Low carbon Heating
When your house is heat efficient you do need expensive boilers & heating systems. Passive houses require so little heat just a simple direct electrical heating device will suffice, such as underfloor or a simple plugin heater.
As long as you are buying 100% renewable electricity , all of the heating methods below should be low carbon. Heating with electricity at night can be much cheaper if you are on a variable tariff like economy 7.
When To Heat ?
If you're fully committed to a low carbon life you are probably on or want to switch to a renewable tariff with a low night rate. This affects -when- you heat. Houses with a large thermal mass can be heated over night & "coast" through the day. The perfect combo may be an oversized heat pump storing heat in the fabric of the building, then "coasting" through the day. My house requires 1.6kW x 24hr = 38.4kWh in the depths of winter. It is well insulated / retrofitted for economy.
A heat pump with a COP of 3.7 would require 38.4 / 3.7 = 10.4kWh x 34p = £3.53 /day
Below is a rough guide showing best times to have the heating on.
A heat pump with a COP of 3.7 would require 38.4 / 3.7 = 10.4kWh x 34p = £3.53 /day
Below is a rough guide showing best times to have the heating on.
Air / Ground source heat pump
Heating & Cooling NO Radiators
This type of unit cost £650 and can be installed in a day. It generates roughly 2.5kW of heating or cooling for 670w of input. COP 3.7
Pros
Cons
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Heat Pumps with radiators
The typical air source heat pump, you are looking at costs ranging from £9,000 to £20,000. You may have to change your current radiators for larger ones as the water in not as hot so requires a bigger surface area. You can "coast" through the day and heat at night on low tariff for further savings. Pros
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Bitcoin mine heating
Here's a breakdown / comparison between ASIC heating vs Gas boiler. More mining info here
www.thehodler.info/mining Due to outrageous UK electricity costs & low bitcoin price Bitcoin mine heating is not doing very well at the moment. |
A completely new way to heat your house !
Imagine an expensive hair dryer that just happens to make money ! Bitcoin mining hardware (ASIC's) blow out lots of warm (26c) air, why not use it to heat your house? Power it with 100% renewable electricity and you have zero emissions heating. Once set up its just a matter of flicking a switch or setting a timer to turn it on. Then eventually selling (or not) the resulting Bitcoin to pay for the electricity. Pros
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Heat Batteries
Sun Amp
Sun Amp Heat Batteries can be charged using any energy source. You can off-set peak energy costs by charging your Heat Battery with cheaper off-peak electricity, or divert energy from your solar PV, heat pumps or other renewable sources. Once charged, the heat can be released instantly when needed, delivering hot water and space heating during peak times.
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Caldera
Some heat batteries store heat in hot rocks (500c), others store as latent heat like those hand warmers you have to break to start off. They both have the advantage of being able to use cheap off peek electricity.
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Heat pumps give you more heat (or cooling) energy than you put into them, if the unit consumes 1kW you get 3-4 kW.
Cheap and easy or big and expensive ?
This will depend on your House style, size & Insulation level.
More in depth info here
https://mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk/assoc_files/JFbJGfAj_0.pdf
Cheap and easy or big and expensive ?
This will depend on your House style, size & Insulation level.
More in depth info here
https://mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk/assoc_files/JFbJGfAj_0.pdf
Electric heater
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Running 1 or 2 oil filled heaters that cost a few pounds each could save you a fortune in installation. Run them on a timer if you ave cheap night rate
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Wood Stove
Everyone loves a wood stove (apart from the neighbours) & with the high price of fule you cab always burn the furniture ! 😳
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