Hello,

I have been debating over why people buy into renewable technology when it is so expensive especially without grants and incentives?

I know it depends on house type and usage, but I want a discussion based majority of people. I have a typical semi detached house with 3.5 bedrooms (32% houses in UK), gas for heating, and normal electric meter. I have a central heating system that is say 7 years old. I have 2 teenaged kids and in my early forties. I have paid 50% of my mortgage, paying it off comfortably (current low interest rate) and have some savings about £20K. We pay about £700 in Gas and £500 (if that) on electric. Using it generously.

Are people buying because of incentives attached, or are they really looking at longterm energy security? 10, 20 or 30 years? To me personally I am looking at less than 10 years, god knows what I will be doing after this, I may move.

Is the industry eagerly waiting for the new RHI incentive? to motivate people to buy or a people really ready to pay 10-15K and hope to see a return after 15-20years.

What is your situation how much would you spend, what would be your max payback time.

Is renewable energy mostly beneficially to heavy users?

I think we owe it to confused people and misleading sales people to have a thorough break down.

Products I have looked into

Solar PV - Electricity
Solar Thermal - Heating and Hot Water
Biomass - Off Grid heating and water
Air to Air - Looks like simple system, for mainly open space living
Ground Source - Not sure about this
Air to Water - Looks new heats house and water
Auto Energy Monitoring System - Does this only help monitor electric or gas? cost/benefit raito?
Infrared Panels - New tech, movable, fairly cheap, DIY install
Thermodynamics - heats water and now home, no RHI
VO5 - Cost/Benefit ratio?

What is the average cost range, payback period, savings amount, is it retrofit, grants available, is it now a good time to buy or wait?

I know this is massive, but choosing something is confusing, people keeps saying it depends on this and that. Please help me, please help other people.

In the days of high FIT in the UK, people installed PV simply to make money. No problem with that, we needed to kick-start the PV industry. I was against the government reducing the FIT so quickly.

But now the easy pickings are over, and I think it makes sense, from every point of view, to insulate your house to building regulation standards or preferably better, before investing in renewable energy.

I am pessimistic about future energy prices, and therefore optimistic about payback times. We've hit peak oil. The UK won't accept fracking the way America did. Even 'renewable' electricity suppliers increase their prices with the market.

So, once I've finished insulating our house with a coat of technically-uneconomic exterior wall insulation, I will see if I have any spare cash for PV on the roof. I'm expecting to stay in this house for a while, and I am prepared to spend money now, to ensure that I don't live out my old age in fuel poverty.

PV kit has got cheaper and, sadly, installers are desperate for business - so the payback times are still respectable, they say. (Do the sums for your house. Can't generalise. And consider solar thermal, though from my sparky point of view it's complicated wet technology.)

If you expect to move soon, then the bad news is that the housing market is shockingly unaware of the energy performance of buildings. EPCs are rubbish. It's down to location, number of bedrooms, and how cool the place looks, not how warm you can make it for your £.

I have not worried about adding any 'renewables', just concentrated on getting my usage to under half (which I have done). As my biggest energy usage is hot water, I have consider fitting a ST system (now I have given up trying to sell the place).
Having 3 years of detailed weather data and 2 years of detailed domestic usage I feel I am almost ready to sit down and do some sums about it, may wait another year or two though.

Why Chorley in particular? And it doesn't seem to be everybody who is in favour:

http://www.chorley-guardian.co.uk/news/local/villages-fracking-fears-1-5151492