vanessa
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At last!!Only a couple of years after first discussing this, we have a date for our wood stove with back boiler to be fitted  21st / 22nd July this year
Now I just need to find (will try the Navitron site as a first-stop) a sensibly-priced source of a solar panel, and we'll be "doing OK" in terms of reducing our heating bills
Mind you, with a highly-efficient tank, it'll be much cheaper to heat our summer hot water by electricity than it is currently in the useless in-boiler tank with the oil fired boiler! Still want solar, though 
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RichardW
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I dont "get" the using solar for heating (hot water & elec yes just not heating). If its sunny enough to get enough heat out of a panel then you dont need heat.
Justme
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happytechie
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my understanding is that on a bright winters day there is still enough energy from the sun to make a good dent in the power for your heating. The navitron style evacuated tubes are much better in the winter than DIY (black painted rad in a box) or other cheeper solutions. It will at least pre heat the water for your back boiler
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RichardW
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Only if you have an ultra modern super insulated & ventilation controled house with a heating demand of about 3-4kw & a huge solar array. In other cases you might save a bit as the solar pre heats the heating water but the losses from the extra pipe work, controls, elec etc can soon erode that.
Justme
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Chez
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| happytechie wrote: | | my understanding is that on a bright winters day there is still enough energy from the sun to make a good dent in the power for your heating. The navitron style evacuated tubes are much better in the winter than DIY (black painted rad in a box) or other cheeper solutions. It will at least pre heat the water for your back boiler |
We have two 20 tube navitron panels - during the winter they keep the DHW tank at about 30 degrees (that is then topped up by either the rayburn or the oil). So I guess they'd do the same to a heating-sump.
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vanessa
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Sorry, I should have made myself clearer.  The desire for solar input is for summer DHW, NOT for heating the house!! If the solar pre-heats or contributes a little in winter, great - if not, who cares?!
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Chez
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| vanessa wrote: | | Sorry, I should have made myself clearer. The desire for solar input is for summer DHW, NOT for heating the house!! If the solar pre-heats or contributes a little in winter, great - if not, who cares?! |
We've been running exclusively on solar for the last fortnight; and some days it's been scorching. I caved and lit the rayburn again the day before yesterday - but really only because it was a bit cold-and-damp rather than because of the water. It's got warm again now though, and I'm wondering whether to let it out  .
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