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I know that one or two of the TM regulars are also micro generators, so I thought I would post our new installation up for anyone interested.
It's a 4KW system and it went live at the end of last week, but with so little bright weather over the last few days we have not generated very much electricity so far.
Cheers,
N-M

Yes, together with other forms of natural heat sourcing e.g. gound source heat pumps or solar heating panels, plus triple glazing &c.
However, will it ever happen? Pretty doubtful...

well district heating would be a big help, i cant believe that my apartment in poland is higher tech than my house in uk.

New houses are made of ticky-tack.

Near where I work a new estate has gone up. Being Oxfordshire it's inherently expensive for no discernible reason despite the fact it's just an estate where you'd have to drive simply to get a paper and pint of milk (ooh, low carbon!).

They're all just breeze-block shells with brick facades to make them look attractive but there's nothing to them, really. The double fronted detacheds have tiny plots with tiny gardens (for what is supposed to be family houses), narrow rooms and the standard of finish leaves quite a lot to be desired. Couldn't even be bothered putting timber or alu windows in, uPVC instead on buildings designed to evoke 'period'. They've left large trees near to houses so that the foundations will be compromised and the sloping road next to the estate, which backs onto the larger ones, was completely flooded last week - drainage must be terrible. A friend of mine is an architect and reckons that some developers are currently neglecting groundworks as it's simply too costly.

How much for all this? 300 grand for a semi or 500k for a detached. I find it baffling.

Will be interested to hear what Boshly has to say on this topic, as having recently done a small development the amount of 'control' is pretty unbelievable, including I think weekly visits from the building inspectors.

Maybe it varies from region to region, but stand to be corrected.

Aeroman

Reason Nick?
It's very definitely in the London commuter belt...

Unfortunately, local authorities seem pressurised into forcing developers to get as many properties into as small a space as possible - happened to a small plot of land behind Brother-in-Law's place - orignal planning request to put up 13 properties - refused, must fit in a minimum of 18. That the infrastructure locally (drains etc.) wouldn't support that number of homes was ignored by the planners and objections on those grounds and others to 18 properties were ignored.

I have started this process, and the planners are far more concerned with bin storeage than having adequate storeage inside the property.

They do everything they can to block sensible development, then there is the utility suppliers, they are a total joke; 7k to run a cable 20m with the trench already excavated for them, they want to put traffic lights on a hammer head. Im not sure where the traffics going as i own the property at the end of the road.

But i guess i might not be cut out for modern development, I want to make a few decent honest flats for young people who want to get out of student digs, give them a parking space and a small garden to sit in and learn to tend.

I have heard tales of planners and inspectors that make my eyes widen, to say the least.

Solar performance update (for anyone who might be interested)

I am reliably informed by my 'in-house statistician' that my solar array is running at 22 percent higher than the predicted performance. (...with a smidgen under 10,000Kwh generated since installation)
I think that means that it's running quite good, so i'm very pleased so far.

We had panels put in at the interimperiod when Greenpeace etc were taking the government to court regarding FiTs. We managed to get in the 43.2p /KW which is indexed linked - now 46p. It is the best investment I have ever made and I don't have the problem of the original poster regarding 300 year old buildings. I'll probably break even after 6 years, and that is in sunny Scotland.

Kilbarchan is a protected village, they cannot even put in yellow lines on the road, but we are outside the protection zone.

Sounds great. I've ones on my house that is being built so fingers crossed that they work as well as yours!