Baxi EcoGen

[Baxi]

I thought that the sterling engine would run and produce electricity and a small amount of heating as a byproduct.

Technically yes, but it relies on a demand for heat.

If thats not correct then why does it have to be burning gas in the boiler section as well when the engine is running?

It doesn't. At start up the Baxi Ecogen will allow only the generator to operate. After a delay, and only if absolutely necessary, the supplementary burner will be allowed to operate.

The suggestions at the last show from salesmen were that style of boiler would be costing about £3500.

Full details of pricing will be available next week at launch.

Oddly there was little information on the efficiency of the electricity generation part.

Electricity generated locally in the home is more efficient than generating electricity in a power station and then transporting to a home. It's approximately three times more efficient.

Baxi

 

[Baxi]

thanks baxi

from tests would it be more beneficial to fit a megaflo?

obviously in the summer it wouldnt pay back much, but if we carry on having these winters then i would have thought it may have been worth it?

have tests been carried out on this sort of system to your knowledge?
or am i a little crazy?

No you're not crazy! In the summer you can expect to generate around 140kWh for hot water compared to around 2000kWh in the winter for heating and hot water. As you probably know it all depends on the property type and size and householder behaviour.

Baxi

 

[gasmark1]

superb.

ill wait and see what happens with the launch

thanks for you help

 

[Agile]

Those kWh figures are monthly totals.

Electricity generated locally in the home is more efficient than generating electricity in a power station and then transporting to a home. It's approximately three times more efficient.

Baxi

Thats only if you assume that the waste heat from the sterling engine is "wanted" and performs a useful heating function.

It seems that a way to make best use of this boiler/generator is to add a thermal store which can soak up the engine's waste generator heat output for later hot water usage. or alternative perhaps ( and costly ) have a twin coil "solar" style large cylinder with the top heated by the boiler and the bottom heated by the waste heat output from the generator. That would need controls of course.

Tony

 

[shaggy202030]

Well after months, years it's finally out...in a very low key affair?? only found out by coming back to this thread?!? thanks to the guy from Baxi for taking my details and passing them on but never heard back from BG.
Went onto Baxis site at the start of this week. The Ecogen info had been updated to say you could expect to pay an extra £3000 in addtition to a normal A rated installation?!?!?! but this info has since been removed (wonder why!!) and now you call a number for more info...The baxi women on the end of the phone wasn't very clued up and simply told me to call British gas, so I did..
The jist of the conversation with BG is that it's still to early for them to book an appointment for someone to come round and "sell" one of these things to me, still training staff, but the big problem I discovered is the fact that the boiler can only be installed on the ground floor of a property due to it weighing in excess of a 100kg (115kg I think? and comes with it's own frame and jack!) and you have to have space for a hot water storage tank...now don't get me wrong but I thought this thing was going to be more like a combination boiler (??) with no need for the additional storage tank....bummer.
My current old boiler is on the floor in the kitchen, taking up loads of space, with a tank in the cupboard upstairs. This is not ideal for my reasonable sized 2 bed property and was looking to do away with both and shift the boiler into the loft. Now I'm being told I won't be able to and what with the suggested extra £3000 on top of an already expensive British gas instllation price of £3500 (quoted by BG salesmen who came in March) that makes a woping £6500?? ....

That's gonna take some years to payback

not so interested anymore

BG will call me again in a couple of weeks to arrange a visit, judging by my last experience with them in March this will be in June sometime, and post beck some real prices. but I'm not buying at that price, guy on the corner of my street will install WB combi int loft for £1900

British gas.....marvellous company