The Carbon Footprint of a solar panel
Page 3: Carbon savings a typical UK house can make using Genersys solar heating
by Genersys Plc
Last updated: Monday, 02 April 2007
Calculating the total carbon footprint:
In the UK, most homes employing a Genersys solar panel system, typically use a two panel system. There are also other factors (travel for example) and components involved; such as pump stations, controller pressure vessel and piping -of which typically add 200 to 250 kilograms of CO2. This means your default two panel solar system, installed, has left on average a carbon footprint of 600 kilograms.
| Carbon footprint: 600 kilograms |
Carbon "Payback":
So the final carbon footprint is 600 kg. This may sound a lot but we will soon learn this can be saved, or payed back in as little as a few months. It all depends on what method the home i question uses to heat their hot water.
Here, we will take a look at the three common water heating methods; a condensing boiler, oil (fossil fuel) and electric.
When Genersys solar displaces a condensing boiler:
An average two panel system in the UK, where the system displaces gas burnt by a condensing boiler as the fossil fuel, a Genersys solar panel system saves about 500 kilograms of carbon dioxide each year, so the solar panel system "pays" for itself in less than 15 months.
| Carbon savings with Genersys solar hot water: |
| When compared to a home using: |
Per year: |
35 years: |
Payback: |
| A condensing boiler: |
500 kg |
16,900 kg |
15 months |
| Oil as the fossil fuel: |
800 kg |
27,400 kg |
9 months |
| Electricity to heat water: |
1300 kg |
44,900 kg |
5 months |
Carbon Savings: 500 kilograms per year |
Displacing fossil fuel:
If the system displaces oil as the fossil fuel it will save around 800 kilograms of carbon dioxide each year, and will "pay for itself" in just nine months:
Displacing electric heating:
Here the greatest savings are realised. If the Genersys solar panel system displaces electricity it will save around 1300 kilograms of carbon dioxide in a year, "paying" for itself in about five months!
How those savings add up over the years:
Your Genersys solar panels come with a 20 year warranty and a 35+ year life expectancy. Your investment will net you long term gains, both financially and environmentally.
Here is just how much carbon your 2 panel solar system would save a typically sized UK home over the next thirty five year lifetime, based on the current fossil fuel used for heating:
- Natural Gas: 16,900 kilograms
- Oil: 27,400 kilograms
- Electricity: 44,900 kilograms
That is almost 44 and a half tonnes in CO2!
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| It is therefore clearly carbon effective to use Genersys solar systems. But that is not the end of it... |
Click to continue to page 4/4: How Genersys solar panels keep on saving...
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