Robert McQueen
@ramcq.net
Cambridge-based husband, father, free software & green energy geek, digital rights & equity advocate, open source technologist, CEO of Endless Access, Vice President of GNOME
You can't heat old buildings with heat pumps!!! *checks notes* www.cai.cam.ac.uk/decarbonisat... n/m
September 14, 2025 at 4:43 PM
You can't heat old buildings with heat pumps!!! *checks notes* www.cai.cam.ac.uk/decarbonisat... n/m
Just the way of things with heat pumps, solar generation and when it's cold don't really correlate meaningfully. But I use the battery with Octopus Intelligent to shift a bunch of daytime consumption to the cheaper (and lower carbon) overnight power.
December 1, 2024 at 9:16 PM
Just the way of things with heat pumps, solar generation and when it's cold don't really correlate meaningfully. But I use the battery with Octopus Intelligent to shift a bunch of daytime consumption to the cheaper (and lower carbon) overnight power.
All of them are next to useless in the winter! But actually the gap closes. I think that's mostly because my east/west panels have a very slight angle - 10° compared to 35° pitched roof for the north ones. This is the performance for the past month.
December 1, 2024 at 9:06 PM
All of them are next to useless in the winter! But actually the gap closes. I think that's mostly because my east/west panels have a very slight angle - 10° compared to 35° pitched roof for the north ones. This is the performance for the past month.
I got 10 East/West and 10 North facing panels as I have the North-facing half of the semi... The North ones still do about 1.5MWh a year which is 7-8% of our annual use, and the rest about 3MWh. (20MWh including the heat pump and the EV!)
December 1, 2024 at 5:41 PM
I got 10 East/West and 10 North facing panels as I have the North-facing half of the semi... The North ones still do about 1.5MWh a year which is 7-8% of our annual use, and the rest about 3MWh. (20MWh including the heat pump and the EV!)
Bit jealous tbh... Still thinking I should have a 2nd... The cold weather makes light work of our one!!!
November 22, 2024 at 8:29 AM
Bit jealous tbh... Still thinking I should have a 2nd... The cold weather makes light work of our one!!!
Victorian semi with a 50/50 mix of solid walls and newer built extensions. 12kW heat loss at -3C, 12kW Vaillant Arotherm Split heat pump. Currently 5C outside and flow at 43C, house sitting comfortably at 20.5C as intended. Designed with 55C flow at -3C but was able to turn it down a little.
November 19, 2024 at 11:48 AM
Victorian semi with a 50/50 mix of solid walls and newer built extensions. 12kW heat loss at -3C, 12kW Vaillant Arotherm Split heat pump. Currently 5C outside and flow at 43C, house sitting comfortably at 20.5C as intended. Designed with 55C flow at -3C but was able to turn it down a little.
This can't be right. Heat pumps don't work?! My internal temperature is all over the shop now the outside temp is dropping. 📉
Oh wait no it's fine... 😂 Flow is 45C now. COP was 3.9 last week, 3.1 so far this week. The system was designed to average 3.5 over the year and tends to do 3.6.
Oh wait no it's fine... 😂 Flow is 45C now. COP was 3.9 last week, 3.1 so far this week. The system was designed to average 3.5 over the year and tends to do 3.6.
November 19, 2024 at 9:10 AM
This can't be right. Heat pumps don't work?! My internal temperature is all over the shop now the outside temp is dropping. 📉
Oh wait no it's fine... 😂 Flow is 45C now. COP was 3.9 last week, 3.1 so far this week. The system was designed to average 3.5 over the year and tends to do 3.6.
Oh wait no it's fine... 😂 Flow is 45C now. COP was 3.9 last week, 3.1 so far this week. The system was designed to average 3.5 over the year and tends to do 3.6.