My supply to house is only 60 amp, three stories so not much to spare, but I see no reason why a Sterling engine should not power a heat pump, and these should run without a problem on any clean fuel, be it oil or gas, and with a heat pumps I have used in the past they would work in both directions, (we called them air conditioners back then) so could both heat and cool the home.
The only thing which would seem to stop it working in both directions is type of radiator and lagging on the pipe work, it would need a fan assisted radiator, and pipes lagging so condensate would not form on the pipes and drip onto the ceiling.
I have looked at the Wispergen which seems around same size as a oil boiler, used a lot of yachts, and seems no reason why the motor should not directly power a heat pump rather than a generator.
It seems a Sterling idea, but not seen any advertised, so big question why?
ASHP can you get oil fired versions?
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Razor
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ASHP can you get oil fired versions?
On the face of it that's not a bad idea especially as Stirling engines are best suited to steady state running which would benefit an ASHP that's slightly undersized for the property most of the year.
I can't see it happening though. There have been several attempts to integrate the Stirling into micro CHP units in the UK and they have all been commercial disasters.
Solar PV and batteries seems to be the way forward with ASHP
I can't see it happening though. There have been several attempts to integrate the Stirling into micro CHP units in the UK and they have all been commercial disasters.
Solar PV and batteries seems to be the way forward with ASHP
I think I'll take two chickens...
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ericmark
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ASHP can you get oil fired versions?
My roof is East and West, and I live in a valley so winter don't get sun until late in the day, and lose it early, so unlikely solar panels will give out enough energy to heat house in Winter, and don't need to heat in summer, so in real terms using electric for heating is a non starter.
The oil works reasonable well, the boiler and pipe work are not big enough for a fast recovery, it can maintain the house temperature but my attempts at geofencing have failed as it can't reheat the house fast enough on return, if only away for a short time great, it does hold the heat in well, but if away for an extended time, I need to remember to reactivate heating before I start home, I thought at first a sequence heating rooms in the order required would help, but tried with simple times set on each TRV, and transpires the radiators are simply not big enough, the boiler cycles and the micro bore does not allow enough flow for larger radiators to do much anyway, so either work with what I have, or remove ceiling to re-pipe, so best seems to abandon the idea of geofencing, and just heat all day.
I turn down the temperature over night, and then reheat at 0.5ºC every 2 hours until at 19.5ºC in the hall, then back down to 16.5ºC over night. If I set the thermostat to 19.5ºC straight away in the morning, it over shoots and the hall takes ages to cool again, I find I need around 2ºC difference TRV temperature to wall thermostat temperature, as TRV both lower and closer to the door to outside.
The Nest Gen 3 thermostat is a bit useless, as it does not gather temperatures in any other rooms but the hall, no single room is really going to work, as either other forms of heating or doors to outside, odd but the front door is about the only door not used. And I only have two wires from hall to flat where boiler is, some where one core has gone open circuit, so don't fancy low voltage (230 volt) on them, so the extra low voltage (12 volt) used by Nest and all coms on same pair of wires is good, I can have some control over both CH and DHW now with the two wires, although DHW is time only control.
To improve it seems need to look at wireless, and not keen on wireless after mothers thermostat stuck in the on mode, but likely sonoff relays are the answer and multi wall thermostats. I had hoped the temperature sensors used by Nest USA would be marketed in the UK, but no signs as yet.
However although not A1, it does work in the main, if I had a modulating gas boiler it would likely have been A1, but the mark/space ratio seems to have too long of a space. So I keep looking for some thing to improve what I have.
The oil works reasonable well, the boiler and pipe work are not big enough for a fast recovery, it can maintain the house temperature but my attempts at geofencing have failed as it can't reheat the house fast enough on return, if only away for a short time great, it does hold the heat in well, but if away for an extended time, I need to remember to reactivate heating before I start home, I thought at first a sequence heating rooms in the order required would help, but tried with simple times set on each TRV, and transpires the radiators are simply not big enough, the boiler cycles and the micro bore does not allow enough flow for larger radiators to do much anyway, so either work with what I have, or remove ceiling to re-pipe, so best seems to abandon the idea of geofencing, and just heat all day.
I turn down the temperature over night, and then reheat at 0.5ºC every 2 hours until at 19.5ºC in the hall, then back down to 16.5ºC over night. If I set the thermostat to 19.5ºC straight away in the morning, it over shoots and the hall takes ages to cool again, I find I need around 2ºC difference TRV temperature to wall thermostat temperature, as TRV both lower and closer to the door to outside.
The Nest Gen 3 thermostat is a bit useless, as it does not gather temperatures in any other rooms but the hall, no single room is really going to work, as either other forms of heating or doors to outside, odd but the front door is about the only door not used. And I only have two wires from hall to flat where boiler is, some where one core has gone open circuit, so don't fancy low voltage (230 volt) on them, so the extra low voltage (12 volt) used by Nest and all coms on same pair of wires is good, I can have some control over both CH and DHW now with the two wires, although DHW is time only control.
To improve it seems need to look at wireless, and not keen on wireless after mothers thermostat stuck in the on mode, but likely sonoff relays are the answer and multi wall thermostats. I had hoped the temperature sensors used by Nest USA would be marketed in the UK, but no signs as yet.
However although not A1, it does work in the main, if I had a modulating gas boiler it would likely have been A1, but the mark/space ratio seems to have too long of a space. So I keep looking for some thing to improve what I have.