Running a radiator from a PV panel

Hi - I have a studio in my garden, it is 3.5 m x 7.5 metres. It has electricity, but I want to keep it moderately warm (i.e. above  reezing) because I have computer equipment in it (for day time use I have an oil run radiator). A friend suggested a solar panel to  keep a small radiator ticking over. I don't have a huge budget, is this something I could do at a reasonable cost? Thanks. Sam.

 

Basically, no. It would be an extremely expensive way of providing heat!

Doing a few quick calculations on our solar panel calculator: a 500W electric heater (which isn't much), on for 4 hours a day, needs 3000Wh of electricity. Even in summer you would need 600 watts of solar panels - which would set you back about £3000. In winter, when you presumably need the heat, you would need an array five times as big.

If you've got electricity there already, you're far better off using mains for the heating - if you want to make savings, spend some money on improving the insulation!

Andy
Midsummer Energy