Solar Panels

[sunny]

Hi All,
Does anyone know of any useful sources of information about solar panels? We have information on one supplier who has installed some on one house in our local village.
We're thinking of installing them on our south facing roof at the front of our house. We live in the countryside and aren't overlooked so shouldn't be lots of objections (famous last words!) Have been in touch with local council to find out planning regs for permission etc and that seems straight forward depending on the overall size of the panels in relation to the roof size.
Does anyone on here have any experience of doing this?
Thanks in advance,
sunny.
Sunny

[littleange_com]

Is it for heating water? How about one of these (http://www.solarho****er.siliconsolar.com/pre-packaged-solar-hot-water-systems-40-50.php)?

It's sensoring my link lol remove the gap

http://www.solarhot water.siliconsolar.com/pre-packaged-solar-hot-water-systems-40-50.php

[tiger]

Sunny, have a look at Lili (http://www.lowimpact.org/topics_solar_electricity.htm)
They run courses on a range of topics including making your own solar panels, but they also have a list of installers and grants available on that link above.

[Button]

Hi,
I actually work for a company that manufacturers solar panels. If you pm me your email address I shall send you a brochure and also a list of suppliers / fitters in your area.;)

[tiger]

Button, the charity that my DH used to work for had Solar Panels to produce hot water. It was very effective even here in the North of England. Sometimes the water would get so hot that they had to run some off. That was OK for them because there were always staff or residents around, but I was wondering how that would work for a household when there may not be someone there.

[jen]

We had solar panels on a house we lived in for 10 years, they were on a south facing roof.
During summer it heated all our hot water during the day, however with children you would have to be very careful because the water would come out scalding hot, plus the bedroom in which the hot water tank was used to get uncomfortably hot in hot weather because of the heat of the water in the tank adding to the already hot room, this was a major disadvantage in hot weather and we ended up just running all the water away.

Now I am very into recycling and not using car for small journeys etc, etc, but when we moved to a house without them I did not find our bills any smaller and I have to say the it was actually a bit of a problem in hot weather because of the scalding hot water and too hot room.

Of course this was about some years ago and if they are designed now so the water can't get too hot and your hot water tank is not in a bedroom, then yes well worth considering.