Haircut Time and Solar Thermal

On Wednesday I did something I have not done since the last century! Well writing that has made me feel old, not so much old as ancient. So what is it that I have done, well I got my hair cut!

I still have my ponytail, a mouse with a ponytail what ever next!

I wanted to get myself tidied up as while I may think I look windswept and interesting, in reality I am just windswept.

There was however a serious reason for doing this, as I had to ensure that I was (reasonably) smart for a meeting. Going back to last year, when I went to the Green Festival, I had a conversation with another visitor where they assumed I was an exhibitor. They had heard me talking to one exhibitors, and as I was relatively clued up they made that assumption. Anyway we still exchanged email addresses and I was able to offer some suggestions so they could work towards making their home energy efficient.

While I offered a few ideas of what they could do, I also said that if they could get their neighbours on board, then there were cost savings to be made. The main suggestion was using Solar Thermal. While this couple were quite enthusiastic, their neighbours were rather luke warm. It was not just the cost that was the problem but objections ranged from worries about having water on the roof to the old chestnut of “it is not sunny enough”. As Solar Thermal uses the sun to heat water in pipes, just like a central heating system, there is no greater risk of a leak than there is from a leaking radiator. Also I suggested that they demonstrate how effective it can be be putting a bottle of water in the sun and showing how much the water heats up so they can show their neighbours how hot the water can get.

By talking to their neighbours the objections reduced and it became clear that some were becoming more interested. The major objection was the capital cost, although all could afford to do this. Then as we all know, energy prices shot up. Suddenly the whole system started to look much more cost effective. Not only that more people wanted to see if they could join the group, this made the cost lower for everyone too.

Effectively, all bar four of the houses from a row of twenty seven, wanted to become part of this. However, one person objected and made a complaint to the Local Authority. Therefore, it looked like the whole idea was sunk.

Anyway I was asked if I would attend a meeting with the councils planing officer, a building engineer, and the residents, to see if some kind of solution could be found. Well that meeting happened on Friday.

While I can come up with arguments to counter objections, I am not that good at confrontation. But I needed not worry as simply I was not really needed as the “objector” and his group (metaphorically) shot themselves in the foot by insisting that climate change is a myth to the council officers. Further most of the other objections were technically unsound. They (He) were claiming that the weight of the panels would damage the roofs and bring the buildings down. All nonsense and he made no friends by calling the building engineer an idiot.

This, for me was rather entertaining. However, there were other points that still need resolving regarding cooperation and maintenance, so while all the objections were overcome, it was the details relating to cooperation regarding access for maintenance and installation that really remain to be resolved. So my input was not needed at all. It looks as though they will be able to get the houses fitted with Thermal Solar, and that could well reduce their collective water heating costs by forty percent. Not only that, they think that by working collaboratively they will save enough that the system will have paid for itself in six or seven years.

So what has this all to do with me getting a haircut? Well one of the council officers mistook me for some bloke off the Television. I wish, if only I had the money of some bloke off the TV!