Should all new and modernised buildings have solar panels?

Question

Should all new and modernised buildings have solar panels?

Answer 1

no all new builds should have a rain water recover system

Answer 2

First of all we need to ask are we referring to -

(a) Solar Photo-Voltaic (often called Solar PV) , or

(b) Solar Thermal

The first one, Solar PV, produces electrical energy (voltage) when sunlight strikes its panels. It is costly and does'nt work very well in North-Western Europe locations, resulting in long payback periods (currently +20 years). It currently enjoys some success in Southern Spain & Italy, where government artificial tariff incentives subside their operation by offering operators 48 cents per kilowatt-hour produced (some four times the average unit price of electricity).

The second one, Solar Thermal, is a completely different technology, producing hot water from collector tubes (gas or water-filled) located typically on the roof of a building. These for various reasons work quite well in Ireland & UK, are not very costly to install (per kilowatt-equivalent) and when compared to gas, oil or electrical heating offer paybacks from 4 - 7 years even without any government installation cost subsidy. Solar -Thermal is perhaps the quickest-payback energy-efficient technology there is (with the exception of attic insulation upgrades) and should be installed in every new home (and old)!

Answer 3

yes yes yes, gordon brown is on about building all these new houses, well shouldn't they be as carbon neutral as possible? how are we going to reduce co2 emissions by 2050 any other way?!

new legislation is needed that all new houses have solar power, mini wind turbine, combi boiler, funny water thingy etc...

other counties have more advanced technologies in these fields - contract them in and lets stop relying on expensive imported power - its not good for the environment - and its not good for my wallet!!

Answer 4

No, they are inefficient, expensive and environmentally damaging to construct.

Answer 5

Why stop at solar panels?  What about tapping the other elements?  In this part of europe we have plenty of wind and rain.  What about fitting every home with a gym that has generators in the exercise machines?  We could kill two birds with one stone!

Answer 6

Yes from Smart Home energy. There system provides 50% of hot water or 35% total energy as they have a system to make the central heating more efficient too.

Also if you recommend 6 other customers they will give you your money back. Where else can you get something for nothing?

Answer 7

Definitely Yes.

We have to make a start.

Efficiencies will come with development & sales volumes increasing.  

Competition will ensure a better product all round.

Every roof can benefit with hot water and electricity.

Let's stop playing with ideas and act.

Answer 8

This is already enforced in Spain

Answer 9

Actually, I think its a good idea. Here in Cyprus we have solar panels on the roof to heat our hot water etc, the only problem in cooler climates would be that you would have to have batteries to store the energy produced.

Answer 10

If the cost of the solar panels can be reduced so as to make it affordable to every one then yes.

Answer 11

in the UK all new buildings need to be carbon neutral and have on site generation by 2016, the code also specifies reduced water use, requiring rainwater harvesting etc.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads...

Affordable/social housing receiving Government grant http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/ have to meet code level 3 now - 25% better than open market.

before fitting solar pannels first we need to up the levels of insulation and reduce embodied energy in construction, not as glamorous as solar pannels perhaps, but more effective.

Answer 12

Yep! With the price of Gas and Electricity ever increasing Solar Panels have gota be good. Other countries have been using them for years so lets catch up.

Answer 13

no. we are being hoodwinked.

if they are so good,the government should supply free of charge,

Answer 14

It should be compulsory to fit solar panels even in winter they can heat the first 10% of the water which would subsidies the electric bill,  in summer the surplus can be sold to the national grid and bought back in winter to top up,, double glazing and where possible south facing homes should also be regulation with proper insulation.

The overal price on a new build house would not be more than ten thousand pounds by using quality bricks and materials houses would keep their good looks like pre 1960 homes.

The value for money in quality homes would be a Council House from before 1960 not one of the over priced tiny paper thin boxes that are available from greedy developers in 2008.

Answer 15

No - inefficient, expensive and with a huge pay-back time in terms of initial cost versus energy bill savings. A bit like uPVC double-glazing: plastic so oil-based and requiring huge amounts of energy to manufacture. And a problem when they are replaced, what happens to them! Everybody is jumping on the energy saving/save the World bandwagon without thinking it all through first. Global warming is not the biggest threat to mankind, over-population is!

Answer 16

Good idea, even when there's only a little sun every little bit helps.

Answer 17

New UK Planning rule since April 2008 - All new dwellings must use 10% of their energy from a renewable source - therefore solar panels or heat exchange units or wind turbines to be used - therefore no need to ask the question as it is already being sanctified.

Answer 18

yes and yes! that wou;ld be a very good idea!