Electric Wall Heaters

Chat with fellow forum users. No adverts or trade links in here please.
Post Reply
kansas
Posts: 912
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:38 am

Electric Wall Heaters

Post by kansas »

Now that we have our photovoltaic panels connected, we are on the look-out for decent quality wall heaters with with thermostats. Ideally they should be slim panels in a variety of sizes.

Would welcome any suggestions, and are happy to travel island wide to look at recommendations.

Thanks
User avatar
Devil
Forum Curmudgeon
Posts: 3939
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:34 am
Location: Mosfiloti

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by Devil »

How much PV capacity? When we first moved here, we put in electric heating for a three bed house. It required three phase wiring and, if my memory serves me correctly, it was 3×30 A and it was used to full capacity at freezing temperatures outside. Okay, the house was not well-insulated at the time with ill fitting windows but, even so! Check the system carefully before you make any decision. Even though the house was partially insulated, at the time, we replaced the electric heating by gas central heating, mainly to reduce the swingeing electricity bills. I would have doubts about the PV system providing enough heat to keep you comfortable – it would require probably at least 20 kW, night and day!
kansas
Posts: 912
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:38 am

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by kansas »

Thanks Devil

We have a relatively modest 2 bedroom semi bungalow. Admittedly it's not insulated but we've managed quite well through the years. Our 5 year average consumption was 3.2 kW and we have had a 5 kW system installed. We already have 3 x LG dual inverters and are looking to replace the oil filled rads that we've been using through the years. We don't want a log fire nor gas central heating (just a matter of choice really).
Anarita John
Posts: 902
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:18 pm
Location: Formally Rochdale, Penrhyn Bay and Anarita

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by Anarita John »

We have been cosy and warm this winter using just 2 LG air con units, with our pv panels. We have a 24btu inverter unit in the dining room and a smaller 18btu unit in the lounge. Since the end of December, we have put the larger unit on at 3pm and run it until around 8pm. Dining area around 22c. Then, after we have eaten we have turned it off and run the smaller unit in the lounge. Some nights it has been warm enough not to have it on.
On a few occasions, when it has been cold, we have run the bedroom unit for a couple of hours before going to bed.
Again, on the few nights it has been cold, we have put the aircon units on dehumidify, in unoccupied areas, with a high fan setting, which has prevented condensation.

Devil,our 5KWH system has provided us with free electricity (with a £0.048 per kwh net metering charge) for all of this year and we still have a surplus of over 2000kwh. We have heated our pool to 27c, throughout the winter and maintained a temperature between 18c and 23c in our living areas in an uninsulated open plan 3 bedroom property.
kansas
Posts: 912
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:38 am

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by kansas »

Hi Anarita John, we do more or less the same as you. We have 3 x LG air con units (24, 12 & 9) which so far have provided sufficient heat. We haven't yet had to use ours on the dehumidifier setting and have managed to avoid condensation which we used to have occasionally before installing the LG inverters. Ours go on at around 4pm and go off at around 7pm. After this we sometimes use a small oil filled rad as back up.

What fan setting do you use on the inverters for heating. We've been using 2 but perhaps we should try a higher setting. Thanks
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by cyprusmax47 »

I would recommend to use air-cons for heating at times the sun is out and the air temperature is higher (10AM-5PM). This modern heat exchanger air-cons are using the warm outdoor air temperature to boost it with very little electricity to a higher temperature which then blows via the indoor unit into your rooms. So this would lead to even less electricity consumption as it does already. (1 kW electricity will give you 3-4 kW heat, depending outdoor temperature. Further, when running any power consumers, (also air-cons) while the sun is out, (9Am-3PM) your electricity meter would measure much less units or even give you a credit, depending the size of your photo-voltaic system. It would made no sense when in some cases your credit figures going up and up and you never uses them....

Max
kansas
Posts: 912
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:38 am

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by kansas »

Thanks for all your replies.

I seem to remember that at one time EAC cancelled the carry forward of credit each year. Reset to zero each March?

But we also heard that this was being reviewed.

Can anyone give and update?

Thanks
trevnhil
Posts: 7093
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:12 pm
Location: Polemi

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by trevnhil »

The credit units are now carried forward each year, and not set to zero in February or March.
Trev..
kansas
Posts: 912
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:38 am

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by kansas »

Thanks Trev, good to know
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by cyprusmax47 »

I forgot to mention in my above post how cheap one can heat a room (ca 28m2) with a small air-con unit e.g. 9000 BTU, newest inverter class, with an consumption of ca 300-700 watt maximum by outdoor temperature of 15-8 c to produce 2800 watt heat/h.

