20 years on and the Oxford Ecohouse’s solar panel array is still performing very well – but the price the owner paid for her pioneering system will shock you.
Professor Sue Roaf is a British architect, scholar and Professor of Architectural Engineering at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Previously, Professor Roaf was a lecturer in technology and design at Oxford Brookes University and has also published books on the topic of sustainable design.
In 1990’s the Professor set about building the first low-energy house in the UK. The 6 bedroom home featured extensive insulation and was oriented east–west with a south-facing rear elevation. Heating costs were reduced through the use of passive solar gain. Triple-glazed windows prevent thermal transference, except in the sun room; which was double glazed.
The building also features a large solar hot water system, but the crowning glory of this home is its solar panels – an addition Professor Roaf was reportedly initially ridiculed for. The Professor wasn’t aiming for rapid payback – and she certainly wasn’t going to get it – it was to prove it was possible for to power a house with solar in the UK.
Installed in 1995, the 4kW system and support structure cost £28,000. At the time, the exchange was around 1 pound = AUD $2.10; so in Australian dollars at the time, the system was an astounding AUD $58,800.
$58,800 in 1995 terms is just shy of $100,000 in current money.
Today, a good quality 4kW solar power system generally costs under $7,000, including installation.
Professor Roaf isn’t done yet – her next project is to install a 2kWh SMA inverter/storage system; along with more energy efficient appliances and LED lighting.
Professor Roaf’s solar panels aren’t the only ones to stand the test of time. In 2012, we reported on a Kyocera solar panel based system installed in 1992 that had lost very little of its efficiency since the day it was installed. Another example is system from 1980, which the owner said was still producing electricity “better than factory specs” in 2010.
Last year we mentioned another UK system – Autonomous House. The panels in that array are still producing nearly 80% of their overall original rated power after 20 years.
These aren’t isolated cases and they help provide a little extra reassurance for current owners of solar power systems that their rooftop modules, assuming they are of good quality, will still be performing well for many, many years to come.
Related
Image Credit: Ecohouse 2
