the council had complaints and made him remove them well i drive past it on my way to the auction veiwing every week and i think he might have the pannels back on (but it is hard to see) so he might have got around it. or the neighbours had changed their minds. i am sure that the old lady who lives in a house with a bit of garden bordering us will complain, she came around the instant we lit a bonfire once and wanted to start a huge row. i just put it out and said sorry and she just kept on about how her grandchildren couldnt go in the garden etc. but the wind was blowing away from her garden and it was raining so i didnt really see the problem and i just stood there until she gave up and went, i certainly wouldnt argue with her. you just cant please some people!!!. it will be interesting when we put the planning permission in for the windmill. i did think about solar tiles in out last house and i think the grant was 50% then which would have made it £2.5K as we were planning to sell and move up the property ladder i didnt think we would get our money back so we didnt do it. there must be someone on here who has solar pannels or tiles or a turbine. i would love to know if they have been worth while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 You local council website should tell you about grants. OH sent off for some info on solar panels, I'll have a look for it if I remember. Did you ever watch it's not easy being green? They fitted some solar panels, and a wind turbine. We have a plan for a new build house in the country with lots of environmentally friendly things added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 We've had numerous people coming to see us (at our request) to talk about new (more energy efficient) boiler, solar panels, underground heat pump, wind stuff and what not, and all my green hopes were thoroughly crushed... We're not in a good place for wind turbines, and the solar panels could only be fitted in one particular place on the roof, where there isn't much room, and would apparently only provide 'a fraction of our hot water'... As for the underground system, it would involve digging up the whole garden, and most of the floor in the house as it would have to be linked to the existing system in the boiler room... Apart from the cost, it seems it is not really worth digging up a whole house (they also want to dig into walls to fit new pipes and various things, and totally rip fitted cupboards in boiler room as the new boiler couldn't be fitted where the old one is), to save a bit of hot water... we do not use that much hot water at home anyway, as hubby is often away and my girls are still at the age where they share a bath... I'm sure we'd spend more energy doing the works than we could ever save afterwards, plus we'd have a demolished house!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 At my work they put in the WIndsave one from B & Q and I echo the OP who says its a waste of money - generates hardly anything at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I was just in B&Q and they have moved the pathetic windsave one into a display front of store along with some solar panels. Its a fraction of the size of my neighbors one which he has mounted on top of an old container in the field behind his garden. He has a large house and even his doesn't generate ALL of his electricity, last couple of days I havn't seen it move. I still love the idea of one but I just don't think it'll be worth my while. If I ever achieve my dream of having a swimming pool fitted I will get solar panels on my roof to heat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 Just seen this thread. We have solar panels on our house. They were there when we moved in. They actually stopped working a few months ago and we haven't bothered o call someone to come out and take a look because even if it only cost £200 to get it fixed then it would take years to recover the money. We have 3 fairly large panels on our roof facing south and we're in a sunny part of the country but the energy generated was rarely enough to heat the water fully. Although I love being green I just don't think it's cost effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneG Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 We have a wind turbine on our allotment which my dad built We also have a small solar panel to power a light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 H'mmf. I read this post because I was thinking of a wind turbine - where we live is really windy - and solar panels - south facing roof, but where we are isn't particularly sunny. I'm really disappointed now! Ah well, much better to find out now than after the cash is spent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
