Everytime I see the term “renewable energy” it drives me crazy. Science deniers. There is no such thing as renewable energy.
That is true but the total carbon footprint of manufacturing a solar panel that is then operational over a 20 year lifespan needs to be compared to the equivalent footprint of capture, storage and refinement of fossil fuel. But it’s not about carbon footprint for me; with Russian interference in the gas supply and the infrastructure around here being well past it’s best, it’s a no brainer from a “security of supply” perspective.
The alternative is, tolerate every road for miles around being dug up for months on end to replace 90 year old water pipes and sewers, 50 year old gas mains, 40 year old telephone cables and 30 year old mains electrics... And then be locked into a power grid that is totally dependent on imported fuel.
Most of our heating is provided via multifuel stoves, with seasoned timber provided by the local forestry. Water is now coming from local reservoirs. So it’s the entire heating, water and power setup that we’re working on - local grids not national.