How to create an artificial deadline

One of the things I found in the previous self-build is that you have to become an expert in a certain previously unknown field (rainwater harvesting, structural insulated panels, underfloor heating, whatever) extremely rapidly, make decisions, and then move on to the next problem.  Meanwhile blokes down the pub who have time to dwell on single issues will inevitably go 'Why didn't you consider...' at which point you have to grit your teeth, accept that not everything was on your radar, and hope that what you ended up with is still one of the better solution.

Well, today's expert subject has been renewable energy.  I'm not totally unaware of the issues having looked at solar PV for our current house, but was put off by both price and commitment for something that would go on the roof when we weren't even out of the ground.  We had whole house ventilation on the radar as well, and I've since wondered why we didn't go for a heat pump, although space requirements would have kicked that into the long grass.  However, we did try to make the place as well-insulated as possible, even if we didn't make our own energy.  I'm also aware that there are government incentives and payments but if you sat me down and gave me an exam on the subject I don't think I could give you chapter and verse.

In order to decide what it is I'm looking for I decided up front that the following are self-evident:

• Spending money to make the place as energy efficient is money well spent
• Getting paid money to generate energy sounds like a good thing
• We need to dig some big holes in the ground in any case, so things requiring big holes in the ground aren't that much of a problem

There's a lot of information, facts, opinions, pseudo-facts, and verbiage out there.  Wading through it has made me want to turn to my tax return to rest my brain.  One thing I have found out (I think) is everybody quotes a 2.7kWp (kilowatt peak, i.e. the kilowattage produced at 100% efficiency) solar PV array as being suitable for a house and would cost c.£12k to install.  However, blogs like http://robertkyriakides.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/problems-of-pv-feed-in-tariffs/ suggest that they're only 10% efficient on average (probably better now) due to us not living in the Sahara.  Given we use abut 12 kilowatts a day my reckoning is that we could do with a 10kWp array to gives us juice throughout the day and get some kind of return.

I'm also getting indications that having solar PV may restrict the suppliers and tariffs available to get electricity when you're not producing enough yourself (aka 'the night'), so you can't get the best deal there.  Not something DECC flag up very well.

However, a big solar PV array would command economies of scale in the supply & fit (probably still £40k!), and would power a ground source heat pump feeding underfloor heating throughout.  A wood burner is a given, so one that heats additional water is a must.  My research also tells me that the feed-in-tariffs for the solar PV drop for systems installed after 1 April 2012, but nobody seems to be saying by how much, which suggests a deadline for having a roof to fit the PVs to.  Somewhat artificial, its true, but I think still do-able.

However, we may be timing it quite well from the point of view of Renewable Heat Premium Payments with a possibility of £1250 or so to help with the installation of the heat pump, and then payments for using it thereafter.

Given that there are synergies between the elements we're looking at I've been on the look-out for companies that offer a design, supply, and fit service for the whole caboodle.  I've got Eco-Living, Eco Energy, and Nu Heat on the radar as those that tick most, if not all, the boxes.  If anybody out there has recommendations on companies that cover all those bases drop me a comment whilst this is still my specialist subject.  Will keep you posted.