What can Renewable Energy do for me?
It can:
-Heat water by solar energy
-Produce electricity by solar, wind or water power. -Provide heat by burning biomass, e.g. wood fuel. But isn't Irish weather too bad for solar energy...? Surprisingly, it's better than we usually think. Solar energy works on light, not heat. Ireland gets more solar radiation than central England, the Netherlands, Northern Germany or Denmark. Lots of energy can be harvested, except during the darkest period of winter (November - January). Solar electric (PV) technology is particularly interesting as it works better when it is cold. |
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Can I heat my house on solar energy only?
In theory yes, but taking expenses into account, solar energy should always be combined with another heat source, e.g. a wood burning boiler. Realistically, 50-70% of hot water can be provided by solar energy. Is Energy demand for hot water not negligible ? Hot water usually accounts for a substantial amount of your energy bill: A central heating boiler may run quite efficient if it heats a house in winter - but not so, if it heats water in summer only. (It heats a large amount of 'dead' water first before transfering useful heat.) The balance looks worse again for electric water heating. Because of the low efficiency of steam power stations, electric water heating is most wasteful and expensive. (And this includes water heating in washing machines and dishwashers.) Also, the energy demand for space heating can be dramatically reduced by good insulation and 'passive' solar building design (ask your architect about this). The demand for water heating can hardly be reduced - but solar energy can cover most of it!
And what about solar space heating ? It is possible, but requires very large heat stores (usually buffer tanks) to be efficient, adding to the cost.
Can I produce my own electricity and disconnect from the ESB?
You can; however keep in mind that a decent domestic electricity supply by wind and solar energy costs in the region of Euro 10 000.- (and this is only for moderate power demand; i.e. no electric heating or cooking).
Things look somewhat better if you have a steep mountain stream nearby - a small hydro system may cost from Euro 6000.- installed. Another interesting option is producing solar electricity while being connected to the grid. Any excess power generated will be fed back into the grid. Feeding back power is hardly viable in Ireland today, but, as prices for solar electric equipment have dropped to a fraction of what they used to be, this option is very interesting for places with high daytime power demand (e.g. shops, hotels, large refrigeration plants), using the generated power instantly. In a domestic situation, you can also divert excess electricity to water heating.
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