Has anyone got any experience of thermodynamic solar panels?

EarthRod

Correct.

Daddy k

With my current experience of an exhaust air heat pump I urge people to stick to a good old efficient gas combi boiler.

Google nibe 360p, for an idea of what happens when new ideas are installed in UK homes. FAIL.

The house building just isn't upto standard for a lot of these new fangled systems to work.

Our electric for 3 months has been over £1500, using over 80kwh units a day.

EarthRod

Wow - googled that and was amazed. What are they doing!? I thought the old-fashioned electric storage heaters were bad enough!

So you are currently paying about £500 per month which is horrendous. Is there anything you can do to get the system changed or some of your money back?

Daddy k

There's on going things taking place with the house builders. My case will probably be easier to sort that others as I have emails from nibe technical saying the max house size should be 80m2. Mine massively over it.  
Plus the same system is installed in the 2 bed houses on my development, what plumber would think the same system in a 2 bed 2 storey should also be installed in a 4 bed 3 storey?

But it's been a big issue for people everywhere.

We're currently trying to get the "excess usage" paid back by the housing association who own a percentage of our property.

I have neighbours that are £9000 in debt due to the system. It's appalling.

EarthRod

OK. The C/H system fitted is 'unfit for purpose'. Trading standards might be interested if the builders are stalling until their warranty runs out.

Is the house still under the builder's warranty or guarantee?

Did you have the house surveyed before purchase?

I'm in a recently purchased new 4-bed 3-storey town house (118m2) but fitted with a bog-standard gas condensing boiler. The house is still under the builder's 2-year warranty and already they have carried out a lot of repairs and replacements.

.

riseabdn

As an accredited MCS solar & heat pump installer we looked at these system and it was soon evident they were not fit for purpose.

I suspect there is a niche market for them, however the technology is being touted to susceptible buyers with caims of "free hot water" "get £10,000 RHI payment" and all that nonsense by crooks and charlatans.

Nothing against the basic technology, i just wasnt able to obtain any reliable test evidence, reports etc by credible test labs such as TUV.

For the costs ive seen touted, you would be much better going for a proper solar PV system installed by one of many installers and installing an Immersun (or similar) type device.  Get something thats tried, tested & certified to the hilt.

As an electrical engineer im biased towards the electrical devices, however Solar Thermal works for many although im not the greatest fan of it.

Colin mcm

I have just purchased a system and 4kw pv from Solar Power Scotland as I have oil heating which is killing me slowly stay in a large 4 bedroom bungalow estimate about £350 a month to heat and hot water with oil.
here is hoping the savings are real .
they are running a finance through Barclays
found this link reviewing running cost by a user                                  remember click i symbol as video not as relevant as text with it

for hot water only

RMCF

Over the last few years I was thinking of buying solar panels for water heating, and ended up coming across these and doing a lot of reading on them.

There is a crowd in Ireland who install them, and from what I have read, they are getting rave reviews as a cheap way of heating your water (excluding the initial capital outlay of course).

I think the term 'solar' is misplaced on their advertising of course. As mentioned above, if they generate hot water at night (and yes they can do that) then they are of course obviously not solar. I just think that the term 'solar' is currently one of the buzz words in the industry, and the people marketing thermodynamic panels obviously think having 'solar' tagged on to their product will help with sales.

IronGiant

Thanks for that clarification RMCF

stuartp

Yes we have been looking at work fpr some large installs.  We have decided to hold until get mcs and validated manufacturers claims which need to be checked independently we feel. I have concerns of cold temp action against brickwork all time. Seen product first hand seems impressive but 5yr warranty conceens me from Portuguese company.