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Ethical living

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Original poster

Eco homes

29 replies

Pixiefish · 29/07/2006 23:35

A friend is having a house built and is doing it 'ECO'. By this I mean, solar panels, heating from the earth, building half the house underground etc etc.

This has made me think- can I do anything to a house we are in the process of buying and will need some renovation. perhaps won't be able to do it straight away but surely I can do something.

Any one have an 'eco' house? Help please

OP posts:
Katymac · 30/07/2006 13:33

Not yet

I want solar hot water
I have "free" hot wtaer in the winter from my wood burning stove
I also want grey water recycling and rain water harvesting

Original poster
Pixiefish · 30/07/2006 13:54

thanks katy. anyone else

OP posts:
Katymac · 30/07/2006 14:02

If you need a new roof you could use PV roof tiles

fairyjay · 30/07/2006 14:16

Our neighbours are having a water tank set underground, so that all of the rainwater from their roof will drain into it, and be used for watering the garden etc. Reckon it will cost around 2K.

Original poster
Pixiefish · 30/07/2006 14:24

what's PV?

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Katymac · 30/07/2006 14:25

Photo Voltaic (sp) Cells - like on a calculator - they produce electricity

liquidclocks · 30/07/2006 14:35

You could put in a wood pellet stove for your heating and hot water. They are eco friendly because they're carbon neutral.

Katymac · 30/07/2006 14:40

I am having trouble finding a wood pellet supplier in Norfolk

bobsmum · 03/08/2006 21:56

Bit late on this thread, but we're just about to have a geo-thermal heatpump installed for our heating and hot water. We get a 30% grant from Clearskies to do this. We're getting a borehole in our front garden as loads of trenches were going to be too much of a faff.

Katymac · 03/08/2006 21:58

How far down do you have to go down with a bore hole (I live on an ex-island)

bobsmum · 03/08/2006 22:00

We're fairly average: 4 bed semi needs 100 metres. It depends on the size of your house and heatpump required. We had to send off a fairly accurate plan of our house so our installer could do a heat loss assessment and work from there.

Katymac · 03/08/2006 22:02

would you reccomend your installer (& dare I ask how much it cost?)

Can you run the electric part by solar or is it passive?

bobsmum · 03/08/2006 22:12

We haven't had it installed yet, but so far the service and advice has been excellent. The total cost excluding the 1/3 grant is £12,000, but a borehole can be more expensive than trenches.

We looked into using solar power for the pump but apparently it's not cost effective because the electricity usage is so low - you'd never get back the installation costs.

But our system uses a thermal heat store rather than taking the heat to the radiators directly so you can bring in heat from mulitple sources. So we're hoping to add in solar thermal panels at a later date. We're also incorporating our existing open fire with back boiler into the system too.

The company we're using is Invisible Heating Systems

bootsmonkey · 03/08/2006 22:13

Curious - what is an ex-island??

Also very interested in Eco housing. Big dream is to build a beautiful carbon neutral, self sustaining house, somewhere dramatic. Will follow with interest...

Katymac · 03/08/2006 22:15

Well in 1066 it was Flegg Island

But now it's about 8 miles inland.....I think the sea moved - but it's sand just below the surface

Original poster
Pixiefish · 03/08/2006 22:16

thanks for info on bore holes- me too interested in ex-islands- i live on an island lol

OP posts:
bobsmum · 03/08/2006 22:16

KM - the heatpump likes cold wet ground - it's just hitting rock that doesn't work - your location sounds perfect (but I'm not an engineer by any stretch of the imagination!)

bootsmonkey · 03/08/2006 22:18

and Katymac, would you recommend Flegg Island to live??

Katymac · 03/08/2006 22:19

I'm very envious I wish I could

I'm going for a wood burner back boiler or maybe a pellet burner

bobsmum · 03/08/2006 22:21

My neighbour's got a wood burning stove with some kind of automaticky dispensery thingy - would that be a pellet stove? Sounds far more civilised than the hideous coal fire we're muddling through with atm - although not in this weather - hurrah!

Katymac · 03/08/2006 22:25

Yeh

I want that to run my central heating

Then solar panels on the roof for hot water

Original poster
Pixiefish · 04/08/2006 08:51

how much are solar panels then katy?

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Katymac · 04/08/2006 09:08

We DIY they could be as little as £500

Installed maybe up to £2500 or even more

fennel · 04/08/2006 09:23

we are buying a house that needs plenty doing to it to, probably an eco-nightmare as it's all creaky old Victorian space and huge draughty but beautiful windows.

my friend is an eco-plumber and he's full of ideas about using water differently in bathrooms, ways of storing your "grey" water from the bath to water the garden easily, as well as showers and toilets which use less water. This sounds fairly simple to do if you are putting in a new bathroom anyway.

Original poster
Pixiefish · 06/08/2006 08:17

we'll be looking at 2 plumbing sysytems- well a seperate one for the bathroom anyway using rainwater and only using mains for drinking.

There's also a well on the property that needs to be investigated as a possible source of water

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