While I am personally a big supporter of the use of sustainable / renewable energy solutions in Irish homes, I have to question whether it is currently viable for Irish tradesmen to limit themselves to such technologies in the sector.
Unfortunately, an initial surge of interest in all things solar panel, heat pump, wood pellet etc. apart, it seems that a disappointingly low amount of money has changed hands in this area of home improvement in the last 6 months or so.
Am I wrong ? I hope so, but anecdotal evidence from tradesmen in the area would suggest otherwise. The issue appears to be that property owners have worked out that the return on investment for solar, wood chip etc. is just too long - even with the SEI's greener homes scheme in place. In a period when "cash is king", it has resulted in property owners choosing more "traditional" solutions, such as efficient gas & oil boilers that meet current building regulations, for their lower upfront costs. Disappointing but hardly surprising. Indeed with the banks giving high interest rates for money on deposit, the pro's of saving a significant lump sum upfront and putting it to work immediately versus taking accumulated savings over an extended period appears to weaken the business case for sustainable further still.
The result of all of this is wholesale reports of tradesmen (plumbers in particular) that had initially set out their stall as "100%" sustainable solution providers have had to revert to traditional domestic work to supplement their incomes. Don't get me wrong - there is still activity in the sustainable sector and we see jobs coming into Onlinetradesmen.com everyday in the form of solar, heat pump, wood pellet and more - but tradesmen are telling us that the overall demand from property owners (from all sources including the SEI installer listing) isn't enough to base a successful business on.
So what are your thoughts on this ? Personally I would love to see additional changes to make adoption of sustainable technology more widespread in the domestic and commercial sector. I guess with the current status of the state coffers however, this may be just a pipe dream.
Monday, September 29, 2008
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I have to agree Ted. About 12 months ago we were very busy installing wood burning systems and solar but it has mostly dried up for us. The bulk of our business is now in condensing boilers. We are workingon a number of underfloor heating installations and one site that needs a geothermal heat pump but that is about it. Solar is limited to rural counties anyway so if you are talking to tradesmen in Dublin there is not much call for it.
ReplyDeleteTed, I have not seen this. We are busy installing solar panels in both domestic and commercial customers. The payback for Irish installations is defineitly there - even when you crunch the numbers you refer to - for vacum tube collectors. We are covering approx 50% of each customers water heating requirements in these cases. I'm not sure where you are getting your numbers from.
ReplyDeleteDavey M, thanks for the feedback. This platform is an open question rather than a definitive statement.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear you're busy - hopefully many others are as well.
Can you tell us what county you are working in ?
In relation to the payback figures some additional information would be great if you'd give it. If we can use a little bit of maths here it might stimulate some business for you guys from prospective customers:
What is the average cost of a solar water heating installation (say 3 bed home, 4 occupants)?
What are the average annual savings ?
Thanks.
I agree with Ted here. Iinstall mostly condensing boilers in domestic installations. While we should in theory be all embracing solar / sustainable solutions for the sake of the environment - the sums don't really add up. See the below from change.ie:
ReplyDeleteSolar hot water systems
Solar collectors (panels), typically roof mounted, convert sunlight into heat. This heat is normally used to provide hot water, but can also be used to provide space heating in a combined system, although this is more unusual.
There are two standard types of collector: flat plate or evacuated tube. An appropriately sized solar water system can provide you with 50-65% of your hot water requirements. Solar hot water systems need to be supported by a conventional heat source to increase water to usable temperatures. Such systems include a boiler or an electric immersion heater. Solar thermal systems are easy to install and are reliable – a professional installer is required
Life Expectancy: c 30 years
Payback Period: 8-20 years
Photovoltaics (PV) for electricity
Photovoltaic solar cells directly convert sunlight into electricity. They can be installed on an existing roof, or on a nearby structure. Alternatively, they can be moulded into solar slates or solar tiles for integration into roofs or bonded onto glass or metal sheets for incorporation into architectural glazing and fascia systems. Different types of PV technology exist that use different materials and manufacturing techniques with conversion efficiency ranging from 8% to approximately 20%. PV solar cells are expensive but safe and reliable and require minimum maintenance.
Life Expectancy: 25-30 years
Payback Period: 20 years