Hello from the West Midlands

[Joeboy]

It's also unobtrusive.

And good for keeping those reds at a nice drinking temperature.

Chicken or egg?

[Stinsy]

Something I am trying to work out is whether each storage heater needs 1 cable or 2. I don't have experience of these sorts of heaters and there seems to be conflicting info online.

Are there any benefits to the more modern storage heaters or should I look to get older second hand units and refurbish them?

Thanks for all the help

I guess two cables would be one for Economy7 and one for daytime? I've just wired one to my storage heater (old one from Ebay). Beware of modern storage heaters that have so-called 'smart' controls, if you're wiring it up to a PV diverter then you want something basic with no electronics in it.

I should have clarified, my storage heater (1.6kW) is wired directly from the second output of my PV diverter so it gets what's 'spare' once the hot water tank is up to temperature. As the PV diverter's output is variable it can only drive a simple resistive load. I don't have a TOU tariff like Joe.

That is the best way to do it! Lots of PV diverters also have timer functions for ToU tariffs so can do both.

[cojmh]

Nothing wrong with that plan. If it were me I would go for:

• One SH for the living room/dining room (open plan)

• One SH for Downstairs hallway

• One SH for Upstairs landing

I'd then use Gas for the rads under each window. There will be plenty of days when your big 10kWp-ish solar array produces enough electric to keep your SHs charged with all the heat you'll need while the weather is still cold enough that you need the heat. But there will also be lots of days in December/January when you'll generate little-if-any electric, so you will rely on ToU electric if it is available...

Another thing to think about is air-to-air heat pump. This is basically an AC that can work in reverse.

Sounds like a plan

I have looked at the air to air heat pumps .... but I was concerned about how efficient they are in really cold weather when I am not generating much.

But what really sells me on the Storage Heater idea is that I can potentially get a TOU tariff (although the best ones seem to be tied to BEV .... so might have to get one of those too!) and effectively charge them up for later use especially in the winter

Thanks for the suggestions though

[cojmh]

It's also unobtrusive.

And good for keeping those reds at a nice drinking temperature.

I must admit that the very same thought crossed my mind when I saw the photo!

[ecogeorge]

Can't seem to keep my wine rack that full !
George

[Countrypaul]

Definitely not good for the wine being that close to a heater

[Joeboy]

Definitely not good for the wine being that close to a heater

I shall endeavour to work left to right.

[Countrypaul]

Need to work quicker, I sure there are willing volunteers on here to help you, just ask

[cojmh]

Well my Eddi (and accessories turned up today)

After the suggestion to check the manual, I have also ordered the expansion board plus all the bits I need to connect up .... So that will one of the first things I get done with the rewiring.

I have also been revisiting the discussion of solar thermal vs PV

I understand the argument for ease of PV ... Although that might not be as easy as I initially thought as it is generation so requires permissions/notification from DNO etc.

But even with that there was a strong case.

From digging a bit deeper the figures seem to be that PV is around 20% efficient where as solar thermal is 70% efficient.

I am reading this to mean that for an equal area of PV to Solar thermal tubes/panels the solar thermal will generate about 3.5 times more energy than the PV panels (I understand the solar thermal will use some power for pumps etc.)

But even with some of those losses the solar thermal is producing significantly more energy for the roof space it occupies.

Which in my case given the modest increase in available roof space might make more sense.

Have I got my facts correct, or am I still missing some important factors?

Thanks

[Countrypaul]

You also neeed to bear in mind that the PV approach will contribute whenever there is sufficient light to produce power, the solar thermal has to get to a minimum temperature before it heats the tank. What happens when the tank is upto temperature, with PV it stops heating the tank but could heat something else, with ST you need to have a way to dump the heat.