Providing you have a photo-voltaic system installed, you pay only 4 cent pro kWh electricity consumed. So in 10 hours running time that would be around 5 kWh electricity = 20 cent !!! That is dirt cheap and also you are doing something for the environment, no smell, no emissions.....

Max
Anarita John
Posts: 902
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:18 pm
Location: Formally Rochdale, Penrhyn Bay and Anarita

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by Anarita John »

Kansas, like you, we set ours at 2 and even down to 1 on mild winters nights when the temp gets above 21c. We are thinking of getting pv panels here in the UK as we have been shocked by the price of electricity and gas. Paying £0.40 per kwh for electricity and £0.11 per kwh for gas. Spending between £9 and £12 per day on heat and light.If we ran our gas central heating all day, as we would normally do,it would be at least £15 per day. Already, in the week we have been here,we have spent £135 on gas and electricity.
We have one firm coming tomorrow to give us a quote.
Luckily,we live on the coast,in North Wales,and our sunshine record is one of the best in the country, equal to Anglesey, which on the sunshine map,is equal to the south coast.
There is no net metering system in the UK. Any spare kwh have to be sold to your individual fuel company at,maximum, £0.11 per kwh. Therefore, most people have batteries installed. I'll post on here how we get on and our decision as to whether to go ahead. If we can get a yearly return of 5% on the initial cost, we will go ahead.
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by cyprusmax47 »

John, unlike Cyprus where you can get 1800 kWh/year from 1 kWp installed solar modules depending slope and direction, you will get much less in the UK (700-900 kWh per year)
I did a little study of your place in North Wales, and indeed it has quite a good result on my simulation program, ca 900 kWh/y again depending on slope and south direction.

Image

The price of 11 c per kWh you will get from your provider is quite OK in my opinion while the costs for battery storage are still far too high at the moment to be economical for the few kWh you will produce. Also the other equipment for storage you need costs money. On the other hand you would have a back-up in case of power cut. I wonder how the prices in the UK are at the moment for quality components and installation costs.

Max
Anarita John
Posts: 902
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:18 pm
Location: Formally Rochdale, Penrhyn Bay and Anarita

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by Anarita John »

Thanks for that information Max. Our two main roofs are East and West facing. We are thinking of having 6 pv panels on each roof. That allows us maximum amounts for exporting to the grid whereas if all of our panels were on a south facing roof, we would be limited to exporting approx 3.5kw per hour so would be forced to have fewer panels.

The company we are thinking of having are called Carbon Zero Renewables, based in St Asaph. The owner is local chair of the MasterBuilders Association.

The panels they use are all the top grade, guaranteed to be over 22% efficient and have a life of 20 years. They use the following panels. As we have asked for the panels to be pigeon proofed, the salesman needed to find out which panels the pigeon proofing kits would fit on. (they provide proper commercially made kits to bird proof the panels. Maybe Christos could look into this)

SunPower Maxeon 6 440 W 22.8 %
Longi Solar Hi-Mo 6 Scientist 440W 22.8 %
Canadian Solar CS6R-H-AG 440 W 22.5 %
REC Alpha Pure R 430 W 22.3 %
Figures from Clean Energy Reviews.

They also use solar edge inverters, and optimisers, just like Greenair.

I have spoken to our energy company today and at present,they are paying a fixed tariff of £0.15 per KWH.

Cost of 12 panels. £8695
Consumer Unit £300

If we have a solar edge battery it is £9295. However, it hasn't got a built in inverter, so cannot provide power in the event of a power cut.
Another type of battery, which comes with a unit to convert dc into ac and will provide power in the event of a power cut is £10995. However, you lose around 3%.
We will probably go with the solar edge battery. It has a 10 year guarantee.

One bit of kit we are interested in is a My Energy EDDI. It automatically uses solar power to heat your hot water in the tank, which,in the UK is inside your house.
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by cyprusmax47 »

Thank you John for all the data. I will PM you for more information regarding W/E position of the modules.

Max
kansas
Posts: 912
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:38 am

Re: Electric Wall Heaters

Post by kansas »

Many thanks to you all for your helpful info.
Post Reply