ProDave

Have you looked at timber frame, with Wood fibre EWI as I have, the phase shift is about 13 hours, similar to your ICF figure. It is certainly provided a low energy and comfortable building.

And if you have PV on your roof, you can pretty much guarantee when you need to run your cooling system, there will be enough power from the PV to power it, so no demand on the grid.

I can't tell from the photo, Are the row of lights top left on the Unipipe box all light up, or is that just the reflection of the camera flash? What you should see is when the heating is on, and the room thermostats are turned up calling for heat is those lights will light up, and the corresponding actuators on the bottom row will be energised. Since there are only 6 actuators, I would expect only the first 6 of the lights on top left to me light up, the others not in use, which is why I think it is camera flash reflection making them look illuminated.

That is the critical statement. I doubt a single or even 2 panels in series would achieve the minimum voltage to start most grid tie inverters.

Domestic grid tie inverters generate a high voltage output so need a high voltage dc input to do that, hence it is normal to connect the panels in series. forget all you know about boat inverters.

You wire the panels in series. I have 8 panels on each string and 2 strings, one facing east the other facing west. With only 4 panels that may not work as each string may not achieve the minimum input voltage. What is limiting you to 3kW? the default domestic install is 3.68kW (the max without prior approval under G98) That is probably where there is most choice.

Check with the seller it is G98 approved, It should be at only 2 years old. Susprised they don't state that, Only 1 input so all panels need to be on one string. 2 inputs is better if you want panels on different facing roof elevations etc.

So because people cannot be educated to use wet wipes properly and put them in a bin not down the loo, we ban wet wipes.

For your DNO sign off, with a G98 inverter you will need to fill in a form and provide some drawings including location of equipment and a wiring diagram. as well as an Electrical Installation Certificate from the sparky. Make sure the sparky can provide the wiring diagram as well as the EIC. for G98 you notify the DNO afterwards. The G98 application is linked to your electricity meter's MPAN number. If as hinted both properties share a single supply and meter, you will only be allowed one G98 application. If you want solar PV for both, you might have to get a second supply installed so each building has their own supply and meter. If buying secong hand inverters, make SURE they are not so old that they pre date the present G98/G99/G100 types.

Self build here has always (at least since I have lived here) been uneconomic if you just pay a main contractor to build a house on your plot ready to move into. Both our self builds here have only made economic sense by us doing a LOT of the work ourselves to keep costs down.

Also they are coming after your FIT's (solar PV for ealry adopters) by reducing the measure that determines future increases.

Except with the closing of the RDS service and E7 meters replaced by smart meters, judging by the number of issues issues we hear about, the switching and metering or off peak tarrifs is another bit of what should be simple technology that now does not work reliable probably due to incompetence.

It's nearly 20 years since I changed a nappy, but then the used wet wipes got added to the contents of the nappy and the whole lot wrapped up and bagged for disposal in a bin. Next someone will tell me people flush used nappies down the loo?

Wet wipes seem only of use to me to carry in your pocket to use when you are out and need to clean your hands where no wash basin is available. then you treat it as any other waste and keep it until you find a litter bin. I have never found a use for them in a house with running water and wash basins. Clearly I live a sheltered life.

I am not aware my LG does. I have highlighted before, I have fitted about 4 different heat pumps, and every single one has a completely different electrical interface to the others. Unlike a basic gas or oil boiler that has power, and "call for heat" Isn't it about time the manufacturers banged their heads together and agreed on a single control interface so the installers only have to learn one scheme and it can be applied to all heat pumps?

We have seasonally high water table. When i dug test pits for the SE to check soil conditions I left one open and observed anything from a dry 2m deep hole, to water almost up to ground level. I have mentioned before at our previous house I was badly advised and the guy that installed the tank just set it in pea gravel. That is still okay as long as you only empty it in the middle of summer after a long dry spell. It would probably end badly if emptied in the middle of winter. I made sure they buyer of that house was aware of the situation. Even now with the tank in this house concreted it, I choose only to empty it in the summer.

It is a combi. Changing it for anything with a UVC would be my preference, I hate combi boilers. But then the whole plumbing in that house is lousy, so much of it irritates me. (see thread about not wanting to move from my nice self build where everything is just right) But my point is just adjusting the system she has, would make the house more comfortable, possibly reduce costs but certainly not increase them. I wonder how many swap from that to a well set up ASHP and praise how good it is, when a lot of that goodness could have been achieved simply by adjusting what was there?

Most of that is not the ASHP but how the system is put together. I am just back from a week with a relative with a gas boiler and radiators. It has to be the worst set up install I have seen. (or perhaps I am just used to low temp UFH?) Her heating comes on for an hour in the morning, and hour at lunch time and a couple of hours in the evening. When it is on, the radiators run far too hot to touch, to the point you could easily burn yourself I think. You feel the hot air rising from them almost like a fan heater. So if you are close to the radiator you feel too hot, the other side of the room, not so. It is never on long enough to properly heat the fabric of the house, so when it goes off the house cools down quite quickly. The occupant just puts a cardigan on when it gets cold in the off periods. She only has it on for short periods because she is worried about cost. If the temperature was turned down a LOT the radiators would be warm, not scalding hot, and left on longer the house would probably be more comfortable for no extra cost. But so many people accept this scalding, too hot then too cold cycle as "normal" and never question it.

I have 28mm formers for my Hilmor bender. It was originally my dad's. I also have the imperial sized formers for it. I don't have the electrical conduit formers though it is the same bender as electricians use so they are available.

I am often asked should I swap from a gas boiler to an ASHP. I ask what are your expectations and reasons for doing so? If they just want to save money my usual reply is don't bother.

Good idea, assuming the data centre owner pays the electricity it uses (so has it's own supply and meter?) and the host just gets the free "waste" heat.

With a pipe bender I could do both 45 degrees as two bends in one length of pipe. No joints.

Top immersion heaters are the work of the devil. If yours has an old style thermostat without the new safety cutout trip then they work apart from eratic water temperature. But when I was working I had no end of trouble with thermostat failure, and you can now only buy thermostats with the safety cut out, and they were notorious for spurious tripping when top mounted. I would 100% replace the cylinder with a new one with side entry immersion heater.

I am not sad to see the end of this silly scheme, because it has failed to deliver low prices to the consumer and instead just let the contractors trouser most of the grant and still charge the customer a lot to fit a heat pump.