# hone renewable energy seems too good to be true



## Frank (22 Oct 2018)

http://www.honeworld.com/en/residential/ 

Got this in an email on the selfbuild show.
Seems too good to be true, so going to put the question out there.

The sales video sounds a bit dodgy too much nano technology not enough science facts for me.

Anyone out there looked at this?
Any real info.

Because if it's true it is the future.


----------



## dub_nerd (22 Oct 2018)

Sounds like pure snake oil. It's also self-contradictory -- it says the system installation has only three "touch points" -- roof, boiler and hotpress. A few seconds later it is talking about the "Hone nanotechnology electric power engine". But no mention of how they are getting electric power from a hot water system that runs at only a few dozen degrees centigrade. I wouldn't be betting my money on something so light on details just yet.


----------



## Frank (22 Oct 2018)

That's what I thought.

Was there a mention of perpetual motion anywhere?


----------



## huskerdu (22 Oct 2018)

If this is real and realistic , they should have a Clear statement which goes something like this
“We have developed a method of converting <energy source > into a form that can be used to provide energy in your house . We do this by ....

Without this , it sounds like faff so it probably is,
Even if it is a real technology and  they are exaggerating the “no running costs” there are Far too many unanswered questions  and the hardware is likely to be wildly expensive


----------



## Buddyboy (23 Oct 2018)

I read some of their website, until my brain hurt with the amount of marketing-speak it had to translate.
I could be wrong, but by distilling all the verbiage on the website, with a rudimentary knowledge of physics, what I think they are doing is combining solar hot-water generation (via vacuum tubes) with photo-voltaic solar electricity generation. They are using the electricity generation to charge the car, probably store in battery backup for light/domestic use, and ramp up the hot water production on days when there is not enough sunshine. They probably also have a thermal store for heating, again, connected to both the solar panels.

A good idea to combine the two technologies, but not rocket surgery, as the website would have you believe.

(Although  I could be wrong and they have discovered either perpetual motion or cold fusion, or a wormhole into another dimension with unlimited free energy provided by friendly aliens).


----------



## Leo (23 Oct 2018)

I read it pretty much the same way buddyboy, with an addition of a nano-coating on the solar tubes to retain more heat, and potentially incorporating a heat pump (heat engine as they seem to call it). Nano technologies have also been applied to PV panels to make them significantly more effective in absorbing and converting available energy.

Their marketing material seems to constantly knock other technologies as being based on 18th century scientific principles, but then go on to explain how they're using those same principles!! Like somehow they're the first to discover energy from the sun comes in the form of photons!


----------



## huskerdu (23 Oct 2018)

I gave up before you did, but I agree with you. 
This may be a good idea, but its not distruptive technology. 

I would be interested in seeing how much energy you can realistically get from solar panels in a domestic house in Ireland and how much of your electricity needs can be practically met from photo-voltaic generation from the panels. 

I also suspect that this is very expensive for early adopters.

If they over-sell this, it will damage the reputation of these technologies which do need to be developed further. 

Im annoyed that they claim the running costs are zero. I have solar panels and they are not zero-cost. There is a maintenance cost which very seriously impacts the pay-back time.


----------



## Buddyboy (23 Oct 2018)

I would guess, as you said, that the setup cost is pretty high.  Taking into account all the stuff you would have to install; solar vacuum tubes, photovoltaic panels (a LOT of them I'd guess), water tanks, batteries, thermal store, probably all LED lighting etc., controllers  and all the accompanying wiring, plumbing etc. The payback time would be fairly long I'd guess.

Sometimes the initial capital cost just ain't worth it.


----------



## Leo (23 Oct 2018)

huskerdu said:


> I would be interested in seeing how much energy you can realistically get from solar panels in a domestic house in Ireland and how much of your electricity needs can be practically met from photo-voltaic generation from the panels.



You're looking an an annualised average of just under 2.7kWh per square metre in Dublin according to NASA data for south facing panels tilted at an angle of 38 degrees. What you get out of the panel then depends on the efficiency of the panel. This 2018 report suggests the best commercially available panels are ~20% efficient.  It looks like there are claims nano/graphene enhanced panels may exceed 90% efficiency, but we're a way off that yet.


----------



## mike2017 (29 Oct 2018)

I ran into these at Citywest self build. Big stand, low on detail. Cringe!!


----------

