By Paul Homewood
Energy bills at a row of Swansea Valley bungalows which have been re-fitted with solar panels and a Tesla battery have dropped to just a pound a week.
The six council-owned properties in Craigcefnparc have undergone a wholesale transformation in a pilot project which is expected to be rolled out across Swansea and south west Wales.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on May 7, Cllr Andrea Lewis said the energy bills were £71 per property in January but just £3 for the first 21 days in April.
By the summer, she said, the bungalows could be "in positive territory" energy-wise and exporting surplus power to the grid.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/housing-swansea-renewable-energy-news-18239701
Sounds as wonderful idea, what could be wrong with that?
Well, except for the upfront cost, anyway, as the article goes on to tell us!
The bungalows at Ffordd Ellen, Craigcefnparc, have new roofs, triple-glazed windows, insulated wall rendering and solar panels. Warm water comes from ground source heat pumps, while air is circulated via ceiling vents, which helps retain warmth.
Funding came from the Welsh Government and the Welsh School of Architecture, which also provided expertise. Around £55,000 has been spent on each property.
If energy bills in winter, before the solar panels were working, were £71 per month, annual bills would probably have been around £600. Solar power would be minimal in winter anyway, so annual savings would be much less than that figure.
So on what planet does it make sense to spend £55000 to save a few hundred a year, on equipment that will probably only last a couple of decades at most?
via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
May 13, 2020 at 04:27AM
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