renewable energy to heat a shed? your thoughts on this

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renewable energy to heat a shed? your thoughts on this

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Bazil

Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 181
Location: Near Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 05 9:19 pm Post subject: renewable energy to heat a shed? your thoughts on this

I have a south facing shed down the garden which is 20 feet by 16 feet and 7 foot high to the ceiling, it's insulated in the stud walling all the outside with 4 inch solid cavity insulation and over 4 inch in the roof space, it has french doors and some large sliding windows both with toughened glass but not double glazed.

Doing the BTU calculations says that it is between 10000 and 12000 BTUs, yet our lounge which is of a larger size and also single glazed has a radiator that has a max output of 5000 and it copes with it brilliantly!

So, what I would like is some opinions on my idea of having central heating in the shed:

I am going to install a solar panel (the plumbed type for heating water) which would circulate a small heating system with one radiator of about 5000 BTUs and then fit a towel rail heating element of about 125 watts powered by our 500watt wind turbine to boost the solar panels heated water up to a suitable temperature.

Seems like a good idea as heating by any electric means requires very high wattages and the sun wouldn't produce enough hot water or the kind of temperature required to heat the shed.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 05 9:26 pm Post subject:
I have no idea about the technical side of things Bazil but it sounds like a great idea if you're one of those people who spends hours in the shed, or if you are going to be using it like a greenhouse. If there's any way you could heat a green house at the same time I reckon you could be on to a winner! As a matter of interest, do you use solar panels for your energy in the house too?

Bazil

Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 181
Location: Near Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 05 9:33 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately we don't have any renewable power sources in the house yet, but, The shed is currently fed via an armoured cable from the house supply so when the turbine electrics are fully finished I can simply send the electric along the cable the opposite way.

I'm still looking at solar panels of the electrical type but I haven't gone into it too much.

The main reason for heating the shed is because we need it as an extra room because of lack of space, I'm plasterboarding and plastering it, carpet etc etc, it's more like a bungalow than a shed

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 05 9:39 pm Post subject:

Bazil wrote:

The main reason for heating the shed is because we need it as an extra room because of lack of space, I'm plasterboarding and plastering it, carpet etc etc, it's more like a bungalow than a shed

Too right, it's bigger than my lounge! It'll be a bit like having your own log cabin in the garden. Any chance you could soundproof it and rent it out to me as a rehearsal studio??

Bazil

Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 181
Location: Near Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 05 10:01 pm Post subject:

nettie wrote:

Too right, it's bigger than my lounge! It'll be a bit like having your own log cabin in the garden. Any chance you could soundproof it and rent it out to me as a rehearsal studio??

I'm already on that one! Need to stop the sound of a drum kit and saxaphone. not sure about renting it though, we are up in shropshire

ele

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 05 10:07 pm Post subject:

nettie wrote:

Too right, it's bigger than my lounge! It'll be a bit like having your own log cabin in the garden. Any chance you could soundproof it and rent it out to me as a rehearsal studio??

Oooh, what kind of music ?

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 05 10:09 pm Post subject:
Rock. Loud. A drum kit will take some stopping, Bazil.....

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