Solar thermal carbon and cash savings revealed

New research by the Energy Savings Trust has revealed for the first time the reductions householders can achieve through using solar thermal.


The technology, which since the coalition government cut grants for has ended up as second fiddle to photovoltaic (PV), has vast potential to save cash and carbon in the notoriously energy inefficient residential market.

The trust’s renewables development manager, Jaryn Bradford, gave an insight into the work at Energy Solutions Expo.

Its full report, which is due to be published on Thursday (October 13), will say solar thermal can save households £55 a year compared to gas and £80 a year compared to an electric emersion heater for heating water.

In terms of carbon solar thermal can save 230kg compared to gas and 510kg compared to electric.

Mr Bradford said the estimates were based on a medium system heating 60% of the water and comes after the trust ran 88 year-long residential trials.

However, Mr Bradford did not want to talk about payback which will not be covered in depth in the report.

He said: “No one ever talks about payback from a boiler.”

He also it only took ‘a small amount’ of energy to pump the water around the system.

Live from Energy Solutions Expo.

Luke Walsh

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