best way to turn my 4 bedroomed detatched home in central scotland energy self sufficient?

Question

im open to any sugestions on heat pumps solar or wind generation within reason without breaking the bank Im having to drag my wife into the 21st century

Answer 1

solar heating on your roof to store in Battery. for lights only .
Then solar heating for water. you could use a gas stove if you are not yet using one.
In Scot I believe the wind is sufficient enough for wind generation.

Answer 2

I guess you would have to start with an upgrade to your existing insulation and windows. On self sufficientcy what do you have most of sunlight of wind. Wind generation is probably the best bet but setting up a generating system is pricey. The heat pump is a good choice and not as expensive but could run say 5,000 pounds would be my guess. It may take some time to recover the cost. You can only tell by getting a price and doing the calculations to find out. To be totally self sufficient would probably by prohibitively costly.

Answer 3

Take it easy you are getting carried away.

Before you go down this track look first at what you have and how to get the best for the least outlay.
Double glazing is out unless you already have it.
Either way fit secondary glazing 4" space from existing glazing. Now you have reduced the heat loss by half.
The Roof & Loft area.
4" lagging between the roof members and 8" above the bedroom ceilings
If you have Gabled Ends 4" lagging on these too in the loft area.
While you are up here double lag all the pipes.
Replace your hot water tank with one lagged during manufacture, these are three times more efficient.
Cavity Walls? your choice.
You can fill them with foam if its done correctly, ie twice as many holes than used normally, but some reports claim it produces Radon gas? Nasty.
Ground floor.
Have you got crawling room under it if they are wooden floors?
Good, get under there and put 8" lagging between the underside of floorboards and the floor beams, and double lag all pipes again except gas pipes.
The colder these are the less you pay for it. (Boyles Law. Its measured by volume)
Heavy curtains for doors and windows for the evenings, and in winter leave them closed where you are not occupying the room.
Outside, and for weather facing doors, build porches to use as an air locks when entering of leaving the house.
Now you have more than halved your heating costs.
Your Boiler.
Save your money here and keep the one you have if its functioning, but check out the burners and the air to them.
It needs five units of air to one to gas, and when you or someone proves that is what you have, you can now adjust it for the best blue flame.
You have just improved its efficiency by at least 15%.
Electricity.
Throw out dimmer switches, running low lights through them saves nothing so you might as well use low wattage bulbs.
Light Bulbs
Careful here don't fall for propaganda.
Currently you need to buy dwarf bulbs unless you want to see them poking up above the shade, and these are about £5
With the usable hours quoted, work out your savings at the lowest tariff (about 6p a unit) You will be paying 11p for the first 1000 units
Thrift
Cook with gas its very much cheaper per Bth U.
Plan the use of the oven and fill it where possible before doing a bake.
Move your freezer out of the house and run it for less than half the cost it takes inside.
Always let a full wash build up before doing any at all.
Shower or bath less. You can wash all your smelly points daily without ruining your skin by washing its natural oils away.
Do all of the above and you have saved yourself 80% of your current energy bill with an expenditure of less than £1000. in the area where you now live
Now you are ready to look at producing your own electricity.
They do not pay you for what you return to the grid.

Answer 4

ok solar on your roof this also saves money in the electricity bills, dimmer lights save electricity and maybe have front poorch lights that turn on as people walk by then turn off instead of having lights that stay on alll night